Ram Charan Tej Konidela, mononymously known as Ram Charan, is an Indian actor known for his work in Telugu films. One of the highest-paid actors in the country, he is the son of legendary actor, Chiranjeevi.

He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Rama Raju, a british cop in S. S. Rajamouli’s epic action drama film, RRR (2022). His other notable works include Chirutha (2007), Magadheera (2009), Rachcha (2012), Naayak (2013), Orange (2010) Dhruva (2016) & Rangasthalam (2017).

Early Life

Charan was born on March 27, 1985 (making him 39 as of January, 2025), in Madras (now Chennai) to Chiranjeevi and Surekha. He has two elder sisters, Sushmitha and Sreeja Kondiela. He is fluent in Tamil, Hindi, and, of course, Telugu.

Pawan Kalyan, an actor-politician, and Nagendra Babu, a notable producer, are his paternal uncles. Allu Arjun, a popular actor, is Charan’s maternal cousin. Additionally, Varun Tej, Sai Dharam Tej, and Vaishnav Tej, his cousins, are also leading actors.

Career

Charan made his acting debut with Chirutha (2007), an action-drama film directed by Puri Jagannath. Releasing on September 28, 2007, the film was declared a super hit at the box office. He then starred in S. S. Rajamouli’s action-fantasy film, Magadheera (2009), which opened to rave reviews from the audience and became the highest-grossing Telugu film at that time. The film’s success encapsulated Charan’s rise to overnight superstardom.

His next venture, Orange (2010), a romantic drama film, tanked at the ticket window but, over the years, gained a cult following for its story, performances, and music. He went on to star in a series of commercially successful films, including Rachcha (2012), Naayak (2013), and Yevadu (2014). In 2013, he made his Bollywood debut with Zanjeer (2013), a remake of the 1973 film of the same name. The film was a box-office bomb and is considered one of the worst films ever made.

He played Abhiram, an NRI, in Krishna Vamshi’s family drama Govindudu Andarivadele (2014); the film was an average grosser at the box office. His next venture was Bruce Lee: The Fighter (2015), a commercial failure. He played the titular role in Dhruva (2016), an official remake of Thani Oruvan (2015). The film was acclaimed for its performances, action, and music and became the highest-grossing movie of the year. He then starred in Sukumar’s ground-breaking work, Rangasthalam (2018), which enjoyed a stupendous run at the box office. His next venture was Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019), a potboiler film directed by Boyapati Srinu. The film was panned by both audiences and critics and ended up being a box-office disappointment.

He received international recognition for playing Rama Raju, a British cop, in S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR (2022). Charan was next seen in Shankar’s political drama, Game Changer, which also features Kiara Advani and S. J. Suryah. Following a mixed critical reception, it was a box-office bomb.

Film Production

In 2016, he started his own production house, Konidela Production Company, with the sole intention of producing films with his father, Chiranjeevi, in the lead. His first venture, Khaidi No. 150 (2017), marked the comeback of Chiranjeevi after a long hiatus of 10 years. The film, an official remake of Kaththi (2014), was a profitable venture.

His next venture was Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019), an epic action drama film directed by Surender Reddy. Despite bombing in other languages, the film was a profitable venture in Telugu, its original version. He co-produced and starred in Acharya (2022), an action drama directed by Koratala Shiva. The film was poorly received and was a huge commercial failure. His next co-production, GodFather (2022), a remake of Lucifer (2019), was an average grosser at the box office.

Personal Life

After years of courtship, Charan married Upasana Konidela, the granddaughter of Pratap C. Reddy, founder of Apollo Hospitals, India’s first corporate hospital chain. The couple were blessed with a baby girl, Klin Kaara Konidela, in June 2023. Charan practices hindhuism and is an ardent devotee of Ayyappa of Sabarmalai, Kerala.

Note: This section is heavily inspired from Wikipedia.