In our Telugu Cinema Industry most of our heroes have decided to play the role of an action hero who thrashes the goons black and blue the minute they try to cross his path. Well, in such an action friendly neighbourhood several actors tried to bring in a new dimension with the attire of a Brahmin, most precisely a priestly young man in their films to add a healthy dose of comedy as well. As Allu Arjun’s Brahmin cook avatar film, Duvvada Jagannadam is gearing up for a release, let’s look at the other actors who donned the role of a priest or a agraharam Brahmin person, in the films.
Achari America Yatra – Manchu VishnuWell, Manchu Vishnu has made comedy his c/o address these days, as his movies featuring good dose off comedy like Dhee, Denikaina Ready have become successful at the box office. The actor donned the priest role for few sequences in the movie, Dhenikaina Ready and now, he is doing it for a full length in his next film, Achari America Yatra in the direction of G. Nageshwar Reddy with Brahmanandam.
Duvvada Jagannadam – Allu ArjunWell this movie is releasing this Friday and as we’re trying to make a comprehensive list for the future purposes adding this movie here is also valid we suppose. In the movie, Allu Arjun will be seen in a full length character as Brahmin cook and a young man belonging to a agraharam family that took priest hood as a profession.
Adhurs – Jr. NTRin Adhurs, for the first time, Jr. NTR showed what he can do within the commercial space and he entertained each and every one in the audience with his comic yet bold Narasimha Chari role. The comedy scenes from the movie have become so iconic that when Allu Arjun announced that he will be playing a Brahmin cook in his next movie, everyone looked to compare him with Jr. NTR.
Dasavatharam/ Michael Madana Kama Raju – Kamal HasanKamal Hasan is a Legend in acting and when he announced he will be acting in ten roles in a film, Dasavataram, everyone did not think is it possible to him but started how well will he fit into those characters and how many will he make iconic. Well, from the movie within the first ten minutes he gave us a remarkable character Srinivasa Nambi. As the priest who believes only in Vishnu he gave the core emotional content for the movie within the first reel. Also, the actor showed a more comic version of a Brahmin cook from Agraharam in his comic caper, Michael Madana Kama Raju as Kameshwara Sastry. The movie and his performance are still iconic!
Pandurangadu – Nandamuri BalakrishnaIn the devotional movie, Pandurangadu, a remake of his father’s Panduranga Mahatyam, Balakrishna decided to don two roles as Lord Sri Krishna and the Brahmin devotee, Panduranga.
Mugguru Monagallu – Megastar ChiranjeeviWe all know the comic timing of Megastar Chiranjeevi and with Brahmanandam for company he has some great comic moments that Telugu Cinema has ever produced. Some of those belong to his movie Mugguru Monagallu, where he appeared in a triple role and one of them is Dathatreya, an agraharam Brahmin young man who teaches dance.
Annamayya/Sri Ramadasu – Akkineni NagarjunaAkkineni Nagarjuna in his movies has always tried to innovate and provide good entertainment to his fans and supporters. In the series of his classics, Annamayya and Sri Ramdasu, the devotional epics occupy the first place and in both the movies, Nagarjuna acted as a Brahmin young man who becomes a devotee. While in Annamayya he is a priest too, in Sri Ramadasu even though he belongs to a priestly family becomes the Tahasildar for Bhadrachalam due to his clever tactical way of solving problems.
Aparichitudu – VikramIn the movie, Aparichitudu, Vikram acted as Ramanujam who trusts the mythological Garuda Purana to the heart and due to his mistrust on the society develops a psychological disease, split personality. In the movie, Vikram as Ramu, Remo and Aparichitudu showed his full class as an actor!
Vipranarayana/Chakradhari – Akkineni Nageswara RaoBefore, Nagarjuna took over the devotional movie space, his father, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and his counterpart, Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao has become part of devotional masterpieces. Among the many, Akkineni has become synonymous with devotees roles while NTR became synonymous for King and God roles. ANR acted as Vipranarayana early in his career with Bhanumathi and for the first time, showed his full range of acting talent during the time. After that in many movies like Bhakta Jayadeva, Bhakta Thukaram he turned into a poet cum devotee but it is in Chakradhari where he once again donned the role of a priest.
Panduranga Mahatyam – Nandamuri Taraka RamaraoNTR is known mostly for his performances in aggressive roles and the clever yet mischievous Lord Sri Krishna and slow talking Lord Rama roles but he did act as a devotee too. Ravana Brahma is also Brahmin according to Puranas and in Bhookailas and Sri Seethuramula Kalyanam he acted as Ravana Bhrama. But as a devotee and full length normal Brahmin youth, he acted in the movie Panduranga Mahatyam. in the classical saga of a man finding his solace in the embrace of his parents after committing many mistakes, he aced.
Also, Rajasekhar in the movie Ohm directed by Upendra, Allari Naresh in the movie, Seema Sastri and Sobhan Babu in the movie, Devalayam have donned the role of Brahmin youth/priests!