Ram Charan

Konidela Ram Charan is an Indian film actor, producer, and entrepreneur who works primarily in Telugu cinema. Recognized for his dancing skill and as one of the highest-earning performers in Telugu film, he has been included on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Throughout his career, he has earned numerous honors, including four Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards.

Born on March 27, 1985, in Chennai (then Madras), Charan belongs to a family originating from Mogalthur and Palakollu in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. He is the son of actor Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha, and his maternal grandfather was the comic actor Allu Ramalingaiah. He raised alongside two sisters, older sister Sushmita and younger sister Sreeja. Charan was educated at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, the Lawrence School in Lovedale, and The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce program at St. Mary's College in Hyderabad but left before finishing, subsequently training at Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting school in Mumbai. In April 2024, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Vels University.

Charan made his professional acting debut in the 2007 hit action film Chirutha, playing an ex-convict seeking revenge. His performance earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South and a Nandi Special Jury Award. He gained major prominence in 2009 by starring in dual roles in S. S. Rajamouli's fantasy action release Magadheera. The project was the highest-grossing Telugu film of its time and earned Charan his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu along with a Nandi Special Jury Award.

Over the following years, Charan appeared in films across romance and action genres, including Orange, Racha, and Naayak. In 2013, he made his debut in Hindi cinema with the remake Zanjeer, for which he also recorded a song as a playback singer. He continued with leading roles in Yevadu, Govindudu Andarivadele, and Bruce Lee: The Fighter. In 2016, he starred as an officer in the action thriller Dhruva, securing another Filmfare nomination. That same year, he founded Konidela Production Company, which later produced features including Khaidi No. 150 and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.

In 2018, Charan received acclaim for portraying a hearing-impaired villager in the period drama Rangasthalam, which became the highest-earning Telugu movie of that year and won him his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. Following Vinaya Vidheya Rama in 2019, he starred as Alluri Sitarama Raju in Rajamouli's 2022 historical action release RRR. The feature became one of the highest-grossing Indian films globally and earned Charan international recognition, a Critics' Choice Super Award nomination, an honor at the 2024 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, and a third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.

Beyond his work in the film industry, Charan has engaged in commercial enterprises. He is the owner of the Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and was previously a co-owner of the airline service TruJet.