Jagapati Babu

1962-02-12 · Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Jagapathi Babu (born Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary; 12 February 1962), is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Telugu cinema, as well as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. He made his acting debut as a child artist in his father's *Manchi Manushulu* (1974) and made his lead debut in *Simha Swapnam* (1989). He had his breakthrough with *Peddarikam* (1992) and appeared in Ram Gopal Varma's thriller *Gaayam* (1993), for which he won his first Nandi Award for Best Actor. During the 1990s and 2000s, he appeared in family dramas, comedies, and action films, including *Subhalagnam* (1994). He won Nandi Best Actor Awards for *Maavichiguru* (1996) and *Manoharam* (2000), and Best Supporting Actor awards for *Anthahpuram* (1998) and *Lakshyam* (2007), the latter also earning him a Filmfare Award. In 2014, Jagapathi Babu played Jitendra in Boyapati Srinu's *Legend*, opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna. He won the Filmfare and Nandi Awards for Best Villain for the role. He subsequently appeared as an antagonist and character actor in films including *Lingaa* (2014), *Srimanthudu* (2015), *Nannaku Prematho* (2016), *Pulimurugan* (2016), *Rangasthalam* (2018), *Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava* (2018), *Maharshi* (2019), *Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy* (2019), and *Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire* (2023). In 2024, his releases included *Guntur Kaaram*, *The Family Star*, *Ruslaan*, *Mr. Bachchan*, *Kanguva*, and *Pushpa 2: The Rule*. His 2025 projects include *Jaat*, *Mirai*, *Ghaati*, *45*, and *Akhanda 2: Thaandavam*. In 2026, he appeared as Appala Soori in Buchi Babu Sana's sports drama *Peddi*, alongside Ram Charan, and in *Nagabandham - The Secret Treasure*, and *Godari Gattupaina*. His career includes nearly 180 films, seven Nandi Awards, and four Filmfare Awards.