Mahesh Babu

Mahesh Babu married actress Namrata Shirodkar on 10 February 2005 while he was filming Athadu. They have two children, a son named Gautam and a daughter named Sitara. Gautam portrayed a younger version of Mahesh Babu in 1: Nenokkadine, while Sitara voiced young Elsa in the Telugu dub of Frozen 2.

Mahesh Babu is the son of Telugu actor Krishna and Indira. His siblings include actor and producer Ramesh Babu, producer, director and actress Manjula, Padmavathi Galla, and Priyadarshini. Actor Sudheer Babu is married to Priyadarshini, and filmmaker and actress Vijaya Nirmala was Mahesh Babu's stepmother.

Mahesh Babu began acting at the age of four in the Telugu film Needa (1979). He later appeared as a child artist in Poratam, Sankharavam, Bazaar Rowdy, Mugguru Kodukulu, Gudachari 117, Koduku Diddina Kapuram, Bala Chandrudu and Anna Thammudu. His father, Krishna, encouraged him to take a break from acting in 1990 to concentrate on his studies.

He made his lead-acting debut in Rajakumarudu (1999), opposite Preity Zinta, and won the Nandi Award for Best Male Debut. His early breakthrough came with Murari (2001), for which he received a Nandi Special Jury Award, followed by the action film Okkadu (2003). His performance in Okkadu earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor, Telugu, while Nijam brought him his first Nandi Award for Best Actor.

Mahesh Babu strengthened his position in Telugu cinema with Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Dookudu (2011), Businessman (2012) and Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013). Pokiri became a major landmark in his career, and he won a Filmfare Award for Best Actor, Telugu, for the film. Dookudu earned him Filmfare, Nandi and SIIMA awards for Best Actor.

In Srimanthudu (2015), Mahesh Babu played Harsha Vardhan and co-produced the film through G. Mahesh Babu Entertainment. He later appeared in Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), playing a chief minister, and Maharshi (2019). The farming theme in Maharshi helped inspire weekend-farming activity and an agriculture challenge. His 2020 film Sarileru Neekevvaru became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time.

Mahesh Babu starred in Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022), which received mixed reviews while his performance and comic timing were praised. In the same year, he produced Major, a film based on the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He also provided the narrator's voice for Acharya (2022).

He reunited with director Trivikram Srinivas for Guntur Kaaram (2024), their third collaboration after Athadu and Khaleja. The film received mostly negative reviews, although Mahesh Babu's performance and his appearance in the song "Kurchi Madathapetti" were widely appreciated.

Mahesh Babu established the Mahesh Babu Foundation to support underprivileged children and communities. Its work includes funding congenital heart surgeries, providing scholarships, and improving facilities in adopted villages. The foundation has supported schools, libraries, roads, drainage systems, computer labs and medical programmes in Burripalem in Andhra Pradesh and Siddhapuram in Telangana.

He also co-runs Heal A Child with Andhra Hospitals and Rainbow Hospitals. The organisation provides financial support for the medical treatment of seriously ill children. Mahesh Babu has served as a goodwill ambassador for Heal A Child and supported the End Corona Campaign, a public awareness initiative focused on COVID-19 vaccination.

Mahesh Babu has received Nandi Awards, Filmfare Awards South, SIIMA Awards, CineMAA Awards, Santosham Film Awards and an IIFA Utsavam Award. His honours include nine Nandi Awards, five Filmfare Awards South and four SIIMA Awards.

He has also been recognised outside award ceremonies. In 2019, a wax statue of Mahesh Babu was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Singapore, making him the first Telugu actor to receive a statue there. He has been referred to in the media as "Superstar" and "Prince Mahesh Babu".