Chiranjeevi named Indian Film Personality of the Year at 53rd IFFI

PANAJI: The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India on Sunday honoured superstar Chiranjeevi with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur made the announcement at the IFFI opening ceremony here.

In his film career spanning more than four decades, Chiranjeevi has starred in more than 150 feature films in Telugu, as well as some in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada.

One of the most prominent artists in Telugu cinema, the veteran actor is known for his zestful dance performances and powerful fight sequences in films such as "Gharana Mogudu", "Khaidi", "Indra", and "Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy", among others.

In 2008, Chiranjeevi founded the Praja Rajyam Party and went on to become an MLA. He later merged his political party with the Indian National Congress and became a Rajya Sabha member.

He served as the Union minister of tourism from 2012 and 2014.

The 67-year-old actor was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2006 for his contribution to Indian cinema.

Chiranjeevi was last seen on the big screen in this year's action blockbuster "Godfather", which also featured superstar Salman Khan in a special appearance.