Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju (20 January 1940 – 11 September 2022) was an Indian actor and politician primarily associated with Telugu cinema. Known popularly as the Rebel Star, he had a career spanning more than four decades and acted in over 180 films. He also served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and as a Union Minister of State in the Government of India.
| Full name | Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 January 1940, Mogalthur, West Godavari district, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh) |
| Died | 11 September 2022, Hyderabad, Telangana |
| Occupation | Film actor, producer, politician |
| Years active (films) | 1966–2013 (approx.) |
| Industry | Telugu cinema |
| Nickname | Rebel Star |
| Political parties | Indian National Congress; later Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Lok Sabha constituencies | Narsapuram, Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) |
| Notable family | Prabhas (nephew), film actor |
Krishnam Raju was born into a Kshatriya (Raju) landowning family in Mogalthur, a village in West Godavari district of coastal Andhra Pradesh. He was educated in Andhra Pradesh and entered cinema in the mid-1960s, debuting with the Telugu film Chilaka Gorinka in 1966.
Krishnam Raju emerged as a leading actor in Telugu cinema during the 1970s, often cast in intense, anti-establishment and tragic roles, which earned him the title of Rebel Star. He worked across genres including mythological, social, and action dramas.
He founded the production banner Gopi Krishna Movies, under which he produced several films, including ventures that featured his nephew Prabhas in the early 2000s.
Krishnam Raju entered electoral politics in the 1990s. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Narsapuram constituency in Andhra Pradesh, initially associated with the Indian National Congress before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He later represented the Kakinada constituency in the Lok Sabha.
During the National Democratic Alliance government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he served as a Union Minister of State, holding portfolios that included Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and External Affairs at different times. He remained a prominent BJP leader in Andhra Pradesh in subsequent years.
Krishnam Raju was married to Shyamala Devi. He was the paternal uncle of actor Prabhas, who was raised closely within his household and entered films under his banner. Krishnam Raju died on 11 September 2022 at a hospital in Hyderabad following a period of illness.
Krishnam Raju is remembered as one of the principal leading men of Telugu cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, an era dominated by N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. His preference for socially charged and rebellious protagonists distinguished him from his contemporaries and influenced later generations of Telugu actors. His political career added to his public stature, making him one of the few Telugu film personalities to hold a Union ministerial position.