Puri Jagannadh is an indian film director, screenwriter and producer known for his work predominantly in Telugu cinema. Known for his fast-paced, romantic-action films, he is one of the most celebrated directors of his generation with huge fan following among the masses.

Some of his most notable include Ismart Shankar (2019), Temper (2015), Businessman (2012), Golimaar (2010), Chirutha (2007), Desamuduru (2007), Pokiri (2006), Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi (2006), Idiot (2006), and Badri (2000). Puri’s recent directorials, Liger (2022) and Double Ismart (2024), bombed at the box-office. 

Puri Jagannadh
Puri Jagannadh

Early Life

Puri was born on September 28, 1966, to P. Simhachalam, a farmer in Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh. He is the eldest of the three siblings, with the other two being Uma Shankara Ganesh, an MLA from the YSR Congress Party, and Sairam Shankar, an actor. He attended St. Theresa High School, Pedda Boddapalli, before graduating from A. M. A. L. College, Anakapalle, in 1986. Parasuram, a notable director in Telugu, is his paternal cousin. In fact, he assisted Puri on multiple films before making his directorial debut.

Career

Puri made his directorial debut with Badri (2000), a romantic action film starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu Desai, and Amisha Patel. Besides being a successful venture, the film’s soundtrack, composed by Ramana Gogula, became a musical sensation. His next project, Bachi (2000), starring Jagapathi Babu, was a commercial failure. In 2001, he made his debut in Kannada cinema with Yuvaraja (2001), a remake of Thammudu (1999); the film fared well at the box office. In the same year, he directed Itlu Sravani Subramanyam (2001), a romantic comedy starring Ravi Teja. The film was declared a blockbuster and eventually remade in Tamil and Hindi.

Appu (2002), a romantic action comedy film starring debutants Puneeth Rajkumar and Rakshitha, was a major commercial success. A Telugu remake, Idiot (2002), also directed by Puri, was released to positive reviews. In 2003, he collaborated with Ravi Teja for the third time with Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi. The film was a super hit at the box office. In the same year, he made Sivamani (2003), a romantic action film starring Nagarjuna and Asin; it was an average grosser. His next venture was a bilingual; while the Telugu version, with NTR Jr. in the lead, was titled Andhrawala (2004), the Kannada version was titled Veera Kannadiga (2004), with Puneeth Rajkumar in the lead. While the former, despite the unparalleled frenzy before release, was a disaster, the latter was commercially successful.

In the same year, he made his Hindi debut with Shart: The Challenge (2003), a remake of his own film, Badri (2000). He introduced Sairam Shankar, his younger brother, in 143: I Miss You (2003). In 2005, he made Super (2005), a heist action thriller, in his second collaboration with Nagarjuna; the film was an average fare.

Puri’s biggest breathrough was Pokiri (2006), an action thriller film starring Mahesh Babu, Ileana D’Cruz, and Prakash Raj. The film opened to rave reviews from the audience and went on to become the highest-grossing Telugu film at that time. The film’s humongous success encapsulated Puri and the lead actors to superstardom. The film’s plot, costumes, dialogues, and music were trendsetting at the time. Owing to the film’s record run at the ticket window, it was remade into Tamil, Hindi, and Kannada. His next venture, the Allu Arjun-starrer Desamuduru (2007), was also a major commercial success. In the same year, he wrote and directed Chirutha (2007), which marked the debut of Ram Charan, son of legendary actor Chiranjeevi. The film was successful in launching Charan and carrying forward his father’s unparalleled legacy.

Since Chirutha (2007), he has made a series of average grossers such as Bujjigadu (2008), Neninthe (2008), Bumper Offer (2009), and Ek Niranjan (2009). Golimar (2010), an action drama starring Gopichand and Priyamani, was a profitable venture and brought Puri back on track. His next venture, Nenu Naa Rakshasi (2011), was a highly experimental film that tanked at the box office. He directed Amitabh Bachan in Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap (2011), an action comedy film produced by Abhisekh Bachan. The film received favourable reviews upon release and was a profitable venture. In 2012, he collaborated with Mahesh for the second time to make Businessman (2012), an intense crime drama. Released amidst sky-high expectations, the film was a super hit at the box office.

He faced a string of commercial failures with Devudu Chesina Manushulu (2012), Camerman Gangatho Rambabu (2012), Iddarammayilatho (2013), and Heart Attack (2014). He collaborated with NTR for Temper (2015), an intense action drama. The film received rave reviews and gave him a much-needed break in his career. He went through a long setback in his career with Jyothi Lakshmi (2015), Loafer (2015), Ism (2016), Rogue (2017), Paisa Vasool (2017), and Mehbooba (2018). He wrote, directed, and co-produced iSmart Shankar (2019), which was a huge commercial success. His next ventures, Liger (2022) and Double Ismart (2024), received negative reviews upon release and were massive flops at the box office.

Film Production

In the beginning of his career, he produced films under the banner, Vaishno Academy, most notably Idiot (2002), Amma Nanna O Tamil Ammayi (2003), Sivamani (2003), 143 (2003), Hello Premistara (2007) and Bumper Offer (2009). Additionally, he co-produced films such as Pokiri (2006) and Bhuddah… Hoga Tera Baap (2011). He established Puri Connects and co-produced more films with Charmee Kaur, most notably, Mehbooba (2018), iSmart Shanakar (2019), Romantic (2021) and Liger (2022) & Double Ismart (2024).

Filmmaking Style

Puri’s films often feature local goons, gangsters, drug peddlars and hitmen. Owing to the intense action sequences, hard-hitting dialogues, and item numbers, his films have huge appeal among the masses. On the flip side, he is often criticized for using strong language, vulgarity and objectifying women on screen. A hero orphaned as a kid, a Malaysia-based arms dealer as antagonist, corrput policemen and politicians are some recurring themes in Puri’s films.

Puri is also known for launching artists, most notably, Ram Charan, Puneeth Rajkumar, Akash Puri, Anushka Shetty, Hansika Motwani, Renu Desai, Rakshitha and Aditi Arya. Additionally, he introduced umpteen non-Telugu actresses to Tollywood such as Asin, Ameesha Patel, Kangana Ranaut, Disha Patani, Neha Shetty and Ketika Sharma.

Personal Life

He married Lavanya on 6 September, 1996 and the couple were blessed with a boy, Akash and a girl, Pavitra. His son, Puri Akash, is a notable actor in Telugu. Off screen, he is known for his playful attitude with artists, fellow-filimmakers and media.

Note: This section is heavily inspired from Wikipedia.