Nagarjuna is currently basking in glory for his striking performance as Simon, the antagonist in Lokesh Kangaraj’s Coolie, headlined by Thalaivar Rajinikanth. The veteran actor’s portrayal has been both enchanting and terrifying, bringing to life a magnanimous villain on the big screen. A bona fide superstar, Nagarjuna is reportedly preparing for his 100th film, tentatively titled King100, directed by Nitham Oru Vaanam fame Ra Karthik. The film is touted to be an action-family entertainer catering to a wide audience.

Meanwhile, recently, speaking on Jagapathi Babu’s talk show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa, the ace actor revealed that early in his career, including his first few films, he lacked deep knowledge about the industry and relied heavily on his father’s guidance

Nagarjuna, son of legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao, made his debut in 1986 with the film Vikram. Initially, audiences were curious to see how ANR’s son would perform, but it took time for Nagarjuna to establish himself as both a capable actor and a star.. While Vikram drew attention, his breakthrough with mass audiences came with Aakhari Poratam (1988), a success largely due to the contributions of director Raghavendra Rao and actor Sridevi. In the conversation Nagrajuna stated that he was like a “doll” in the film, aided by the capable film personalities.

He also shared how he pursued acclaimed director Mani Ratnam to collaborate on a film he was passionate about. Inspired by the director’s film Mouna Ragam (1986), Nagarjuna tracked him down during his daily morning walks in Chennai’s Poes Garden for about a month, convincing him to direct Geethanjali (1989).

"I knew Mani Ratnam lived in Poes Garden, Chennai, and took a walk every day at 6 AM. For about a month, I followed him during his walks. He would let me speak with him for about 10 minutes before trying to avoid me. Despite the short meetings, I managed to persuade him to collaborate with me," Nagarjuna recollected.

The film became a major success, running for over 100 days and earning cult status. Its story of two terminally ill young lovers, combined with Ilaiyaraaja’s memorable music, marked a turning point in Nagarjuna’s career, solidifying his status as a heartthrob in Indian cinema.

While Geethanjali proved to be a pivotal movie in King Nagarjuna’s career, he went on to deliver several other memorable hits, including Manmadhudu, Shiva, and Manam, in which he shared screen space with his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao and son Naga Chaitanya.

Nagarjuna was initially married to Lakshmi Daggubati, but the couple parted ways in 1990. He then went on to marry actor Amala. Both of his sons, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil, are actors. Naga Chaitanya is married to Sobhita Dhulipala following his widely publicized divorce from Samantha Ruth Prabhu, while Akhil recently tied the knot with artist Zainab Ravdjee.

Nagarjuna’s recent revelations for cinephiles shed light on the interesting backstories of several iconic films, often involving chance, coincidence, and persuasion, as in this case.