Besides Chiranjeevi, Bollywood's veteran actress Vyjayanthimala also received the honor.
"He (Chiranjeevi) has both Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in him. Not only can he do action, he can also act." - K. Balachander
It's a deeply satisfying moment for all fans of Chiranjeevi. After achieving countless milestones throughout his career, now he has been honored with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for his contributions to the world of cinema. On Thursday, he received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Alongside him, legendary Bollywood actress Vyjayantimala was also conferred with the same.
"... to Kalamatalli, to everyone who supported me in the field of art, to all those who loved and admired me, to the central government who gave me the Padma Vibhushan award, to those who congratulated me on this occasion, my salutations." - Chiranjeevi
#WATCH | Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma Vibhushan to Konidela Chiranjeevi in the field of Art. pic.twitter.com/dh1ehQJz8m
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024
(Credit: ANI)
At the ceremony, Chiranjeevi was accompanied by his wife Surekha, son Ram Charan, daughter-in-law Upasana, and daughter Sushmitha. Ram Charan shared pictures and a video of his father from his big day on social media, with the caption, "Congratulations dad. So proud of you.”
(Credit: alwaysramcharan)
Well, we congratulate our beloved Chiranjeevi Garu for this remarkable achievement... but obviously in our own style. In this article, let's revisit the time when he was tagged as "Bigger Than Bachchan".
Chiranjeevi started his film career with the 1979 film 'Punadhirallu', however, his first released film was 'Pranam Khareedu' (1978). He soon rose to stardom, emerging as one of the biggest names in Telugu cinema. He had eight major film releases in 1979 and 14 in 1980. And his breakthrough was the 1983 action drama 'Khaidi' which grossed around ₹8 crore - equivalent to ₹136 crore in 2024. Well, there was no looking back ever since then.
He went on to star in a series of box office successes, including 'Mantri Gari Viyyankudu', 'Sangharshana', 'Goonda', 'Challenge', 'Donga', 'Adavi Donga', 'Kondaveeti Raja', 'Rakshasudu', 'Swayamkrushi', 'Pasivadi Pranam', 'Yamudiki Mogudu', 'Rudraveena', and 'Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari' among others. His larger-than-life persona on the screen catapulted him to unprecedented stardom, while his down-to-earth nature off the screen resonated with the masses on an emotional level. And he received countless awards and accolades from all across the world. In fact, in 1987, he was made the Guest of Honor at the Academy Awards, making him the first from South India to achieve the feat. Thus, he became absolutely unstoppable in the industry.
In 1992, his film 'Gharana Mogudu' became the first Telugu film to collect over ₹10 crore at the box office. And with this, Chiranjeevi became the highest-paid actor in India at the time, making it to the cover pages of several magazines. That same year, he was paid ₹1.25 crore for 'Aapadbandhavudu', breaking his own record for the highest fee for any Indian actor.
With his popularity soaring, Chiranjeevi was often compared with Amitabh Bachchan, the Shahenshah of Bollywood. But it didn't take him long to even surpass Bachchan's stardom nationally. Hence, he was soon tagged as "Bigger than Bachchan" by the entertainment magazines Filmfare and India Today. Moreover, the news magazine The Week hailed him as "the new money machine".
Chiranjeevi's legacy is unparalleled in the truest sense of the term. And what truly sets him apart is his ability to reinvent himself again and again, adapting to the ever-changing world of cinema. We wish him all the best for his upcoming endeavors!
