Sumanth
Encyclopedia
Sumanth is a Telugu film actor. He is the nephew of actor Akkineni Nagarjuna
and grandson of actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao
. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios
, a prominent film studio/production house that was established in 1975 by his grandfather.
, completing his high school in I992. For his undergraduate studies he went to the United States
, where he enrolled in an engineering course at Michigan
. Realizing that engineering didn't match his career aspirations, he later transferred to Columbia College
in Chicago, where he majored in film. During his senior year at university, he was selected to the Dean's list in recognition of his academic excellence.
in 1999 with Ram Gopal Varma
's film Prema Katha. Despite moderate commercial success, the film received several Nandi
awards. His next film, Yuvakudu, directed by Karunakaran and co-starring then-debutant Bhumika Chawla
, did average business at the box office but was critically hailed. His subsequent films, Pelli Sambandham, co-starring his grandfather Akkineni Nageswara Rao
and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao
, and Snehamante Idera
, where he co-starred alongside his uncle Akkineni Nagarjuna
, also managed only average box office success.
However in late 2003, after a self-imposed hiatus of almost two years, he delivered his first blockbuster, Sathyam. It also happened to be Genelia D'Souza
's debut Telugu film. Sathyam, which was produced by Akkineni Nagarjuna
, was one of the highest grossing films of that year. Sumanth revealed later that this was one film where he actively involved himself in the production aspects as well. He followed it up with another hit film, Gowri
, which confirmed him as a bonafide box office draw. It was a remake of the hit Tamil film Thirumalai
, which starred Vijay
and Jyothika. Gowri was instrumental in giving him an action image. In 2005, he starred in the flop Dhana 51 and the moderate hit Mahanandi
, in which Anushka Shetty
co-starred opposite him.
In 2006, Sumanth was chosen to play the lead in Sekhar Kammula
's romantic comedy Godavari
. It remains one of the most acclaimed films of his career. In addition to receiving rave reviews and box office success, it went on to win multiple Nandi
and Filmfare
awards. Most prominently, Sekhar Kammula
received the best director award. The film was especially successful in giving Sumanth a new urban and Telugu international following. It is widely regarded as a modern day classic.
Sumanth's next film was the average running action/drama Chinnodu
(2006). In 2007, he starred in two movies, Madhumasam
and Classmates
. The former, a romantic comedy that was produced by his uncle D. Ramanaidu
, was a hit at the box office, whereas the latter did not fare too well. In early 2008, Sumanth's home production, Pourudu
turned out to be a success. His next film, Boni
, produced by the music director Ramana Gogula
and released in mid-2009, failed at the box office.
After a gap of almost a year, Sumanth starred in Golconda High School, directed by the national award winning Indraganti Mohan Krishna under the Artbeat Capital banner, which previously produced the hit film Ashta Chamma
. It is based on the English novel The Man Within
and can be safely called Telugu cinema's first true sports genre film. Released on January 15, 2011, it garnered rave reviews and was declared a commercial hit as well. Many reviewers and the public have termed Sumanth's portrayal of a young cricket coach as one of his finest roles to date.
Sumanth's most recent film was Raaj
opposite the national award winning actress Priyamani
, and Vimala Raman
. The film was directed by V.N. Aditya, who earlier directed Manasantha Nuvve
, Aata
, and Nenunnanu
. This film was released in March 2011, but failed at the box office. To the surprise of many, Sumanth openly admitted after release that he wasn't expecting much from this film as it was plagued with several problems during production. It was more or less a "salvage operation" according to him.
Subsequently, Sumanth acted in the film, Daggaragaa Dooramgaa, a romantic thriller under the direction of the National and Nandi award winning writer/director Ravi Kumar Chavali, who earlier made the hit films Bachelors and Samanyudu. It released in August of 2011, and did average business at the box office. A lot of people cited the lack of proper promotion as one of the main reasons for its mediocre performance.
At present, Sumanth is working on producing his next feature, which most likely will be under the Annapurna Studios banner.
and Akkineni Annapurna. Sumanth is also closely related to the prominent film producer D. Ramanaidu
through his father. Suresh Babu
and the famous actor Venkatesh
are his cousins. So are fellow actors Naga Chaitanya
and Rana Daggubati
.
In August 2004, Sumanth married former actress Keerthi Reddy
. They were however amicably divorced in 2006.
Sumanth presently resides in Jubilee Hills
, Hyderabad with his maternal grandparents.
Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna is an Indian film actor in Tollywood and Bollywood. He is a producer and one of the lead actors in Telugu cinema.- Early life :...
and grandson of actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao , also known as ANR, is a Telugu cinema actor from Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh. Nageswara Rao has worked in several genres of films in his 70-year acting career, including mythological, social, and drama films...
. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios
Annapurna Studios
Annapurna Studios is a leading film/television studio and production house located in Hyderabad, India. It was established in 1975 by the legendary Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao primarily to encourage the migration of the Telugu film industry from Chennai to Hyderabad...
, a prominent film studio/production house that was established in 1975 by his grandfather.
Education
Sumanth studied at the Hyderabad Public SchoolHyderabad Public School
The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet or HPS, Begumpet, is a privately funded public school in Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh.Earlier known as Jagirdar College, it was established in 1923 as a school exclusively for the sons of Jagirdars and other aristrocats. It was renamed as Hyderbad...
, completing his high school in I992. For his undergraduate studies he went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he enrolled in an engineering course at Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Realizing that engineering didn't match his career aspirations, he later transferred to Columbia College
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
in Chicago, where he majored in film. During his senior year at university, he was selected to the Dean's list in recognition of his academic excellence.
Career
Sumanth started his acting career in Telugu cinemaTelugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
in 1999 with Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer...
's film Prema Katha. Despite moderate commercial success, the film received several Nandi
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards is the most Prominent award ceremony for Telugu films, Telugu Theater & Television, presented annually in Andhra Pradesh, India. "Nandi" means "bull", the awards being named after the big granite bull at Lepakshi — a cultural and historical symbol of Andhra Pradesh.Nandi...
awards. His next film, Yuvakudu, directed by Karunakaran and co-starring then-debutant Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla is an Indian actress. She made her film debut in the Telugu film Yuvakudu and has since then worked in various Indian film industries and appeared in over thirty films in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Malayalam...
, did average business at the box office but was critically hailed. His subsequent films, Pelli Sambandham, co-starring his grandfather Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao , also known as ANR, is a Telugu cinema actor from Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh. Nageswara Rao has worked in several genres of films in his 70-year acting career, including mythological, social, and drama films...
and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao
K. Raghavendra Rao
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao shortly K. Raghavendra is a renowned director. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of Telugu cinema, and many believe that his contribution has been instrumental to the success of Telugu cinema. As of 2006, Raghavendra Rao has directed 103 films...
, and Snehamante Idera
Snehamante Idera
Snehamante Idera is a 2001 film directed by Bala Sekharan and produced by R.B. Chowdary. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sumanth, Bhoomika Chawla, Sudhakar and Pratyusha. It's a remake of Malayalam film Friends...
, where he co-starred alongside his uncle Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna is an Indian film actor in Tollywood and Bollywood. He is a producer and one of the lead actors in Telugu cinema.- Early life :...
, also managed only average box office success.
However in late 2003, after a self-imposed hiatus of almost two years, he delivered his first blockbuster, Sathyam. It also happened to be Genelia D'Souza
Genelia D'Souza
Genelia D'Souza is an Indian actress, model, and host. She has appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003...
's debut Telugu film. Sathyam, which was produced by Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna
Akkineni Nagarjuna is an Indian film actor in Tollywood and Bollywood. He is a producer and one of the lead actors in Telugu cinema.- Early life :...
, was one of the highest grossing films of that year. Sumanth revealed later that this was one film where he actively involved himself in the production aspects as well. He followed it up with another hit film, Gowri
Gowri (film)
Gowri is a 2004 Telugu film that was directed by B.V. Ramana. The action/drama film stars Sumanth and Charmme Kaur. It was produced by Sravanti Ravi Kishore. The film is a remake of a Tamil film, Thirumalai. Gowri was a hit at the box office collecting close to 11 crore Rs...
, which confirmed him as a bonafide box office draw. It was a remake of the hit Tamil film Thirumalai
Thirumalai
Thirumalai is a Tamil film which released on 24 October 2003 and was directed by Ramana. This film has Joseph Vijay in the main lead, with Jyothika. Lawrence Raghavendra and Kiran Rathod make special appearances in the film.-Plot:...
, which starred Vijay
Vijay
Vijay is a common given name for males in India. The word Vijay is derived from Vijaya, meaning "Victory". It is another name for Arjuna, the hero of the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The word Vijay is similar in meaning to Jai, although there is a small difference...
and Jyothika. Gowri was instrumental in giving him an action image. In 2005, he starred in the flop Dhana 51 and the moderate hit Mahanandi
Mahanandi
Mahanandi is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills in Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a picturesque village surrounded by thick forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava Nandis. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. The Mahanandiswara...
, in which Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
co-starred opposite him.
In 2006, Sumanth was chosen to play the lead in Sekhar Kammula
Sekhar Kammula
Sekhar Kammula is an award-winning Indian Film director, writer and producer from Telugu cinema.-Early life:Sekhar was schooled at St. Patrick's High School, Secunderabad. He completed his intermediate studies from St...
's romantic comedy Godavari
Godavari (film)
Godavari is a 2006 Telugu musical, romantic film that was written and directed by Sekhar Kammula. G.V.G. Raju produced the film. Sumanth and Kamalinee Mukherjee played the lead roles. The film was a success at box office in addition to receiving several Nandi and Filmfare awards. Music of the film...
. It remains one of the most acclaimed films of his career. In addition to receiving rave reviews and box office success, it went on to win multiple Nandi
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards is the most Prominent award ceremony for Telugu films, Telugu Theater & Television, presented annually in Andhra Pradesh, India. "Nandi" means "bull", the awards being named after the big granite bull at Lepakshi — a cultural and historical symbol of Andhra Pradesh.Nandi...
and Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
awards. Most prominently, Sekhar Kammula
Sekhar Kammula
Sekhar Kammula is an award-winning Indian Film director, writer and producer from Telugu cinema.-Early life:Sekhar was schooled at St. Patrick's High School, Secunderabad. He completed his intermediate studies from St...
received the best director award. The film was especially successful in giving Sumanth a new urban and Telugu international following. It is widely regarded as a modern day classic.
Sumanth's next film was the average running action/drama Chinnodu
Chinnodu
Chinnodu is a 2006 Tollywood film that stars Sumanth, Charmme Kaur, and Rahul Dev. It is directed by Kanmani. It was a moderate success at the box office. It was later dubbed into Hindi under the title Ek aur Ilzaam- Plot :...
(2006). In 2007, he starred in two movies, Madhumasam
Madhumasam
Madhumasam is a Telugu film produced by D. Ramanaidu and directed by Chandra Siddhartha. The film has Sumanth, Sneha, and Parvati Melton in important roles. This film released on 9 February 2007...
and Classmates
Classmates (film)
Classmates is a 2006 Malayalam musical mystery-thriller film directed by Lal Jose and written by James Albert. The film has an ensemble cast starring Prithviraj, Narain, Indrajith, Jayasurya, Kavya Madhavan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Balachandra Menon and Radhika. The music is composed by Alex Paul with...
. The former, a romantic comedy that was produced by his uncle D. Ramanaidu
D. Ramanaidu
Daggubati Ramanaidu is an Indian movie producer. In 2010, He was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. The Guinness Book of Records lists him as the most prolific producer with 130 films...
, was a hit at the box office, whereas the latter did not fare too well. In early 2008, Sumanth's home production, Pourudu
Pourudu
Pourudu is a 2008 Telugu film released on Jan 13th 2008. Sumanth and Kajal Agarwal acted in the lead roles. The film was directed by the late Raaj Aditya and produced by Sumanth's sister, Supriya under the Annapurna Studios banner...
turned out to be a success. His next film, Boni
Boni (film)
Boni is a 2009 Telugu action film that stars Sumanth and Kriti Kharbanda. It is directed by Raj Pippalla, with Ramana Gogula composing music as well as producing the film. The film had an unsuccessful run at the box office.-Plot:...
, produced by the music director Ramana Gogula
Ramana Gogula
Ramana Kumar Gogula is a music director in Telugu films. He formed his own rock-and-roll band in Vizag at the age of 17. Since then, he has traveled around the world as a software professional and music director. His most famous albums are the musical scores to the movies Thammudu,adavilo anna,...
and released in mid-2009, failed at the box office.
After a gap of almost a year, Sumanth starred in Golconda High School, directed by the national award winning Indraganti Mohan Krishna under the Artbeat Capital banner, which previously produced the hit film Ashta Chamma
Ashta Chamma
Ashta Chamma is a critically acclaimed 2008 Indian comedy film written and directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti. Filmed in Telugu, the film deals with four quirky characters interwoven in a romantic narration. The film stars Colours Swathi, Nani, Srinivas Avasarala and Bhargavi in the lead with...
. It is based on the English novel The Man Within
The Man Within
The Man Within is the first novel by author Graham Greene. It tells the story of Francis Andrews, a reluctant smuggler, who betrays his colleagues and the aftermath of his betrayal...
and can be safely called Telugu cinema's first true sports genre film. Released on January 15, 2011, it garnered rave reviews and was declared a commercial hit as well. Many reviewers and the public have termed Sumanth's portrayal of a young cricket coach as one of his finest roles to date.
Sumanth's most recent film was Raaj
Raaj (film)
Raaj is a 2011 Telugu film directed by V. N. Aditya and produced under the banner of Kumar Brothers Cinema. Sumanth, Priyamani and Vimala Raman played the lead roles. Koti is the music composer for this film....
opposite the national award winning actress Priyamani
Priyamani
Priya Vasudev Mani Iyer, better known by her stage name Priyamani is an Indian film actress and model who has appeared in several Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films...
, and Vimala Raman
Vimala Raman
Vimala Raman is an Indian film actress, model and a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She made her acting debut in the 2006 Tamil film Poi and went on to appear primarily in Malayalam and Telugu films.-Early life:...
. The film was directed by V.N. Aditya, who earlier directed Manasantha Nuvve
Manasantha Nuvve
Manasantha Nuvve is a 2001 blockbuster Telugu film written and directed by V.N. Aditya. This film stars Uday Kiran & Reema Sen in the lead roles. The film is produced by M. S. Raju and has music composed by R. P...
, Aata
Aata
Aata is a 2007 Telugu film starring Siddharth Narayan and Ileana D'Cruz in the lead roles. M.S. Raju produced this film while debutant, V.N. Aditya directed the project. This film was released on May 09, 2007.- Plot :...
, and Nenunnanu
Nenunnanu
Nenunnanu is a 2004 Telugu film written and directed by V.N. Aditya. This film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Shriya Saran, and Arti Agarwal in the lead roles. Music by M.M. Keeravani was a big asset to the film. This movie was then dubbed in tamil as Chandramadhiand in hindi as "vishwa - the he man".-...
. This film was released in March 2011, but failed at the box office. To the surprise of many, Sumanth openly admitted after release that he wasn't expecting much from this film as it was plagued with several problems during production. It was more or less a "salvage operation" according to him.
Subsequently, Sumanth acted in the film, Daggaragaa Dooramgaa, a romantic thriller under the direction of the National and Nandi award winning writer/director Ravi Kumar Chavali, who earlier made the hit films Bachelors and Samanyudu. It released in August of 2011, and did average business at the box office. A lot of people cited the lack of proper promotion as one of the main reasons for its mediocre performance.
At present, Sumanth is working on producing his next feature, which most likely will be under the Annapurna Studios banner.
Personal life
Sumanth was born in Hyderabad, India on February 9, 1975. He is the only son of Yarlagadda Surendra and the late Akkineni Satyavathi. A few months after his birth, his parents returned to the US where they were residing. Sumanth however remained in India and was subsequently adopted by his maternal grandparents, Akkineni Nageswara RaoAkkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao , also known as ANR, is a Telugu cinema actor from Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh. Nageswara Rao has worked in several genres of films in his 70-year acting career, including mythological, social, and drama films...
and Akkineni Annapurna. Sumanth is also closely related to the prominent film producer D. Ramanaidu
D. Ramanaidu
Daggubati Ramanaidu is an Indian movie producer. In 2010, He was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. The Guinness Book of Records lists him as the most prolific producer with 130 films...
through his father. Suresh Babu
Suresh Babu
Suresh Babu was an Indian long jumper from Kerala who had held the national titles in the long, triple, and high jump events, in addition to the decathlon...
and the famous actor Venkatesh
Daggubati Venkatesh
Venkatesh Daggubati is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is the son of veteran Tollywood film producer, former MP, Dr. D. Ramanaidu. He is often credited as Victory Venkatesh in films and is one of the lead actors in Telugu Cinema. He has won seven Nandi Awards and four...
are his cousins. So are fellow actors Naga Chaitanya
Naga Chaitanya
Naga Chaitanya is an Indian film actor who has appeared in Telugu films. He made his debut in the 2009 college film, Josh His second film, Gautham Menon's Ye Maaya Chesave became a commercial as well as critical success, with his portrayal of a love-torn film director winning him critical acclaim...
and Rana Daggubati
Rana Daggubati
Rana Daggubati is an Indian actor. Better known as Rana, he was born on 14 December 1984 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is the son of film producer D. Suresh Babu, the latter being the elder son of D. Ramanaidu. Venkatesh is D. Ramanaidu's younger son. Rana is also nephew of another Tollywood actor...
.
In August 2004, Sumanth married former actress Keerthi Reddy
Keerthi Reddy
Keerthi Reddy is an Indian actress. She also acted in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies.-Early life:Reddy was born to interior designer and mother a dress designer. Her grandfather is Ganga Reddy, Member of Parliament from Dichpally in Andhra Pradesh...
. They were however amicably divorced in 2006.
Sumanth presently resides in Jubilee Hills
Jubilee Hills
Jubilee Hills is a suburban neighbourhood in west Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. It is presently one of the most expensive residential locations in India with prime land prices fetching up to Rs. 200,000 per square yard. A tract of land in the city was sold for nearly Rs. 3,340,000,000 in 2005...
, Hyderabad with his maternal grandparents.
Filmography
- Daggaraga Dooranga (2011)
- RaajRaaj (film)Raaj is a 2011 Telugu film directed by V. N. Aditya and produced under the banner of Kumar Brothers Cinema. Sumanth, Priyamani and Vimala Raman played the lead roles. Koti is the music composer for this film....
(2011) - Golconda High School (2011)
- BoniBoni (film)Boni is a 2009 Telugu action film that stars Sumanth and Kriti Kharbanda. It is directed by Raj Pippalla, with Ramana Gogula composing music as well as producing the film. The film had an unsuccessful run at the box office.-Plot:...
(2009) - Vijay IPS (2008)
- PouruduPouruduPourudu is a 2008 Telugu film released on Jan 13th 2008. Sumanth and Kajal Agarwal acted in the lead roles. The film was directed by the late Raaj Aditya and produced by Sumanth's sister, Supriya under the Annapurna Studios banner...
(2008) - ClassmatesClassmates (film)Classmates is a 2006 Malayalam musical mystery-thriller film directed by Lal Jose and written by James Albert. The film has an ensemble cast starring Prithviraj, Narain, Indrajith, Jayasurya, Kavya Madhavan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Balachandra Menon and Radhika. The music is composed by Alex Paul with...
(2007) - MadhumasamMadhumasamMadhumasam is a Telugu film produced by D. Ramanaidu and directed by Chandra Siddhartha. The film has Sumanth, Sneha, and Parvati Melton in important roles. This film released on 9 February 2007...
(2007) - ChinnoduChinnoduChinnodu is a 2006 Tollywood film that stars Sumanth, Charmme Kaur, and Rahul Dev. It is directed by Kanmani. It was a moderate success at the box office. It was later dubbed into Hindi under the title Ek aur Ilzaam- Plot :...
(2006) - GodavariGodavari (film)Godavari is a 2006 Telugu musical, romantic film that was written and directed by Sekhar Kammula. G.V.G. Raju produced the film. Sumanth and Kamalinee Mukherjee played the lead roles. The film was a success at box office in addition to receiving several Nandi and Filmfare awards. Music of the film...
(2006) - MahanandiMahanandiMahanandi is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills in Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a picturesque village surrounded by thick forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava Nandis. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. The Mahanandiswara...
(2005) - Dhana 51 (2005)
- Soggadu (2005) (special appearance)
- Gowri (2004)
- Sathyam (2003)
- Snehamante IderaSnehamante IderaSnehamante Idera is a 2001 film directed by Bala Sekharan and produced by R.B. Chowdary. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sumanth, Bhoomika Chawla, Sudhakar and Pratyusha. It's a remake of Malayalam film Friends...
(2001) - Pelli Sambhandham (2000)
- Yuvakudu (2000)
- Prema kadhaa (1999)
External links
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/05/23/stories/2006052300260100.htm