Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright and director who works predominantly in

Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...

. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including some in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

; while he was also screenwriter for 52 films. He has won three Andhra Pradesh State

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

Early life

Tanikella Bharani's ancestry includes poets and literary figures of Telugu literature. Diwakarla Venkatavadhani and

Viswanatha Satyanarayana Viswanatha Satyanarayana (10 September 1885 – 18 October 1976) was a 20th-century Telugu writer. His works included poetry, novels, dramatic play, short stories and speeches, covering a wide range of subjects such as analysis of his ...

were his grand uncles.

Divakarla Tirupati Sastry Divakarla Tirupati Sastry (born 26 March 1872) was a Telugu poet and scholar. He was one of the two poets known as Tirupati Venkata Kavulu and other being Chellapilla Venkata Sastry Chellapilla Venkata Sastry (born 8 August 1870) was a Tel ...

one of the Telugu poet duo

Tirupati Venkata Kavulu Tirupati Venkata Kavulu ( Poets Tirupati & Venkata) refers to the Telugu poet duo Divakarla Tirupati Sastry (1872–1919) and Chellapilla Venkata Sastry (1870–1950). These twin poets are acclaimed as the harbingers of modern poetry in Telugu ...

was his great-grand-uncle. He is born into a

Telugu Brahmin Telugu Brahmins are Brahmin communities native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. History Origin theories According to the ''Aitareya Brahmana'' of the Rigveda, the Andhras left north India from the banks of the River Yamuna a ...

family. He is fluent in

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. He is a religious

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

who is known for singing devotional songs in praise of Sri Shiva and Devi Parvati, and propagates to his fellow

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

to not just read the ''

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...

'' but to follow what it teaches. He is also a supporter of the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

(BJP), and has endorsed current

Indian Prime Minister The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...

's previous bid for office.

Career

Bharani did stage plays in the mid 70s and during this time he made the acquaintance of Rallapalli, a Tollywood actor. With his help Bharani started writing small dialogues and stage scenes. Later, he took a diploma in Theatre arts. Following Rallapalli's advice he moved to

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. He started his career as a dialogue writer for ''Kanchu Kavachum'' in 1984 and has written dialogues for various movies like ''

Ladies Tailor ''Ladies Tailor'' is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language comedy film, produced by K. Sarada Devi under the Sri Sravanthi Movies banner, presented by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore and written and directed by Vamsy. It stars Rajendra Prasad and Archana, with ...

'' (1986), ''Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe'' (1987), ''Varasudochhadu'' (1988), ''Chettu Kinda Pleader'' (1989), ''Swara Kalpana'' (1989), '' Shiva (1989)'' and ''Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi'' (2004). He also penned and sung the lyrics of ''Gundammagaari Manavadu'' (Bhale Bhaleti Mandu). He has acted in more than 750 movies starting with ''Ladies Tailor'' (1985) & ''Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe'' (1987) in which he was seen as ''Dora Babu''. In 1989 he appeared in the hit film ''

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

'', by

Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada language ...

, which starred

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

. With the release of the film ''Shiva'', he received much recognition and his character ''Nanaji'' impressed the whole Telugu audience. He also played a supporting role in the comedy film ''

Bombay Priyudu ''Bombay Priyudu'' () is a 1996 Telugu-language romance film, starring J. D. Chakravarthy and Rambha. The film was dubbed in Tamil as ''Bombay Kadhali'' and in Hindi as ''Main Tere Pyar Mein Pagal''. The film takes its inspiration from Hindi ...

'' in 1996. His powerful antagonism in ''Samudram'' won him the

Nandi award The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...

as the Best Villain. After 2000, he started playing more mature roles in movies like '' Manmadhudu'' (2002), ''

Okariki Okaru ''Okariki Okaru'' () is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by cinematographer Rasool Ellore in his directorial debut. It stars Sriram and Aarthi Chhabria. The film was praised for the non-vulgarity and classiness carrie ...

'' (2003), ''

Samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

'' (2004), '' Malliswari'', ''

Godavari The Godavari ( IAST: ''Godāvarī'' �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakesh ...

'' (2006), and '' Happy'' (2006). He directed

Drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

'' Mithunam'' is a 2012 featuring

S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as SPB or SP Balu or Balu, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer. He is wi ...

and

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

. He received CineMAA Award Special Jury Award for Best Direction for this film. He wrote seven

devotional songs song for the album "''Nee Lona Shivudu Galudu, Na Lona Shivudu Galadu''," literally translating as "The Lord Shiva in you and the Lord Shiva in me can rule the world." He also sang the title song for Nalona sivudu galadu and Shahabash Raa Shankara which were written by him.

Personal life

He is married to Durga Bhavani in 1988. He resides in

Yousufguda Yousufguda ( te, యూసఫ్ గూడ) is a neighbourhood in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is a major residential suburb. Due to its proximity to the IT hub near Madhapur, it has become a more affordable alternative to other areas in the ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

. The couple has two children, Teja and Soundarya Lahari. Teja made his debut as an actor in the film ''Mr Lavangam'' (2012).

Awards

;

Best Villain Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

– ''Samudhram'' * Best Character Actor – ''

Nuvvu Nenu ''Nuvvu Nenu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Teja who co-wrote it with Dasaradh. The film stars Uday Kiran and Anita while Sunil, Banerjee, Tanikella Bharani, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, and Telangana Shakunta ...

'' *

Nandi Award for Best Dialogue Writer Winners The Nandi Award The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Prad ...

– '' Mithunam'' ;Literary Awards *Sri Pada Subhramanya Sastry Literary Award – '' Polamuru'' *Bhanumathi Award – ''

'' *Sri Vanamamalai Varadacharyulu Literary Award – ''

Adilabad Adilabad is a city which serves as the headquarters of Adilabad district, in the Indian state of Telangana. Telugu language, Telugu is the native language of Adilabad. Adilabad is famous for its rich cultivation of cotton. Hence, Adilabad is a ...

'' *Fellowship Jawahar Bharathi – ''

Kavali Kavali is a town in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh of India. It also serves as headquarters of Kavali mandal and Kavali revenue division.It is one of the few cities from Andhra Pradesh which were selected for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation ...

'' *Allu Ramalingayyiah National Award – ''

'' *Akkineni Swarna Kankanam – ''

'' *Nagabhairava Koteswara Rao literary Award – ''

Nellore Nellore is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of the district, as well as Nellore mandal and Nellore revenue division. It is the List of cities in ...

'' ;

CineMAA Awards The CineMAA Awards are presented annually by the Maa TV Group to honour artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Telugu Cinema. The awards were introduced in 2004. The CineMAA Awards are voted for by both the public and a commit ...

* Special Jury Award for Best Director – '' Mithunam'' (2013) ;Sangam Academy Awards *Sangam Academy award for completing Twenty five years in

Telugu Cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...

;Awards for Short Films (as a Director) *Tenth

Mumbai International Film Festival The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF) is a festival organized in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It ...

Award *

Idaho Panhandle The Idaho Panhandle—locally known as North Idaho—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shosh ...

–

Hyderabad International Film Festival The Hyderabad International Film Festival (HIFF) is a film festival in Hyderabad, India. Festival The first Hyderabad International Film Festival (HIFF) was held in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India in 2007. The Hyderabad Film Club, A.P. Film Di ...

Award for ''Sira-The Ink'' ;Lok Nayak Foundation Sahitya Puraskar *Lok Nayak Foundation Sahitya Puraskar presented to Tanikella Bharani in Visakhapatnam.

Literary works

;Books #''Parikini'' #''Nakshatra Darsanam'' #''Maathralu'' #''Endaro Mahanubavulu'' ;Plays (Drama) #''Jambu Dweepam'' #''Kokkorokko'' #''Chal Chal Gurram'' #''Gaardhabhaandam'' #''Gograhanam'' # ''Naalugo Kothi'' ;Playlets (Telugu): *''Gaardhabhanda'' *''Gograhanam'' *''Kokkoroko'' *''Chalchal Gurram'' *''Jambudweepam'' *''Grahanam Pattina Ratri'' *''Sani Grahalu'' *''Goyyi'' *''Panjaram Lo Elaka'' *''Hulakki'' ;Song compositions #"Naalona Sividu Kaladu" is a composition of 7 songs written by Bharani. #"Sabhash raa sankara!" Is composition by Bharani about the concept of Shiva. #"Naamanasu Kothi raa Raama!" ;Spiritual Books #''Aata Gadaraa Siva'' #''Sabhashuraa Sankara''

Filmography

Telugu films

;Actor ;Writer ;Dubbing artist

Tamil films

Hindi films

References

External links

* http://www.tanikellabharani.com * * http://twitter.com/TanikellaBharni {{DEFAULTSORT:Bharani, Tanikella 20th-century Indian male actors Living people 1956 births Telugu male actors Telugu comedians Telugu writers Telugu-language writers Andhra University alumni 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Indian male dramatists and playwrights Telugu-language dramatists and playwrights Male actors in Telugu cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Hindi cinema Indian male film actors Film directors from Hyderabad, India Screenwriters from Hyderabad, India Indian editors Nandi Award winners 21st-century Indian male actors Indian male comedians People from Secunderabad Male actors in Telugu theatre Telugu film directors 21st-century Indian film directors 20th-century Indian male writers 21st-century Indian male writers