Top 5 heroes of 2008

Chiranjeevi may not have set the box-office ablaze this year with his acting or fighting prowess. But definitely this a star-turning-politician created regional history by launching his Praja Rajyam party. The only other actor of A.P. able to garner such public support was of course, the legendary Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, founder of the Telugu Desam Party. By launching his own Praja Rajyam party, he captured the attention of the National media and dominated the airwaves for the duration of the launch.

Junior NTR seems all set to be his grandfather’s heir in looks and charisma. Already, he has earned an enviable base of devoted fans. Though Kalyan Ram too was touted as NTR’s political and cinematic heir, it is Junior NTR who has captured Telugu hearts. Now that he’s lost weight, he looks every inch the lady-killer his grandfather was.

Nagarjuna, the gentleman actor, managed to sweep Telugu audiences off their feet with his single royal release King at the very end of 2008. The mega-star who releases his mega-budget extravaganzas at the end of each year, Nagarjuna proved trade pundits wrong by galloping home with a mega-hit this year too.

Prabhas, the good-looking and charming nephew of Krishnam Raju, has silently raced to the top with all his movies becoming hits and above-average earners. Bujjigadu Made In Chennai starring Trisha signalled Prabhas’ arrival in the big league. Known to pick great scripts, Prabhas is currently shooting with the sensuous Anushka and the voluptuous Namitha for the Telugu remake of the Tamil super hit Billa (2008).

Venkatesh always makes his audiences laugh with his superb comic timing. Chintakayala Ravi didn’t disappoint with the producers laughing all the way to the bank. Known to be a producer’s hero, Venkatesh is appreciated for remaining within the budget by not postponing shooting schedules unnecessarily, arriving late or throwing star tantrums. ‘Victory’ Venkatesh, as he’s known to fans, is unassuming. At the same time, he knows what his fans want and delivers without fail.