This superstar has always had a passion for cinema. Today, he is a well-known actor, producer and entertainer. He admired the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and aspired to achieve similar fame. We’re talking about Ravi Teja who once tried to run away from home to follow his acting dreams.
Ravi Teja’s journey to stardom is a tale of passion and perseverance. Born on January 26 1968 in Andhra Pradesh, India, Ravi Teja whose real name is Ravi Shankar Raju Bhupatiraju grew up in a family with a pharmacist father Bhoopatiraju Rajagopal Raju, and a homemaker mother, Bhoopatiraju Rajya Lakshmi. He is the eldest of three brothers, all of whom ventured into acting.
Ravi Teja spent much of his childhood moving around Northern India due to his father’s job, attending schools in cities like Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhopal. Eventually, the family settled in Vijayawada where Ravi completed his Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Siddhartha Degree College.
From a young age, Ravi Teja was enamored with cinema, particularly the work of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. His admiration was so intense that, at the age of five he accidentally set his family’s couches on fire while re-enacting scenes from Bachchan’s movies. This incident which occurred while his mother was out shopping, marked the beginning of his deep-rooted fascination with acting.
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Ravi Teja’s passion for cinema led him to Madras (now Chennai) in 1988 during his college years, where he sought to pursue a career in acting. Initially, he played minor roles in films such as Karthavyam (1990), Abhimanyu (1990), Chaitanya (1991), Collector Gaari Alludu (1992) and Aaj Ka Goonda Raj (1992). Alongside acting he also worked as an assistant director in television and films.
His big break came with the film Sindhooram directed by Krishna Vamsi which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. Although Ravi Teja played a supporting role, his performance was well-received. His first significant success as a lead actor was in Puri Jagannadh’s Itlu Sravani Subramanyam (2001) which became a commercial hit.
Ravi Teja’s rise to fame continued with a series of successful films. In 1999, he starred in Nee Kosam, followed by hits like Avunu Valliddaru Ista Paddaru! (2002) and Idiot (2002). Over the years, he established himself as a prominent actor in the Telugu film industry, delivering blockbusters such as Vikramarkudu, Khatarnak, Dubai Seenu, Kick, Mirapakay, Dongala Mutha, Neninthe, and Bengal Tiger.
On the personal front, Ravi Teja married Kalyani on May 26, 2002. The couple has two children, a daughter named Mokshadha and a son named Mahadhan. Kalyani, who hails from Ganapavaram, West Godavari District, prefers to stay out of the limelight.
In 2015, after the release of Bengal Tiger, Ravi Teja took a break from acting. In an interview, he explained that what was meant to be a one-year break turned into a two-year hiatus because he couldn’t find the right scripts. However, he viewed the break positively, as it allowed him to travel and catch up on TV series.
Ravi Teja is set to return to the big screen with the much-anticipated film Mr Bachchan, written and directed by Harish Shankar. The film, which also stars Sachin Khedekar, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Jagapathi Babu, and Bhagyashree Borse, is reportedly based on a real-life income tax raid on Indian industrialist Sardar Inder Singh. Mr Bachchan is slated for release on Independence Day 2024.
From idolizing Amitabh Bachchan to starring in a film named after his hero, Ravi Teja has indeed come a long way, solidifying his status as a mass star in the Telugu film industry.
