Telugu audiences don’t just love their stars – they worship them, quite literally. A new film release means an explosion of oversized cutouts, garlands that could double as jungle vines, and, of course, gallons of milk wasted in what can only be described as an abhishekam of cinematic devotion. It’s all part of the madness, and honestly, no one bats an eyelid anymore.
But what’s truly bizarre is the title obsession. In no other film industry does an actor’s name come with a ranking system that sounds like a bizarre mix of royalty, military ranks, and self-help affirmations. And the best part? Once a title is bestowed – whether by a star-struck fan club, an overenthusiastic journalist, or a social organization with no better cause—it sticks, no matter how many flops the actor delivers.
From ‘Samrat’ to ‘Super’
Once upon a time, titles carried some weight. N.T. Rama Rao, an actor-politician-god-figure rolled into one, was Nata Ratna (A gem of acting) and Natasarvabhowma (Universal Monarch of Acting). His rival-turned-colleague Akkineni Nageswara Rao was Nata Samrat (Emperor of Acting). Even Krishna, known for his cowboy adventures and spy thrillers before James Bond was a household name in India, was simply Super Star.
Then came the next generation, and with it, a more creative – if not downright ridiculous – titling spree. ANR’s son, Nagarjuna, was christened Yuva Samrat (Young Emperor), though no one updated his title when he crossed 50. On the same lines, NTR’s son Balakrishna was initially called Yuva Ratna, whatever it means. Krishna’s son Mahesh Babu, after playing a prince in Rajakumarudu, was first Prince and then, quite predictably, inherited his father’s Super Star tag – because these things are hereditary.
The Mega Dynasty and its power struggle
If Tollywood titles were a monarchy, Chiranjeevi would be its founding father. He started as a promising talent in Manavoori Pandavulu and climbed his way to superstardom, earning the title Megastar. Fair enough. But then came the real head-scratcher: his brother Pawan Kalyan was dubbed Power Star. Why be just another actor when you can have ‘power’ in your title?
And it did not stop there. Enter Chiranjeevi’s son, Ram Charan. With more flops than hits in his early years, logic dictated that he’d work his way up. Instead, he was instantly christened Mega Power Star – a hybrid of his father’s and uncle’s titles, because clearly, the power had to be shared. But wait – after RRR’s success, Mega Power was deemed insufficient, and he was reborn as Global Star. What’s next? Universal Star? Galactic Emperor?
Style, mass, and rebellion – everyone gets a tag
Meanwhile, Allu Arjun started as Stylish Star, then upgraded himself to Icon Star – because nothing screams humility like calling yourself an icon. Ravi Teja, with his high-energy performances, was dubbed Mass Maharaja, a title that at least has some logic to it.
Prabhas, once called Rebel Star after his uncle Krishnam Raju, was also affectionately Darling thanks to a film title. But after Baahubali, he leveled up to Pan-India Star, as if Telugu cinema alone was too small for him.
Then there is Vijay Deverakonda, who embraced his rowdy-boy image so much that he became Rowdy Star and now calls his fans ‘rowdies’. Not to be left out, NTR Jr is known as Man of the Masses, while the late Krishnam Raju was Rebel Star long before his nephew decided to go Pan-India.
The golden era of well-earned titles
There was a time when these monikers made sense. Jaggayya, with his deep, resonant voice, was Kanchu Kantham (Bronze Voice) and also carried the more dignified Kala Vachaspati (Lord of Speech). Savitri was rightly called Mahanati (The Great Actress), a title later borrowed for her biopic. Rao Gopal Rao, whose powerful dialogue delivery could make even a mediocre script sound like Shakespeare, was Nata Virat (Mighty Actor).
Comedians weren’t left out either. There were Comedy Kings, Crazy Stars, and even an Andhra Dilip Kumar – a title bestowed upon Chalam, presumably for his brooding romantic roles. The late Sobhan Babu was known as Nata Bhushana (Acting Ornament), while another dialogue maestro was branded Dialogue King – because why settle for a regular title when you can have something grand?
What next? Galactic Stardom?
With titles becoming grander by the day, one wonders what the future holds. If a minor hit can earn an actor a grand title, and if a major failure never strips them of it, then why stop at Mega, Power, and Global? Maybe it’s time to go all out.
How about Quantum Star? Multiverse King? Or perhaps Celestial Sultan? Because in Tollywood, the bigger the title, the lesser the logic.