Rajendra Prasad
A Telugu film actor known for comedy and family films, with more than 286 films over four decades and eight Nandi awards, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad has spent nearly fifty years making Telugu audiences laugh. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Andhra Pradesh [1].
Engineer to actor
He was born on 15 April 1955 in Patamata Lanka, Krishna district, into a farming family; his father was a schoolteacher [2]. He earned a first-class degree in ceramic engineering, then chose acting instead, joining a film institute in Chennai where he won a gold medal for acting and mime [2]. He decided early to focus on comedy [2].
Four decades of films
Since his debut in 1977 he has acted in more than 286 films in six languages [2]. He is known for family dramas, films with a social message and comedy, and he also mimes, plays the harmonium and sitar, sings and composes [2]. He has won eight Nandi awards from the Andhra Pradesh government, and the poet C. Narayana Reddy gave him the title “Nata Kireeti” [2]. Andhra University made him the youngest recipient of its Kala Prapoorna honorary doctorate, at 43 [2].
In 2015 he was elected president of the Movie Artists Association [2].
Off screen
He pays school fees for poor children, supports orphanages, and has donated a guest house at Tirumala, Rajendra Prasaadam [2]. Through his Nata Kala Vedika he trains young people in Telugu verse theatre [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Rajendra Prasad — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
Last updated . First draft prepared with AI assistance; reviewed and fact-checked by a person before publishing. Report a correction