Tanikella Bharani

Biography:

Tanikella Bharani, born on July 14, 1954, is a multi-talented Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright, and director who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He has extensive filmography, having acted in over 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi, and has also written screenplays for 52 movies. Tanikella Bharani has been recognized with three Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards for his outstanding contributions to the industry.

Hailing from a Telugu Brahmin family, Tanikella Bharani comes from a lineage of poets and literary figures in Telugu literature. His grand uncles were Diwakarla Venkatavadhani and Viswanatha Satyanarayana, renowned names in the literary world. His great-grand-uncle was Divakarla Tirupati Sastry, one-half of the esteemed Telugu poet duo Tirupati Venkata Kavulu.

Fluent in Telugu, English, Hindi, and Tamil, Tanikella Bharani is a religious Hindu known for his devotion to Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati. He has garnered acclaim for singing devotional songs in their praise. He actively encourages fellow Hindus to read the Bhagavad Gita and embody its teachings in their lives.

During the mid-70s, Tanikella Bharani ventured into stage plays, where he became acquainted with Rallapalli, a prominent actor in the Tollywood industry. With Rallapalli’s guidance, Tanikella began writing dialogues and stage scenes. Later, he pursued a diploma in Theatre Arts and, following Rallapalli’s advice relocated to Chennai.

In 1984, Tanikella Bharani commenced his career as a dialogue writer with the film Kanchu Kavachum. He went on to pen dialogues for several movies, including popular titles like Ladies Tailor (1985), Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe (1987), Varasudochhadu (1988), Chettu Kinda Pleader (1989), Swara Kalpana (1989), Shiva (1989), and Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi (2004). Notably, he also wrote and sang the lyrics of the song “Gundamma Gaari Manavadu” from the film Bhale Bhaleti Mandu.

Tanikella Bharani’s acting journey began with Ladies Tailor (1985) and Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe (1987), where he portrayed the character Dora Babu. In 1989, his role as Nanaji in the hit film Shiva, directed by Ram Gopal Varma and starring Nagarjuna, brought him widespread recognition and admiration from the Telugu audience.

Throughout his career, Tanikella Bharani has portrayed diverse roles, including a supporting role in the comedy film Bombay Priyudu (1996) and a powerful antagonist in Samudram, which earned him the Nandi Award for Best Villain. After 2000, he transitioned to more mature roles in films like Manmadhudu (2002), Okariki Okaru (2003), Samba (2004), Malliswari, Godavari (2006), and Happy (2006).

In 2012, Tanikella Bharani directed the Telugu drama Mithunam, featuring S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Lakshmi. His directorial effort in the film earned him the CineMAA Special Jury Award for Best Direction.

Tanikella Bharani has also showcased his poetic skills by writing seven devotional