Nani, whose real name is Naveen Babu Ghanta, is an Indian actor and producer who is best known for his work in Telugu films. He was born in the Indian city of Hyderabad, Telangana, on February 24, 1984. Nani finished high school at St. Alphonsus High School in Hyderabad. He then went to Narayana Junior College in S.R. Nagar to get his bachelor's degree in commerce.
Nani worked as an assistant director and a radio DJ before getting into the movie business. Because he wanted to be an actor, he went on the talent show Star Hunt on Gemini TV. There, he caught the eye of director Mohan Krishna Indraganti, who gave him a part in the movie Ashta Chamma (2008). This was Nani's first role as an actor, and his performance was so good that it earned him a Nandi Special Jury Award.
After his first movie, Nani did a number of other movies and proved himself to be a versatile actor. He became known for his natural acting style and his ability to play many different roles. Ala Modalaindi (2011), Eega (2012), Yevade Subramanyam (2015), Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015), Ninnu Kori (2017), and Jersey (2019) are some of his most well-known films. These films showed off Nani's skills and helped make him more popular with the public.
Nani did more than just act. He also made movies and started a production company called Wall Poster Cinema. Under this label, he made the 2018 movie Awe!, which was praised by critics for its unique story.
Nani has won a lot of awards and honors over the course of his career, including multiple Nandi Awards, Filmfare Awards South, and SIIMA Awards. He has also made a name for himself in the Telugu film industry as a reliable and bankable actor.
Age
Nani was born on 24 February 1984. He is 39 years old as of 2023. His zodiac sign is Pisces.
Education
Nani was born and raised in Hyderabad, which is located in India. Before graduating from Wesley College, he received his secondary education at St. Alphonsa's High School and his intermediate education at Narayana Junior College, S. R. Nagar. He then attended Wesley College. His ancestors were born and raised in Vishakapatnam, which is located in Andhra Pradesh.
Family
Rambabu Ghanta is Nani's father. He has his own business and works as a businessman. Vijayalakshmi Ghanta is the name of his mother, and she works as a pharmacist. Additionally, Nani has a sister who works in the film industry as a producer.
Wife
On October 27, 2012, Nani got married to Anjana Yelavarthy in a traditional Hindu ceremony. Before getting married, the two had been together for a significant amount of time and Anjana worked in the information technology industry. They are the parents of two children: a son called Arjun, who was born on March 29, 2017, and a girl named Junnu, who was born on November 29, 2019.
Career
Prior to beginning a career in the film industry, Nani held positions as both a radio jockey and an assistant director. Because of his interest in acting, he took part in the talent program Star Hunt which was broadcast on Gemini TV. There, he was able to attract the notice of director Mohan Krishna Indraganti, who eventually offered him a part in the movie Ashta Chamma (2008). This was Nani's first film as an actor, and he won a Nandi Special Jury Award for his performance, which garnered him praise from film critics and earned him the award.
The movie Ala Modalaindi (2011), which was directed by Nandini Reddy, was the film that launched Nani's career. The way in which he portrayed the role of Gautam was met with considerable praise, and it helped to establish him as an actor who has a potential future in the profession. After thereafter, he became more well-known after starring in commercially successful films, such as S.S. Rajamouli's Eega (2012), which gained him further notoriety.
As an actor, Nani is well-known for his flexibility, having played a wide variety of roles in a variety of genres during the course of his career. He has been successful in both dramatic and romantic comedies, and he has even tried his hand at some less traditional parts. His performance in films such as Yevade Subramanyam (2015), Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015), Ninnu Kori (2017), and Jersey (2019) has been praised by film critics, helping to establish him as one of the most bankable performers in Telugu cinema.
In addition to his career as an actor, Nani has also worked behind the camera with his production business, Wall Poster Cinema. He was the producer of the critically acclaimed film Awe! (2018), which was praised for its unconventional narrative structure and avant-garde approach.
Top 5 Movies of Nani
Eega
Eega is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action movie written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati's Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram, and its budget was believed to be between 30 and 40 crore, which is equivalent to around $6 million and $7 million U.S. The Tamil version, titled Naan Ee, was also shot at the same time as the English version. Sudeepa, Nani, and Samantha all had starring roles in the movie. While M. M. Keeravani was responsible for the composition of both the songs and the background soundtrack, K. K. Senthil Kumar was the director of photography. Janardhana Maharshi and Crazy Mohan, who are native speakers of Telugu and Tamil, respectively, penned the dialogue for their respective versions.
The plot of the movie is structured like a bedtime story that a father tells his daughter before going to sleep. A wealthy industrialist named Sudeep, who is drawn to Bindu and sees Nani as a competition for her attention, is the one who ends up killing the story's protagonist Nani, who is in love with his neighbor Bindu. Nani is reborn as a housefly and seeks vengeance for his previous life while also attempting to save Bindu from an obsessed Sudeep.
During a chat that took place in the middle of the 1990s, Rajamouli's father and screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad joked with Rajamouli about the concept of a fly seeking revenge against a human. This talk was the seed that eventually grew into the idea for the film. After completing Maryada Ramanna (2010), Rajamouli gave the concept some more thought and ultimately penned the screenplay for it. Production on the movie got underway at Ramanaidu Studios in Hyderabad on December 7, 2010, when it all started. Production on the feature film got underway on the 22nd of February 2011, and it lasted until the end of February 2012. Both Makuta VFX and Annapurna Studios were responsible for supervising the digital intermediate and visual effects processes that went into Eega.
On July 6, 2012, the film was released in its two original languages as well as a Malayalam-dubbed version called Eecha. Together, all three versions were shown in about 1,100 theatres throughout the world. Upon the film's first release, it was met with widespread critical praise, notably for Rajamouli's directing, the performances of the ensemble cast (especially Sudeep and Samantha), and the visual effects. Eega earned more than 125 crore, which is equivalent to over 23 million dollars, making it one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year.
Eega received a total of seven awards, including two from the National Film Awards (for Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Special Effects), five from the South Filmfare Awards (for Best Telugu Film, Best Telugu Director, Best Telugu Actress (Samantha), and Best Telugu Supporting Actor (Sudeep), and three from the South Indian International Movie Awards. At the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, the movie took home nine honours, including the prize for Most Original Film. The Ringer included Eega as one of The 25 Best Foreign Films of the Decade on their list.
Yevade Subramanyam
Yevade Subramanyam is an Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age drama movie from 2015 that was written and directed by Nag Ashwin, who was making his first movie. The movie was made by Priyanka Dutt and Swapna Dutt. It stars Nani, Malavika Nair, Vijay Deverakonda, and Ritu Varma. Krishnam Raju, Nassar, and Kireeti Damaraju play minor parts. In the story, Subramanyam (Nani), a businessman, goes on a trip to find out more about himself. Most of the movie was shot at the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. It was the first Indian movie to be shot there. The movie came out on March 21, 2015, and reviewers had mixed good things to say about it. People liked Nani's acting and how the story focused on a message, but they didn't like how slowly the movie moved.
Yevade Subramanyam was made by Priyanka Dutt and her sister Swapna Dutt, who is based in Hyderabad. They are the daughters of C. Ashwini Dutt, who is a well-known Indian film director and the head of Vyjayanthi Movies. It took forty days to film near the Himalayas Mountains. The film is set in a different place than the TV series. For TV, director Gowarikar shot scenes in Lukla, which is 2,860 meters above sea level and is in the Khumbu area of Nepal. He then moved to Uttarakhand. Yevade Subramanyam, on the other hand, is the only Indian movie that has been filmed at some of Everest's highest spots.
Nag Ashwin, the director, worked out on an angled machine for a few months before the shoot to get ready. Only 27 of the 33 people who worked on the movie made it to the end. Several people got sick from the high altitude and other things, so they were taken to Kathmandu to get better.
To start shooting, the crew left Lukla and traveled to Gokyo and then Chola Pass. During the shot, however, the cast and team had to deal with altitude sickness, cold weather, and a lack of food. During the shoot, there were some funny moments, like when a baby yak chased a makeup artist and when a horse ran into the director. The director thought it was a good sign that he talked to Amelia Hillary, the granddaughter of Sir Edmund Hillary while shooting.
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy is a romantic comedy film released in India in 2015 and written and directed by Maruthi in the Telugu language. Bhale Bhale Magadivoy was made by Bunny Vasu and his companies GA2 Pictures and UV Creations. Nani and Lavanya Tripathi are the main stars, and Murali Sharma, Ajay, Naresh, Sithara, and Vennela Kishore play minor parts. Lucky is a plant expert who has trouble remembering things. He is in a relationship with Nandana, a kind Kuchipudi dancer, and he tries to hide his memory problems from her.
The name Bhale Bhale Magadivoy came from a song with the same name that M. S. Viswanathan wrote for the Telugu movie Maro Charitra by K. Balachander in 1978. Gopi Sunder made the music and background score for the movie. The main filming began in March 2013 and finished in July of that year. Even with the work that was done after filming was done, the movie was finished in seven months. One of the songs was made in Goa, even though most of the movie was shot in and around Hyderabad.
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy was made for about 7–9 crore, and it came out on 700 screens around the world on September 4, 2015. It got good reviews from reviewers and made a lot of money at the box office, making more than 50,050,000 worldwide during its entire run. At the time it came out, it was the fourth highest-grossing Telugu movie of all time in the United States. It was shown in 115 theatres. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards South, the movie was up for three awards: Best Film (Telugu), Best Actor (Telugu), and the Critics Award for Best Actor (South), which Nani won. It was redone in Kannada as Sundaranga Jaana in 2016, and in Tamil as Ghajinikanth in 2018.
Gopi Sunder wrote the five songs that were on the movie's soundtrack. Ramajogayya Sastry, Sri Mani, and Bhaskarabhatla wrote the songs. One of Tyagaraja's Pancharatna Kriti, Endaro Mahanubhavulu, was used as the tune for the song Endaro, which was written in a classical fusion style. The words were changed to fit the situation. Renuka Arun did the singing. She was suggested to Sunder by one of the guitarists in his band when he was looking for a singer who has a strong preference for Carnatic music but is also familiar with fusion music. Sachin Warrier was chosen to sing Motta Modatisari because he sang in Saheba Subramanyam (2014), the Telugu version of Sunder's Malayalam show Thattathin Marayathu (2012).
Ninnu Kori
Ninnu Kori is an Indian love comedy/drama movie that came out in 2017. It was directed by Shiva Nirvana, who was making his directorial debut and was written by Kona Venkat. The movie was made by DVV Danayya and DVV Entertainments. Nani, Nivetha Thomas, and Aadhi Pinisetty are the main actors, and Murali Sharma and Tanikella Bharani play minor parts. The music was written by Gopi Sunder. Prawin Pudi is in charge of editing the movie, and Karthik Ghattamaneni is in charge of taking pictures.
The story is about Uma (played by Nani), Pallavi (played by Thomas), and Arun (played by Pinisetty). Pallavi asks Uma to run away with her, but Uma says no. Pallavi then marries Arun and moves to the US. A year later, Uma, who is still in love with Pallavi, goes to the US to try to win her back. At the box office, the movie made more than 52 crore, which is a lot of money. In 2021, Thalli Pogathey, a version of the movie in Tamil, came out.
The movie Ninnu Kori came out on July 7, 2017. Aditya Movies, a production business based in Hyderabad and Mumbai, got the rights to dub the film into Hindi. It is being turned into Hindi as Aaj Ka Khiladi in 2020, and it will be shown on TV right away. Sony Networks got the rights for the Hindi-dubbed version to be shown on television.
Jersey 2019
Jersey is an Indian sports drama movie that came out in 2019 and was made in the Telugu language. It was written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, and it was made by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi for Sithara Entertainment. The lead actors in the movie included Nani, Shraddha Srinath, Sathyaraj, Harish Kalyan, Sanusha, Sampath Raj, and Viswant Duddumpudi. Anirudh Ravichander wrote the music for the movie, Sanu John Varghese did the photography, and Naveen Nooli did the editing.
The movie is about late bloomers who want to make it in sports but have to deal with a lot of problems. The story is about Arjun (Nani), a skilled but failed bowler who returns to the sport in his mid-30s because he wants to play for the Indian cricket team and give his son a jersey. The main filming for the movie began on October 18, 2018, and ended in late March 2019.
On April 19, 2019, Jersey came out everywhere. It was praised by critics for its direction, story, script, editing, music, score, emotional weight, and cast performances, especially those of Nani and Kamra. Several critics put the movie on their lists of the Best Telugu films of 2019. Most reviewers liked Nani's performance in the movie, and Film Companion put it on their list of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade. The movie won Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Editing (Nooli) at the National Film Awards. It also got two Critics' Choice awards, four South Indian International Movie Awards, and the Zed Cine Awards Telugu. The movie was also shown in August 2020 at the International Indian Toronto Film Festival. Tinnanuri also directed the same-titled Hindi version of the movie in 2022.
Nani was said to have signed on to do his 23rd movie with Gowtam Tinnanuri, who made his start with Malli Raava (2018). This was officially announced on June 10, 2018, when the second season of Bigg Boss Telugu began. On June 15, 2018, a first-look image came out, which showed the title, which was Jersey. In the picture, there was a cricket jersey with the word Arjun on it. Nani plays Arjun, a 36-year-old cricketer who is having trouble making it in the game. The movie takes place between 1986 and 1996. Director Gowtam Tinnanuri said that the movie is not based on the life of the late cricket player Raman Lamba.
The film's pre-production work began soon after it was announced, and the shoot was set to begin in September 2018 after the cast and crew were finalized. Nani, on the other hand, had to work for three and a half hours a day in cricket to fit his part. Because Bigg Boss Season 2 was so popular, Nani chose to raise the pay from 4 crore to 6 crore. Nani, on the other hand, signed on for free and chose to share the profits because the film's budget was very tight.
Nani has a net worth of $8 million. He earns an income of 60 lakhs per month. He charges 5 to 6 crores per movie. He also owns two luxury cars, one Mercedes Benz and one Range Rover.
Controversies
Charged with sexual harassment
In 2018, Telugu actor Sri Reddy was upset that she wasn't asked to be on the TV reality show "Bigg Boss Telugu 2." She accused the show's host, Nani, of sexual abuse. She said in an interview, "He does everything, like smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. Nani also brought me drugs one day, but I told him it could ruin my job and asked him to leave. During this time, he went out with me sexually. Nani told me he would use me in one of his films. I thought it would help me with my job. At that time, he was not married."
She went on to say, "I didn't sue Nani because my fight was against the casting couch in the film industry and to get my career back on track. It wasn't meant to bother any celebrity's family." I met Nani when he was having trouble getting into the movies.
Later, Nani sent her a court warning for hurting his reputation, and through a tweet, he asked Sri Reddy to show proof that her claims were true. In Nani's tweet, his wife Anjana, also known as Anju Yelavarthy, said, "This business has been good to me, but it bothers me to see that every once in a while, someone puts their own fame before the lives of other people. No one believes these stupid claims anyway. It's about how little they think before going to such low levels."
"Hi, Misses," Sri Reddy said in response to Anjana's text.I just found your post. You weren't in my bedroom when your husband fucked me, so stop commenting. Your husband is an attention seeker, not me. If my husband is rich and famous, but he did something wrong, I won't take his side. I might not leave him, but I'll definitely not blame the other girl. Ha ha, I'm not a money-minded housewife like all the other money-minded housewives. I'll try to figure out what happened, so keep quiet until the end. From my point of view, the truth is there, justice is there, and your husband has to pay the price.
Nani said about Sri Reddy in an interview, "If you look at her track record, the whole world has stopped reacting to all the nonsense she says that has no basis."
Income Tax Department conducting a raid
In November 2019, the Income Tax Department went to his house because he was not paying his taxes. Later, the officials took Nani's IT returns papers and hard drives.
Controversial Statement
In 2021, he got a lot of attention when he said that the Telugu business was not united. When asked about making such a strong comment later in an interview, he said, "It came from pain. It came from the fact that I wanted all of them to be on the same stage and say what they needed to say. People on the outside will be able to see what the real trouble is. I wanted them, not us, to get along. We're all happy, but thousands of families are hoping for something good to happen. I said that because I wanted everyone to speak out against the problem with ticket prices in Andhra Pradesh.
Awards
2022-67th Filmfare Awards South-Best Actor Telugu for the film Shyam Singha Roy
2021-SIIMA-Best Actor for the film Jersey
2021-SIIMA-Entertainer Of The Year for the film Jersey and Gang Leader
2021-Cinegoers' 52 Golden Jubilee Film Awards-Best Sensational Hero for the film Jersey and Gang Leader
2020-Zee Cine Awards Telugu-Favourite Actor Of The Year for the film Jersey
2020-Critics Choice Film Awards-Best Actor for the film Jersey
2017-Zee Cinemalu Awards-Boy Next Door for the film Krishna Gaddi Veera Prema Gaadha
2017-Zee Cinemalu Awards-Golden Star Of The Year for the film Krishna Gaddi Veera Prema Gaadha
2017-TSR - TV9 National Film Awards-Special Jury Award for the film Gentleman
2017-Zee Golden Awards-Favourite Hero of the Year for the film Nenu Local, Ninnu Kori, and Middle Class Abbayi
2017-Cinegoers' 52 Golden Jubilee Film Awards-Best Sensational Hero for the film Ninnu Kori
2016-Nandi Awards-Special Jury Award for the film Gentleman.
2016-SIIMA-Best Actor for the film Bhale Bhale Magadivoy
2016-Filmfare Awads South-Best Actor for the film Bhale Bhale Magadivoy
2013-Nandi Awards-Best Actor for the film Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu
2012-SIIMA-Rising Male Hero for the film Eega
2012-Toronto After Dark-Best Hero for the film Eega
2011-Vijay Awards-Best Debut Actor for the film Veppam
2011-SIIMA-Best Debutant Actor for the film Veppam
2009-1st Annual Vivel Sitara Awards-Best Debut Actor for the film Ashta Chamma
2009-Relangi Award-Best Debut Actor for the film Ashta Chamma
2009-Bharata Muni Awards-Best Debut Actor for the film Ashta Chamma
11 Interesting Facts About Nani
As a college student, Nani began to take an active interest in cinema. Then, Nani worked as a clap director for his uncle Anil, who made movies.
Before he made his first movie in Telugu, he used his nickname Nani as his screen name.
Later, he worked as an assistant director on a number of Telugu films, such as 'Allari Bullodu' (2005), 'Astram' (2006), and 'Dhee' (2007).
The Indian maker B. V. Nandini Reddy once made a commercial for TV. She asked Nani to be in the TV ad, and he said that he would.
His job went very well after he worked on the TV ad. Indian director Mohan Krishna Indraganti saw him in a TV ad and cast him in his first movie, Ashta Chamma, which came out in 2008.
He appeared on the TV game shows Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Season 2 (2015) and Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu Season 4 (2018) as a guest player for one episode each.
Nani was in charge of the 2nd IIFA Utsavam in 2017 and the 2nd season of Bigg Boss Telugu in 2018.
He did the voice of Simba in the Telugu version of The Lion King, which is a very famous cartoon movie.
In 2020, the entertainment news site Film Companion put his role in the Telugu movie Jersey (2019) on its list of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade.
He has also worked as a producer or co-producer on projects like Awe (co-producer, 2018), HIT: The First Case (producer, 2020), HIT: The Second Case (producer, 2022), and Meet Cute (producer, 2022).
He likes dogs and has one at home called Subbu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nani?
Nani is an Indian Actor, Producer, and Television Presenter.
What is Nani’s Birth Place?
The Birthplace of Nani is Hyderabad, Telangana.
What is Nani's net worth?
Nani has a net worth of $8 million.
Why is Nani famous?
Ghanta Naveen Babu, whose real name is Nani, is an Indian actor, director, and TV host who was born on February 24, 1984. He is best known for his work in Telugu films. He has won two Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Awards.
Which reputed award has Nani won?
Nani has won two Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Awards.
What is Nani's sister’s name?
Nani's sister’s name is Deepthi Ghanta.
What is Nani's real name?
Naveen Babu Ghanta is the real name of Nani.
When is Nani's Birthday?
Nani was born on 24 February 1984.
What is Nani's Zodiac Sign?
Nani s zodiac sign is Pisces.
What is Nani's net worth in INR?
Nani's net worth is approx 65 crores INR.
What was Nani's first movie?
Ashta Chamma released in 2008 was Nani's debut film in the Hindi film industry.
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Nani, whose real name is Naveen Babu Ghanta, is an Indian actor and producer who is best known for his work in Telugu films. He was born in the Indian city of Hyderabad, Telangana, on February 24, 1984. Nani finished high school at St. Alphonsus High School in Hyderabad. He then went to Narayana Junior College in S.R. Nagar to get his bachelor's degree in commerce.
Rambabu Ghanta is Nani's father. He has his own business and works as a businessman. Vijayalakshmi Ghanta is the name of his mother, and she works as a pharmacist. Additionally, Nani has a sister who works in the film industry as a producer.
On October 27, 2012, Nani got married to Anjana Yelavarthy in a traditional Hindu ceremony. Before getting married, the two had been together for a significant amount of time and Anjana worked in the information technology industry. They are the parents of two children: a son called Arjun, who was born on March 29, 2017, and a girl named Junnu, who was born on November 29, 2019.
Prior to beginning a career in the film industry, Nani held positions as both a radio jockey and an assistant director. Because of his interest in acting, he took part in the talent program Star Hunt which was broadcast on Gemini TV. There, he was able to attract the notice of director Mohan Krishna Indraganti, who eventually offered him a part in the movie Ashta Chamma (2008). This was Nani's first film as an actor, and he won a Nandi Special Jury Award for his performance, which garnered him praise from film critics and earned him the award.
As a college student, Nani began to take an active interest in cinema. Then, Nani worked as a clap director for his uncle Anil, who made movies.
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