Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi on Thursday paid tribute to the Indian film icons who inspired him during his career, stating that different actors influenced him in different aspects of performance. He was speaking at the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), organised by the central government to position India as a global hub for entertainment.
Reflecting on his early days, Chiranjeevi said, “As a child, I used to entertain my family and friends with dance. That initial interest in performance eventually led me to Chennai. By the time I entered the industry, many legendary actors were already established. I often wondered, ‘What new can I offer when there are already so many superstars?’ But I set my goal to stand out and capture attention.”
He shared that he began formal acting training in 1977 and credited Mithun Chakraborty for influencing his naturalistic acting style. “I learned to act without relying on makeup from Mithun. In terms of stunts, I drew inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan, and in dance, it was Kamal Haasan, my senior, who motivated me,” he said.
The WAVES summit, which began on Thursday, will continue for four days and features several leading personalities from the film and entertainment industry. Chiranjeevi is also a member of the event’s advisory board. Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, and others participated in the inaugural day of the summit.
