Prabhas

Uppalapati Venkata Suryanarayana Prabhas Raju ([pɾabʱaːs]; born 23 October 1979), known mononymously as Prabhas, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2015. Referred to in the media as Rebel Star, he has appeared in over 24 films, and has received seven Filmfare Awards nominations, a Nandi Award, and a SIIMA Award.

Prabhas made his acting debut with the drama Eeswar (2002) and later attained his breakthrough with the action romance Varsham (2004). He went on to act in other commercially successful films such as Chatrapathi (2005), Bujjigadu (2008), Billa (2009), Darling (2010), Mr. Perfect (2011), and Mirchi (2013), winning the Nandi Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lattermost.

Prabhas then starred in a dual role in the blockbuster epic action duology Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and its sequel Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), with the latter emerging as the highest-grossing Indian film of all time at that point. Prabhas became the first pan-Indian star and earned international recognition for his performance in the films. He has since starred in the action thriller Saaho (2019), the action drama Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023), and the science fiction film Kalki 2898 AD (2024), all of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films.

Prabhas is the first Indian actor to have a film gross over ₹1000 crore worldwide. He is the only Indian actor to have six films with a worldwide gross opening of over ₹100 crore. He is also the only South Indian actor with six films that have crossed the ₹100 crore net mark in the Hindi market. Additionally, he is the first South Indian actor to receive a wax sculpture at a Madame Tussauds' museum.

Early life and education

Prabhas was born on 23 October 1979 in a Telugu family to film producer Uppalapati Surya Narayana Raju and Siva Kumari in Madras (now Chennai) as Uppalapati Venkata Suryanarayana Prabhas Raju . The youngest of three children, he has an elder brother, Prabodh, and elder sister, Pragathi. He is the nephew of Telugu film actor Krishnam Raju. His family hails from Mogalthur, near Bhimavaram of West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.

Prabhas did his schooling at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai, and at DNR High School, Bhimavaram. He then completed his intermediate education from Nalanda College, Hyderabad. He later went on to pursue Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) from Sri Chaitanya College, Hyderabad. He is also an alumnus of Satyanand Film Institute, Visakhapatnam.

Career

2002–2014: Early work and career progression

Prabhas made his debut with the 2002 action drama Eeswar. In 2003, he followed up with Raghavendra, which received mixed reviews while Idlebrain stated that Prabhas is so good in this film that you can watch it only for him, he is the superstar in making, and all he needs is the right director and right break. He attained his breakthrough with the action romance Varsham (2004), which went on to be a blockbuster and one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year. He received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. He appeared in Adavi Raamudu (2004), the same year which received mostly negative reception from the critics and audience alike. In 2005, he appeared in Chakram, which received mixed reviews and went on to win two Nandi Awards. Prabhas portrayed the role of a refugee, exploited by goons, in S. S. Rajamouli's action drama Chatrapathi, the same year. It emerged as a blockbuster and had a 100-day run in 54 centers. Idlebrain.com stated that "he had a unique style and macho charm in his screen presence". Chatrapathi earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.

In 2006, Prabhas starred in the musical drama Pournami, which garnered mixed critical reception but earned praise for the cast's performances. In 2007, he starred in action drama Yogi and Munna, both of which received lukewarm response from both audience and fans alike. In 2008, Prabhas collaborated with the director Puri Jagannadh for action-comedy Bujjigadu which gave him a much needed box-office comeback and he received critical acclaim for his performance. In 2009, Prabhas played a dual role in the action thriller Billa (2009), which went on to be a blockbuster at box-office. Later that year, he starred in Ek Niranjan (2009), which opened to mixed reviews, and earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.

In 2010, he appeared in the romantic comedy Darling which received positive reviews from audiences and critics. It went on to be one of the highest grossers of the year and critics lauded Prabhas's performance, as the major highlight of the film. The Times of India noted the film to be derivative and that the director hasn't really come out of his previous work Tholi Prema. In 2011, Prabhas starred in romantic drama Mr. Perfect, which received positive reviews and went on to be a blockbuster. His performance in the film earned him his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. The Statesman described the film as a "timeless classic". The review site GreatAndhra rated the film with three stars and noted "The film comes across as a clean, family entertainer and the intention of the makers must be appreciated. In 2024, the film was re-released in Japan, garnering unanimous positive responses from the fans and the audiences alike, with every show selling out.

In 2012, Prabhas starred in the action Rebel, received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office. It was praised for cast performances, action sequences, and production values, but criticised for its plot and screenplay. The Times of India and NDTV stated that, the film serves up fare for the mass audience, and hard-core Prabhas fans. He also rendered his voice for a short duration in the film Denikaina Ready (2012). In 2013, Prabhas starred in Mirchi, which opened to positive reviews and went on to be a blockbuster. It was one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year as well as one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time, at the time of its release. His performance in the film earned him his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. NDTV gave the film a mixed review, stating that "apart from good direction and strong performance by the lead actor, Mirchi lacks narrative power and is loosely based on an amalgamation of some old films". Idlebrain stated that "Mirchi is a film that is made to do a commercial hit. Prabhas entertains with Mirchi and director does a decent work. On a whole, Mirchi has all the ingredients of a commercial potboiler". He then made his Hindi cinema debut in 2014 in the special dance number "Punjabi Mast" from the film Action Jackson.

2015–2017: The Baahubali pivot and pan-India success

In 2015, Prabhas played a dual role as Shivudu/Mahendra Baahubali and Amarendra Baahubali in S.S. Rajamouli's epic action drama Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). With a budget of ₹180 crore ($28 million), it was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time of release, and became a record-breaking box office success. The film eventually grossed over ₹600 crore (US$71 million) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Telugu film and the second highest-grossing Indian film at that point. It is one of the highest-grossing Indian film to date. It received national and international acclaim, and started a new film movement called Pan-Indian films.

Prabhas reprised his role in its sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), with a budget of ₹250 crore ($36.87 million), it was the most expensive Indian film ever produced at the time of release. It became the first Indian film ever to gross over ₹1,000 crore (US$120 million) worldwide, first Indian film to gross ₹100 crore (US$12 million) and ₹200 crore (US$24 million) on its opening day, and highest-grossing Indian film at that point. The film eventually grossed over ₹1,810 crore (US$210 million) worldwide, making it second-highest-grossing Indian film worldwide to date and the highest-grossing film in India till date.