Happy Birthday Nithiin: From Jayam to Bheeshma, 7 biggest hits in the actor's career

Tollywood star Nithiin on Monday turned 37. Nithiin started his career as a young heartthrob and has since gone on to become one of the most flamboyant and exotic actors working today. For the actor who began his career with the beautiful love story Jayam, Nithiin has come a long way. He will be next seen in Venky Atluri's Rang De. Fans of the actor started trending the hashtag #HappyBirthdayNithiin and sent out birthday wishes to the star with it. The hashtag has been trending on Twitter for over 24 hours now.

For years the actor developed a great career and a solid reputation portraying truly admirable characters onscreen. On Nithiin's birthday, we bring you the seven biggest hits in the career of the young heartthrob.

Nithiin made an impressive debut with the Teja directed film Jayam in 2002 where he essayed the village youth Venkataramana who falls in love with the daughter of one of the village's heads, Sujatha. She is also his classmate and loves him so much. Their life becomes dangerous when her childhood mate enters the scene. The film resonated with quite a large number of people, making the film an instant hit. He also won Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South.

Dil, which was directed by VV Vinayak, is considered one of the biggest hits as well as first box office hits in the career of Nithiin. The film revolves around a middle-class youth Seenu, who falls in love with the daughter of a land mafia don. He fights for his love heroically with the support of students, and it has cemented the fact that he has an inherent gift for his craft. The film, which ended up making him a household name, is also famous for its soundtrack composed by RP Patnaik.

Sye is a sports action film directed by SS Rajamouli. The film went on to acquire blockbuster status at the box office. The story was based on love, action and friendship. The film's direction, sport setting, music and locales as well as upmarket publicity, made it stand out when it was released. The film stars Nithiin as a brave student, Pradhvi, with supporting roles played by Genelia D'Souza, Shashank, Pradeep Rawat, Rajiv Kanakala, Tanikella Bharani and Venu Madhav. It was one of the costliest films ever made at that time. Pradeep Rawat character is also considered to be one of the best villains in Tollywood history.

Ishq directed by Vikram Kumar went on to be regarded as a comeback vehicle for Nithiin whose performance was applauded by audiences and critics alike. The film which was filled with love opened to packed houses in 2012 and turned out to be a roaring blockbuster hit. Nithiin's portrayal as a happy-go-lucky youth Rahul, which he'd played with ease, fetched him a much-needed hit. The star cast did full justice with their respective roles. The film's music and romantic storyline were prevalent in the movie at that time.

Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde marks the directorial debut of Vikram Kumar Konda. The film was about love and sacrifice. Leading lady Nithya Menen also won Best Actress Filmfare award for her role. Nithiin's role required a range of emotions, and he stood out in every scene and kept the audiences hooked. He continued his unbeaten streak with this film which took a robust opening at the box office and continued to earn rich dividends.

A Aa is loosely based on the novel Meena written by Yaddanapudi Sulochana Ra, where the daughter of a rich and strict businesswoman, Anasuya whose life takes a turn for the better when she heads for her relative's village. The film reaffirmed Nithiin's position as the top stars of Tollywood and the songs of the movie are still a rage. What makes A Aa stand out as a feel-good family entertainer is that Nithiin is not just interested in the role itself, but the entertainer quotient involved in it.

Nithiin found his audience and delivered a solid hit with Bheeshma. With his winning smile, Nithiin has been enjoying an excellent steady run at the box office and is winning over audiences, film after film. The kind of performance he displayed in this rom-com made his fans want to come to theatres and watch it first-hand. Directed by Venky Kudumula, the film also starred Rashmika Mandanna, Jisshu Sengupta, Anant Nag, Vennela Kishore, Satya, Sampath Raj and Ajay.