Top 10 Best Telugu Actors of All Time
Telugu cinema is a treasure trove of stories that have been told for over a hundred years. From the silent era to the present day, Telugu movies have enthralled audiences with their gripping narratives, memorable characters, and melodious songs. But the magic of these movies isn't just in the stories. It's in the stars who bring them to life.
Telugu cinema has given us some of the finest and most versatile actors in Indian cinema. From the charming and elegant to the intense and passionate, these actors have carved a niche for themselves in the hearts and minds of movie lovers.
From N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao to Mahesh Babu and Prabhas, there are many legends who have lit up the Telugu screen. But who are the best of the best? That's for you to decide.
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Pawan Kalyan
He's just an amazing actor, very different from other actors. He follows his own way, independent of others.
I like Pawan Kalyan because of his attitude and personality, along with his acting style. He is very simple, kind-hearted, sincere, independent, involved in social service, and respectful towards people, society, and the nation, among other things. As an actor, he has a unique style and sets trends.
He is a role model and an inspiration for his followers and many others. I don't like comparing him to others because he is one of a kind. He was able to start a new religion called 'PAWANISM'. It's time for his followers to put it into practice by working for the betterment of society as a sign of respect for our star. Jai Hind...
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Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu is an Indian actor, producer, media personality, and philanthropist known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in the Indian film industry and has received several awards, including Nandi Awards and Filmfare Awards South. He also runs the charitable trust Heal-a-Child... read more
Superstar Prince Mahesh is the best! No one can be better than this tall, handsome hero! Mahesh also has the highest number of female fans, just like me. There are many words to describe him: tall, handsome, young, charming, cute, cool, awesome, terrific, extraordinary, attractive, brave, unbeatable... and it goes on and on... Mahesh is superb! No one can reach him. He is just the best!
Superstar Mahesh doesn't need a special introduction because he is well-known all over India. He has a huge fan base worldwide and is a settled actor who can effortlessly and gracefully perform any kind of role. He is the epitome of style and sets trends.
He is a very special person, down-to-earth, and highly professional. He always strives for the best and has showcased the stamina of Tollywood in Bollywood and Hollywood as well. No one can match or compete with him in any form. He is a role model for the new generation of actors.
He is the only actor who has fans from a very young age to the elderly. His films are like complete meals for everyone. Jai Ho Superstar! I am proud to be his fan.
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N. T. Rama Rao Jr.
He brought value to the art, like his grandfather. Dialogue delivery, expressions, Navarasa tempo, bhavam, the essence of emotions - all cannot be observed and enjoyed, but he has done it and left it to the public to experience the same.
A beautiful flower is of no use without its fragrance, but Jr. NTR has proven that he is a beautiful flower with exceptional acting skills. There is a slokam by Kalidasa that goes, "patting on the back and asking 'how are you'," which applies to mother, child, sister, and finally wife. But the dialogue is the same, and the acting is the same. It's the delivery and expression of the dialogue that make the difference, which is called acting or bhavam.
The tempo, Navarasas, body language, and facial expressions are all important aspects, and Jr. NTR has mastered them. He is the future, a diamond in acting. He is not great alone. His teachers are great for teaching him all those things.
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Prabhas
Prabhas is an Indian film actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He achieved international fame for his role as Amarendra Baahubali in the Baahubali film series, which includes Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). Prabhas has also acted in Hindi and Tamil films... read more
Prabhas is stylish, handsome, and a youth icon in the film industry. His acting is kekaa.
Prabhas has those typical Telugu features, with an incredible height and a solid career built up bit by bit, film after film. He is so down-to-earth, you wouldn't think he is from a filmy family.
He is hardworking and very self-critical. Hence, he rarely repeats the same mistakes from one film to another. I like his versatility in acting in different genres and his chemistry with all the actors and actresses he teams up with!
Just like Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu, he is one of those modern-day Telugu actors who didn't rely on their family name to reach the top. I just love his humble attitude and forlorn looks!
Posted by a non-Indian viewer.
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Allu Arjun
Allu Arjun is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu-language films. He started his career as a child artist in the film Vijetha and made a brief appearance as a dancer in Daddy. He made his full acting debut in Gangotri and rose to fame with his role in Sukumar's debut film Arya.
He is the best star ever. He should be the number one for this generation. He is the most stylish actor. He is smart...
Allu Arjun is amazing. I became his fan after watching Arya. I saw him for the first time in the movie Arya, and after that, I watched all his movies. Though he has gained weight, he still looks amazing. He is not only a good actor but also a very good person. I am a North Indian girl and a huge fan of the style star Allu Arjun.
For Allu Arjun's following, you can just check his Facebook followers. No actor in Tollywood has ever had such a following in the star cast. He's a stylish star and a superb person in South India. He should be awarded 3rd rank.
His fame even intimidates Mahesh Babu. He's such an awesome actor, dancer, and personality that no one can be compared with Bunny. Actually, Kalyan and Mahesh are actors from the previous generation, and Bunny is the current hero.
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N. T. Rama Rao
He is the encyclopedia of the world cinema industry because nobody else could act in social, folklore, historical, and mythological films the way he did in his lifetime. All his movies were dedicated to truth, honesty, morality, patriotism, family values, humanity, and human relationships. He raised social problems in his movies and explained their solutions.
His films were full of patriotism and revolutionary themes about corrupt politics. All these films were brought to life by his marvelous acting, powerful dialogues, and expressions. Many of his movies had multiple successful re-releases, which is a world record. His stories were based on ethics, justice, and righteousness for the poor.
He can't be compared with other actors because they act in only one style. The performances of N. T. Rama Rao reached the highest level compared to others. He portrayed 1,000 different types of roles across his 302 movies. He's referred to as the screen god in the North and is worshipped as a god in the South.
He played mythological characters such as Sri Krishna, Sri Rama, Shiva, Ravana, Duryodhana, and Karna with tremendous performance and dialogue delivery, which isn't easy for any actor, past or present, to replicate. It's especially noted that he had a beautiful physique, standing six feet tall with a handsome face often compared to Greek features. There's no other actor worldwide of this kind.
In the Mahabharata, the Agrapooja was performed by the Pandavas for Sri Krishna. Similarly, N. T. Rama Rao deserves to be honored by all world cinema actors. He sacrificed his life for the arts by making spiritual and moral films.
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Ram Charan
Ram Charan is an Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur who primarily appears in Telugu-language films. He made his acting debut in 2007 and quickly rose to prominence with a string of box office successes. In addition to his film career, he has co-owned the production company Konidela Production Company... read more
His acting should be improved, but he's a good dancer. He has the following of his father.
Best actor with great expressions and emotions, and also the best dancer in Tollywood. He proved himself in his first movie and is still acting quite well, much better than those idiotic heroes like NTR. There's no comparison with others. He's a newcomer but still has a huge fan following. Best of luck, Cherry, for your upcoming movies.
He is an amazing actor who can easily fit into any character he plays. Be it the lover boy of Chirutha, the leader of Nayak, the warrior of Magadheera, or the tough police officer of Zanjeer, he is just too good. An excellent dancer and extremely good-looking, he has a very good sense of styling. No wonder he is the Mega Power Star.
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Chiranjeevi
This is too stupid. Chiranjeevi is a legendary actor. He is the best actor of all time, not only in the Telugu industry. He is a megastar, remember that. He is the only Indian actor who played a lead role in a Hollywood film (ABU). He should be number 1 without any second thought. If you don't know, be calm. Stop making these cheap rankings.
The only thing I can say about him is that he is an all-rounder. He can do all types of roles. He can handle mass, class, sentimental, romantic, and faction stories. He can do justice to any role, unlike other heroes.
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Venkatesh
I want to meet Venkatesh at least one time because he is a fantastic hero. I would like to suggest to Venkatesh sir: please don't opt for multi-star films. This is because you have a different image with the audience, specifically with ladies. You are the only real hero who looks very beautiful compared to others.
Venkatesh is an awesome actor who can do any kind of role, and he has a huge following from all types of audiences. He is very friendly with all his fans and co-stars and is always positive. We love him for all these qualities. He has the most success rate that no one else of his generation can hold. Victory Venkatesh always rocks.
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Akkineni Nagarjuna
He is a true actor who consistently experiments with different roles in various categories. True great actors should explore all facets of acting. The only one from Tollywood who does this is NAG. Actors should receive credit in all categories rather than sticking to one or two, like Nagarjuna Akkineni.
NTR, ANR, and Krishna are superstars and great actors. NTR and Krishna are more superstars than great actors. ANR is a great actor more than he is a star.
Chiranjeevi is a bigger superstar than he is an actor, and Nagarjuna is a better actor than he is a superstar. They are equals. Remaining actors in this generation are still stars. They can't be superstars.
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Raj Tarun
RAJ TARUN. Oh God, what can one say about him? He was so good in his very first movie.
He acts very naturally and better than many other young heroes of TFI. His variation in acting from Uyyala Jampala, Cinema Chupistha Mama, and now Kumari 21F itself shows that he is a great actor with immense potential.
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Sharwanand
His acting is very natural and superb.
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Ravi Teja
He is a very energetic person. His movies are very enjoyable, and he is hardworking, without any film background.
He is the only star in the present day who, through hard work and dedication, has successfully completed 25 years in the industry. He came without any background but has now earned taglines like Massraja, Andhra Amitabh, and Mass Maharaja. I hope Kick 2 will be the biggest hit in his career to date, which is set to release on August 21st of this month.
A perfectionist, he is an actor with perfect acting and good dancing skills. A multi-talented person, he is like Saif Ali Khan: no luck, but very energetic in acting.
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Nandamuri Balakrishna
Nata Simham Nandamuri Balakrishna has great energy, which is evident from his films. Apart from that, he can pull off any kind of role, be it commercial (action), mythological, or any experimental role. He personifies his role with a lot of ease and expertise.
Irrespective of the box-office result of his movies, he always delivers an excellent performance. Not to be forgotten, his remarkable fan following always gives him an edge over the others. Even after a series of disasters, his movies open to earth-shattering responses. Undoubtedly, he possesses the best box-office stamina compared to others. His recent blockbuster "LEGEND" collected 45 crore nett, whereas his contemporaries have not even reached 30 crore. He can be strongly reckoned as the best Telugu actor. JAI NBK!
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Akkineni Nageswara Rao
A man with great talent.
A natural actor.
He never entered dirty politics. He was known for his punctuality.
In one word: super actor.
He is the number one all-time great actor of the Indian film industry, with great talent and natural acting.
He was a very good actor, but for some reasons... But he was very nice.
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Nithiin
Great spontaneous and natural actor. He has grown as an actor and sharpened his skills over time, not to mention that he has matured and created an extraordinary sense of style. He also physically maintains himself and is very handsome.
He is a natural dancer and has great comic timing. He appears quite humble, although he displays a larger-than-life persona on screen. I love his films, especially for their good choice of script over the last 4-5 years.
Another thing I feel good about as a female fan is that women are never wearing skimpy clothes and are always respected in his films. It goes to say that audiences will come to watch films as long as there is a good story and it's a clean entertainer. There is no need to portray women as sex symbols to make a hit film.
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Nani
His style, his smile, his dance, and his handsome look will impress everyone, not only me. He looks so handsome. Such a stylish look.
Surely, he is going to win the Best Actor Award. He is going to be the best, not only in Telugu but even in other languages.
Comedy King. He has great timing and has never failed to impact the audience with his performance. He makes everybody laugh with the way he delivers punches and dialogues. Really a NATURAL STAR.
Nani is the best actor. His smile and looks are charming. He is such a handsome guy. His acting is superb. All of them will like his acting.
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Ram Pothineni
He is simply superb and handsome, and a better actor compared to others like Ram Charan Tej and Allu Arjun. He has a beautiful smile that impresses all girls. All the best to the energetic star.
He is an awesome star: a chocolate boy, an energetic star, and the king of girls' hearts. He is the best dancer and actor. He is simply superb.
The best South Indian star. He is a complete package. Keep giving us that awesome smile that melts hearts.
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Akkineni Naga Chaitanya
He started his career with Josh, which is a very good film, and further solidified it with 100% Love, a most entertaining film. His talent shows that he is one of the most promising upcoming heroes.
He is simply superb, and he is a romantic person.
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Krishna
Krishna should be at the top of the list. He's the one who has done a lot for Tollywood more than anyone else. All other actors are selfish. He's the only one who released 17 films in one calendar year, and 12 of them ran for 50 days. Eight out of them ran for 100 days, and three were silver jubilees.
Once upon a time, Krishna won the superstar title consecutively for 6 years, which was conducted by a leading filmy weekly. They stopped that survey, thinking it was a waste to continue, and they confirmed Krishna is an evergreen superstar. NTR was scared upon seeing Krishna's following at that time.
Superstar Krishna is the No. 1 hero in Tollywood because he acted in the highest number of films, including multistarrers, and worked on high-budget pictures as both an actor and director.
He introduced innovations like Eastmancolor, CinemaScope, 70mm, and DTS to Telugu cinema. The entire development of Tollywood owes a lot to him. He's the only star to have acted with top heroines from across India, like Sridevi and Jayaprada.
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Sobhan Babu
He is the debonair of Telugu cinema, the most handsome and the first stylish star of Telugu cinema. He is the only hero in Indian cinema who declared 20 years in advance his plan to retire at the age of 58 and stuck to it. Once retired, he didn't accept even the golden offers from his best friends to act again.
Best actor ever in TFI, a legend and a good human being too. The only hero in Indian cinema who declared his retirement well in advance and stuck to his words. A hero in reel life and real life too.
The best actor ever. He is a legend.
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S. V. Ranga Rao
No words to say about him. He is the one and only. The legend. The king. Emperor. Everything of the Telugu industry.
He is the Emperor of the Indian film industry.
He is the biggest actor ever on the Indian screen.
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Brahmanandam
He is much better - sorry, the best - compared to Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu, Venkatesh, etc.
He is an awesome actor. The way he performs is very impressive.
He deserves the number one position among Tollywood actors.
Best comedy entertainer ever.
Better than any stars in Hollywood, Bollywood, or any other film industry.
The greatest comedian I've ever seen on TV.
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Nikhil Siddharth
A cute and very funny man with a cute face, and he was confined to comedy, man.
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Prakash Raj
His acting is too good in Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu. He is the emperor of all South Indian film industries.
I request him to do more films than he does now.
He has fulfilled the role of legendary villains like Pran, Amrish Puri, and Amjad Khan.
He's the only villain who is loved more than the hero in the film.
Natural actor. A very rare kind.
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Gopichand
Actually, Gopi is far better than all the other heroes.
He hasn't been directed by the right person yet. If he were directed by Vinayak, Srinu Vytla, or Rajamouli, then he would definitely be in the top 4.
Be careful, friend. This is true. He is awesome compared to others.
Gopichand is a superb actor and an amazing star.
He's very talented.
He is a superhero in Tollywood. His movies are excellent. He's one of the most decent and smooth actors among Tollywood heroes. His punch dialogues are smooth, and among all heroes, Gopichand stands out as the best.
He has acted in 13 movies: 4 blockbuster movies, 3 hit movies, 4 average movies, and 2 flops. His hit percentage is 80%. He's the number one Tollywood hero and a special presence in the industry.
Blockbusters: Yagnam, Ranam, Lakshyam, Souryam
Hits: Andhrudu, Okkadunnadu, Golimaar
Average movies: Ontari, Shankam, Wanted, Mogudu
Flops: Raraju, Tholi Valapu
His movies are excellent and beautiful. His first movie in Tollywood was Tholi Valapu. Gopichand's full name is Tottempudi Gopichand. He studied in Russia. His father was a director. He had one brother who was an assistant director and one sister who's a dentist. Gopichand had no interest in acting, but after his father's accidental death and due to visa issues and the passing of his brother, he entered the Tollywood industry.
His career started with Tholi Valapu, which was a disaster at the box office. His next movie, Jayam, featured him in a negative role, and he was excellent and awesome as the villain. This was followed by Nijam and Varsham, where again he played a powerful and impressive negative role. His performances in villain roles were so strong that he got a chance as a lead hero.
His breakthrough came with Yagnam, which was a blockbuster in 2004.
In 2005, Andhrudu was also successful.
In 2006, he did Ranam (a blockbuster) and Raraju (a disaster).
In 2007, Lakshyam and Okkadunnadu were great successes. These two hits proved he could be a number one hero.
In 2008, Souryam was a blockbuster, while Ontari was average.
In 2009, Shankam was a super movie.
In 2010, Golimaar, directed by Puri Jagannadh, was successful at the box office and featured great punch dialogues.... read more
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Akhil Akkineni
Our upcoming hero. I hope he will achieve what his grandfather, his father, and his brother have achieved. All the best, Akhil.
Akhil is not acting properly, but he looks handsome and stylish. I call him a dynamic star.
All the best, lovely romantic hero.