Rise and Rise of Allu Arjun

Concentrating on quality ahead of quantity has enabled Telugu superstar Allu Arjun to get one of the highest hit rates in Indian cinema. This has led to the actor delivering stunning successes like smash hit film Pushpa: The Rise and gaining a huge global fan base. He has also influenced fellow film stars and fans with his acting style, dancing, and unique swagger. This week he turns a year older on Saturday (8) and celebrates his 41st birthday. He will receive warm wishes from around the world, trend across social media, and his fans will do good deeds to mark the special date. Eastern Eye decided to join the celebrations by presenting an all you need to know A to Z about a very special talent.

A is for Arya: The actor made his debut as a leading man with Gangotri in 2003 (see D), and then became a big star a year later with his second film Arya (2004). The commercially successful romantic action film won him multiple acting awards and nominations. It began an unstoppable rise and led to him acting in spiritual sequel Arya 2 (2009), which also gained multiple award nominations.

B is for Blood donation: The big-hearted star has regularly organised a blood donation camp on his birthday, which he also participates in. His fans organise charity events every year to celebrate the superstar turning a year older.

C is for Cameos: He made a cameo appearance as himself in comedy drama Shankar Dada Zindabad (2007), which was a Telugu remake of hit Bollywood film Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006). He also had a cameo in smash-hit movie Yevadu (2014).

D is for Debut: After his cameo in the film Daddy (2001), Allu Arjun made his debut as a leading man in 2003 Telugu language drama Gangotri, which was legendary filmmaker K Raghavendra Rao’s 100th film as a director. The top talent won multiple honours for his performance in the film, including a Nandi Award for Best Debut Hero.

E is for Entry: A major aspect fans look forward to are Arjun’s entry scenes in movies. They are always met with huge cheers, whistles and clapping in cinemas across India. There are videos online featuring compilations of his best entry scenes in movies.

F is for Famous family: The actor hails from a famous family that includes his movie producer father Allu Aravind and noted comedian paternal grandfather Allu Ramalingaiah, who starred in more than 1,000 films. His cousins include wellknown actors Ram Charan and Varun Tej, while his paternal aunt is married to legendary movie icon Chiranjeevi.

G is for Gona Ganna Reddy: The actor played 13th century ruler Gona Ganna Reddy in Rudhramadevi (2015), which was billed as India’s first stereoscopic 3D historical. He won multiple awards for his performance in the ensemble movie, centred on queen Rudrama Devi. In 2021, the film’s director Gunasekhar signalled his intention to make a movie solely based on Gona Ganna Reddy, with Arjun reprising his powerful role.

H is for Hindi: There has been a heavy demand for him to act in Bollywood, but the Telugu superstar has stayed away from it because he doesn’t believe his Hindi is good enough to communicate efficiently. He hasn’t ruled out Bollywood if a great offer is given to him with a strong script. He said: “Hindi films are on my wish-list for sure.”

I is for Iddarammayilatho: His 2013 romantic action film Iddarammayilatho was shot entirely in Spain and Paris. It was then simultaneously dubbed and released in Malayalam as Romeo & Juliet. The film’s music was a huge success.

J is for Journey: Despite being hugely famous, Arjun has always believed in the individual journey ahead of stardom. In that regard, he draws inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan for his longevity and said of the legend: “I’d like to be like him.”

K is for Knowledge: A big passion the actor enjoys away from work is reading books. He is also accomplished at charcoal drawing and photography.

L is for Lucky: The actor has been a good luck charm for a lot of producers. He also played a character named Lucky in his first hundred crore grossing movie Race Gurram (2014). The superstar won a Filmfare Best Actor award for his terrific turn in the smash hit actioncomedy and has scored far bigger successes since then. The Kerala police used a few scenes from the film to raise awareness about safety.

M is for Motors: The actor owns a large fleet of luxury cars, but perhaps his most extravagant purchase was a giant vanity van, which reportedly cost around £700,000. He named the giant personalised van Falcon and uses it whenever he shoots a movie.

N is for Nickname: The actor’s third film as a leading man was Telugu action-drama Bunny (2005). The hit revenge drama earned him the nickname Bunny. He is also popularly referred to as Stylish Star, Icon Star and Mallu Arjun.

O is for Origin: Although based in Hyderabad, Arjun is connected to his Chennai roots. He was born in the city and lived there for 18 years. He said: “Chennai and Tamil Nadu have hugely influenced my life. Many have told me this, and even I realise it now.

P is for Pushpa: The biggest blockbuster of the actor’s distinguished career has been Pushpa: The Rise (2021), which was released in multiple languages and clocked up huge figures globally. The hotly anticipated sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule is expected to do even better when it hits cinemas in 2024.

Allu Arjun in Pusha: The Rise

Q is for Quality: Despite being heavily in demand, the superstar actor has always concentrated on quality ahead of quantity throughout his career. This is illustrated with him acting in a lot less movies than his contemporaries. He has only starred in five movies since 2016.

R is for Remake: His super hit film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) was remade as the less successful 2023 Bollywood film Shehzada. His 2014 film Yevadu was partially inspired by 1997 Hollywood film Face/Off. His film Parugu (2008) was remade as Bollywood film Heropanti (2014).

S is for Sneha Reddy: The devoted family man married Sneha Reddy on March 6, 2011, and they have two children, Ayaan and Arha. His daughter Allu Arha will make her acting debut in Telugu historical drama Shaakuntalam, which is due in cinemas next Friday (14).

T is for Tunes: He recorded the song Prapancham Naaventa Vasthunte for his film Vedam (2010). His popularity was documented in the 2021 songs Allu Arjun Rap Song and Thaggedhe Le.

U is for Upcoming: The actor’s forthcoming film releases include the hotly anticipated sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule and an as-yet-untitled film with Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who previously directed super hits, Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh.

V is for Viral: A lot of things by the influential star have gone viral across the Internet, but perhaps the most popular were his now iconic walk, dialogues, and hand gesture from Pushpa: The Rise, which were copied in countless reels online, including ones made by major celebrities.

W is for Wealth: The massively popular star is one of the wealthiest celebrities in Telugu cinema. Apart from being highly paid for each film, he has a huge number of lucrative endorsement deals and business ventures away from cinema, which include a night club and restaurant. He also has huge assets like a luxury property and fleet of high-end cars.

X is for X Factor: Apart from his relatability, three things that have consistently stood out from the beginning have been his superb dancing, scintillating acting and a swagger on screen that has led to countless people, including celebrities copying him.

Y is for Youngster: He made his acting debut as a three-year-old in award-winning Telugu film Vijetha (1985), produced by his father Allu Aravind. He would appear as a child actor a year later in Swathi Muthyam (1986). Talking of his younger days, he had initially wanted to become an animator.

Z is for Zodiac: Arjun is an Aries. Qualities associated with his star sign include confidence, independence, intelligence, bravery, drive, generosity, energy, and an adventurous spirit. He has used these to become a major movie icon.