Jagapathi Babu is an Indian actor and entrepreneur from the Telugu film industry. As of 2023, he has acted in over 170 films across different languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Some of his notable characters are from the films Gaayam (1993), Legend (2014), and Pulimurugan.
Wiki/Biography
Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Chowdary, popularly known by the name Jagapathi Babu, was born on 12 February 1962 (age 61; as of 2023) in Vijayawada, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. His zodiac sign is Aquarius.
Jagapathi Babu as a child
His school education was in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. His college education was at A. M. Jain College in Meenambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. After completing his studies, he was part of his father’s furniture business for some time before starting his acting career.
Jagapathi Babu during college days
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Weight (approx.): 80 kg
Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper
Eye Colour: Brown
Jagapathi Babu with Vimala Raman
Family & Caste
Jagapathi Babu belongs to a Telugu Hindu family of the Kamma caste.
Parents & Siblings
Jagapthi Babu is the son of famous producer and director V. B. Rajendra Prasad. Some of his notable films are Antastulu (1965), Aastiparulu (1966), and Pelli Peetalu (1998). He passed away at the age of 82, in 2015, due to age-related ailments. His mother is a homemaker.
Jagapathi Babu’s father, V. B. Rajendra Prasad
Jagapathi Babu’s mother
Jagapathi Babu has two brothers. His elder brother is V. Ram Prasad, who is an engineer and entrepreneur. Ram Prasad owned the retail book chain Walden’s in Hyderabad.
Jagapathi Babu’s brother
Wife & Children
Jagapathi Babu is married to Lakshmi. The marriage was reportedly arranged by the family elders. They have two daughters. The elder daughter Meghana Babu is married to Chad Bowen, an IT professional.
Jagapathi Babu family
Other Relatives
Jagapathi Babu’s niece Pooja Prasad is a carnatic singer. She is married to producer, S. S. Karthikeya, son of director Rajamouli who directed Bahubali.
Jagapathi Babu with his niece, Pooja Prasad
Religion
Jagapathi Babu follows the Hindu faith and is known to have a strong faith in Sai Baba.
Signature/Autograph
Jagapathi Babu’s signature
Career
Film
Jagapathi Babu started acting as a child artist in the film Manchi Manushulu (1974), directed by his father V. B. Rajendra Prasad. His debut film as a lead actor was in a dual role as twins in the film Simha Swapnam (1989), produced by his father and directed by V. Madhusudan Rao. The film was not a box-office success.
Jagapathi Babu in the film Simha Swapnam
The first commercially successful film was Peddarikam (1992) directed and produced by A. M. Rathnam. His character, Krishna Mohan, in this film, won him a lot of acclaims.
Jagapathi Babu on the poster of the film Peddarikam
Another career breakthrough was with the film Gaayam directed by Ram Gopal Verma. His character Durga in the film Gaayam gained him a lot of popularity and acclaim. He got his first Nandi Award for Best Actor for the character Madhu in the film Maavichiguru (1996), directed by S. V. Krishna Reddy.
Some of the commercially successful films with Jagapathi Babu in the lead role are Subhakankshulu (1997), Pelli Pandiri (1997), Manoharam (2000), Kabaddi Kabaddi (2003), and Anukokunda Oka Roju (2005).
Jagapathi Babu in a scene from the film Kabaddi Kabaddi
His debut film in the Tamil Language was Madrasi (2012) directed by Arjun Sarja. In the same year, he debuted in the Kannada film industry with the film Bachchan (2013).
The year 2014 was a career turn for Jagapathi Raju. He started acting in antagonist and supporting roles which were well accepted by the audience. His character, Jitendra, in the film Legend (2014) won him many accolades. It was followed by many roles notable among which is a role opposite Rajnikanth in the film Lingaa (2014), as the lead actor’s father in the film Srimanthudu (2015), and a billionaire in Nannaku Prematho (2016).
Jagapathi Babu on the poster of the film Nannaku Prematho
He debuted in the Malayalam film industry with the film Pulimurugan (2016) in a negative role, named Daddy Girija. His debut film in Bollywood is Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023) in a negative role.
Jagapathi Babu on the poster of the film Kisi ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Business
The production house, Jagapathy Art Pictures, earlier owned by Jagapthi Babu’s father, V. B. Rajendra Prasad, is owned and managed by Jagapathy Babu. In 2016, Jagapathi Babu started a talent acquisition company named ClicCineCart Media Pvt Ltd, under the brand name Clic Cine Craft, as a platform for connecting aspiring artists and technicians and the film industry.
Jagapathi Babu at the launch of Clic Cine Craft
Awards
- In 1989, Jagapathi Babu received the Special Jury Award at the Nandi Awards by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the film Adavilo Abhimanyudu.
- In 1996, he won the Nandi Award for Best Actor for the film Maavichiguru.
- In 1998, he won the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Ananthapuram.
- In 2000, he won the Nandi Award for Best Actor for the film Manoharam.
- In 2007, he won the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor- Telugu for the film Lakshyam.
- In 2014, he won the Nandi Award for Best Villain, the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for Best Actor in a Negative Role- Telugu for the film Legend.
- In 2016, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for Best Actor in a Negative Role- Telugu for the film Nannaku Prematho.
Jagapathi Babu at the SIIMA Awards
- In 2016, he received the Special Jury Award at the SIIMA Awards for the film Pulimurugan.
- In 2016, he won the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Utsavam Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Srimanthudu.
- In 2017, he won the IIFA Utsavam Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for the film Nannako Prematho.
- In 2017, he won the Asianet Film Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for the film Pulimurugan.
- In 2018, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava.
- In 2018, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Delhi Telugu Academy.
Jagapathi Babu with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Salary
In 2023, Jagapathi Babu charged Rs 1 crore to 4 crore for a film. According to him, his charges vary according to the films.
Net Worth
As of 2023, the net worth of Jagapthi Babu is estimated to be approximately $15 million.
Favourites
- Holiday destination: Switzerland
- Actor: Allu Arjun, Nani
Facts/Trivia
- Jagapathi Babu’s introductory shot for his first film as a lead actor, Simha Swapnam, was by the veteran actor Chiranjeevi.
The introductory shot of Jagapathi Babu by Chiranjeevi
- Jagapathi Babu did not charge for his dubbing in the film The BFG (2016). Instead, he requested a meeting with the film’s producer Steven Spielberg.
- Jagapathi Babu wanted to do an autobiographical documentary series titled Samudram, which was later dropped for several reasons. He released its trailer on his own YouTube account.
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