11 Best Roles of King Nagarjuna That Prove His Acting Prowess

Shiva is one of the cult classics in Tollywood industry. It remains as one of the best Telugu film ever made. The scene where Nagarjuna pulls the cycle chain gives chills to people till date. The iconic scene had an impact on students and youngsters which linger on. Nagarjuna played the dashing student who stands against the injustice in college and the city. This movie was the debut for director Ram Gopal Varma. Nag essays the role with an élan that it is impossible to imagine anyone in the same role.

Geetanjali reinvented the concept of love stories as an all-time romantic classic. The landscapes of Ooty, a great love story, minimal dialogues, the music, and the best performances made Geetanjali a masterpiece . Nagarjuna played the character named Prakash, who suffers terminal cancer and falls in love with Geetanjali who is also suffering from a chronic disease. Geetanjali received commercial success and critical acclaim equally. Nagarjuna fresh from the success of Shiva as an angry young man seamlessly blended into the character of a serious lover in the movie. Nag nailed the character as a fun-loving youngster initially and a great lover later part of the movie.

Nagarjuna ventured into mass movies with Allari Alludu. This masala film has everything Nag fans wanted from him, romance, action. comedy and heroism. This 1993 movie is one of the biggest hits in his career. His cat and mouse game with senior actress Vanisri entertained millions of audience.

Just when the dual role trend was dying Nagarjuna came up with the movie Hello Brother. The movie became a blockbuster for the amazing entertainment value and novelty of the concept. Nag played two roles as mass oriented Deva and classy Ravi Varma and aced both the characters. Although it was risky to venture into a dual role film at that period, Nag’s performance made it a humongous success. The movie featured 5 heroines, 2 in the main lead and 3 in a special song. This movie can be credited for making him a mass favourite. The camaraderie between Deva and Brahmi made for some memorable comic sequences.

Ninne Pelladatha is a complete family entertainer that defines a feel-good flick. Nagarjuna played the rich kid who loves races and falls in love with a girl, who happens to be his cousin. But the family rivalry creates hurdle in their marriage but finally they come together braving all odds. After this movie, Nagarjuna became a heartthrob of the young girls. He redefined the ideal qualities of a handsome hunk. He brilliantly essayed the character of an ideal young man who is good looking, fun loving, romantic and strong enough to beat up the baddies.

The 1997 Annamayya is an epic among Tollywood movies in the devotional genre. The movie is about the incarnation of the sword of Lord Vishnu to become a singer to write and sing keertans (songs) in praise of Vishnu , upon the request of Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu. After the golden age people believed it was the end of devotional films but Nagarjuna surprised everyone with the movie which became a blockbuster hit. His performance as a 90-year-old devotee requesting Vishnu to take his life singing the song ‘Antaryami’ is one of the best sequences of his career.

Shivamani is a romantic thriller directed by Puri Jagannadh in 2003. Nag played the role of a dashing super cool cop who is honest and straightforward. The phone number of Shivamani 9848022338 is still remembered by one and all. Nag owned the character with his excellent performance as a cop. Although a plethora of cop movies came and went, Shivamani cemented its place in the hearts of people.

Super is a heist based action thriller directed by Puri Jagannadh. Nagarjuna played the role of Akhil, a high tech rob​ber. This is another genre that Nag introduced in Tollywood. Fast bikes, high end technology, gorgeous girls and a sudden twist all came together perfectly. His new avatar with long hair turned into a huge fashion statement replicated by many at that time. Nagarjuna brought a style and a reckless attitude to the character. His hairstyle, his new style of shake hand and the sartorial sense became the most popular trends of that time.

Rajanna is a period drama directed by V. Vijayendra Prasad. Nag played the role of Rajanna in the movie. He is a poet and a fighter who inspires hundreds of villages to revolt against the landlords and British rule. He brilliantly portrayed the patriotic role. With long hair and dressed in traditional Indian dhoti and kurta and powerful dialogues, he successfully brought the intensity of the freedom struggle and the freedom fighters.

Manam is one film that is a shining star in the sky of Tollywood cinema, for which the credit would go to King Nagarjuna. Manam is a fantasy family entertainer directed by Vikram K. Kumar. The movie connecting the three generation of the legendary Akkineni family ​is about the people from the same family reincarnating and meeting each other in later lives. Nagarjuna sported two characters and undoubtedly stole the thunder. The real chemistry between Akkineni clan spread magic in reel life as well as making it a visual fiesta to be cherished in years to come.

Not all the star heroes want to do a role which is not really heroic but Nagarjuna did it in Oopiri. It was a role that demanded emoting through eyes and expressions without moving an inch from the place but Nag nailed it. He reprised the role of a romantic Paraplegic billionaire from the cult classic French movie The Intouchables and did full justice to it. Nag’s unparalleled performance stole the hearts of the people and the movie became a blockbuster hit. Once again Nag proved that there is not a character that he cannot justify and that his versatility is unmatched.