Actor · Telugu cinema
Uday Kiran
Uday Kiran movies: 13 Telugu films on file, 2000–2013. Earliest on file: Chitram (2000). Latest release: Jai Sriram (11 April 2013).
- Films on file
- 13 (13 as actor)
- Years on file
- 2000–2013
- Selected films on file
- Gunde Jhallumandi, Neeku Nenu Naaku Nuvvu, Manasantha Nuvve
- Record
- Q7876965 on Wikidata
Uday Kiran (born Vajapeyajula Uday Kiran; 26 June 1980 – 5 January 2014) was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Telugu cinema, with some Tamil films. His first three Telugu films, Chitram (2000), Nuvvu Nenu (2001) and Manasantha Nuvve (2001), were all successful love stories, earning him the title “Hat-trick Hero” and a lover-boy image. Nuvvu Nenu made him the youngest winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. He is still often called the “Evergreen Star” on social media.
Early life
Uday Kiran was born to Vajapeyajula K. Murthy and Nirmala of Vijayawada. He attended K V Picket School and graduated from Wesley Degree College, Secunderabad. He has an elder brother and an elder sister, Sridevi, and the singer Parnika is his cousin.
Debut and the “hat-trick”
He began modelling in college, and his first film, the Hinglish Mysterious Girl (1999), stayed unreleased for years. His Telugu debut came in 2000 under his mentor, the cinematographer-turned-director Teja, in Chitram, where he played a 17-year-old. With Nuvvu Nenu and Manasantha Nuvve that followed, he became one of very few Telugu actors to deliver three consecutive hits. His role as a hot-blooded youngster in Nuvvu Nenu won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu in 2001.
Romantic hits
In his fourth film, Kalusukovalani (2002), he showed off his dancing in songs such as “Udayinchina”, and in Sreeram he tried an action role as a young man hoping to become a top police officer. Nee Sneham (2002) was another blockbuster and brought a second Filmfare nomination. He also starred in Avunanna Kadanna (2005).
Tamil films and later work
He made his Tamil debut in K. Balachander’s Poi, and followed it with Vambu Sandai and Pen Singam, whose story was written by M. Karunanidhi; neither drew much notice. Back in Telugu he made a comeback with Viyyalavari Kayyalu (2007) and Gunde Jhallumandi (2008). Most of his later films, including Nuvvekkadunte Nenakkadunta (2012) and his last, Jai Sriram (2013), were not commercially successful, though The Times of India noted how he had transformed from a chubby lover boy into a muscular actor.
Personal life and death
Uday Kiran married Vishitha on 24 October 2012. He died in Hyderabad on 5 January 2014, at the age of 33. Many film personalities, including Venkatesh, Tanikella Bharani, Jayasudha and Sunil, paid their last respects at the Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce.
Career on file
Uday Kiran appears in 13 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 2000 to 2013. The earliest of them is Chitram (2000), and the most recent release is Jai Sriram (2013). Measured by how many Wikipedia language editions cover them, the best-known titles here are Gunde Jhallumandi (2008), Neeku Nenu Naaku Nuvvu (2003) and Manasantha Nuvve (2001). Other recent releases on file are Nuvvekaddunte Nenakkadunta (2012), Viyyalavari Kayyalu (2007) and Avunanna Kaadanna (2005).
Among directors, Teja cast Uday Kiran most often, in three films; next is V. N. Aditya (2). Music on seven of them is by R. P. Patnaik. Sumanth Art Productions produced two of them, more than any other banner on file. Across these films the credits on file name 10 different directors, 7 music directors and 28 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 4 of them; they average 144 minutes, and the longest is Gunde Jhallumandi at 150 minutes. By decade the list splits into 2000s (11) and 2010s (2). 2002 is the busiest single year, with three films.
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.