Happy Birthday Venkatesh Daggubati: Five Rib-Tickling Films of Tollywood’s ‘Victory’ Hero

Venkatesh Daggubati is celebrating his 60th birthday on Sunday (December 13) and taking the special occasion into account, his fans have flooded social media with tweets and hashtags. Fondly known as the ‘Victory’ hero due to his high success ratio at the box-office, the actor is among the few stars of Telugu cinema who reinvented themselves by playing a variety of roles across different genres.Unlike his contemporaries, Venkatesh never craved for commercial potboilers which can easily escalate his craze and remuneration. Instead, he opted for content-driven subjects and family entertainers to create an everlasting bond with the regional audience. His impeccable comedy timing and flawless emoting skills made him a favourite among ladies and families.
With consistent box-office successes during the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s, Venkatesh cemented his place as one among the top four pillars of Telugu cinema along with Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, and Nagarjuna. After bouncing back to top form with the stupendous success of ‘F2: Fun & Frustration’, Venkatesh is occupied with Narappa, the Telugu remake of Asuran. The teaser of the rustic-actioner which was released the other day showed him in a fierce avatar with a sickle in hand. On Venky’s birthday, check out his five rib-tickling films which will make you ROFL.
Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu (1996)
Directed by late filmmaker EVV Satyanarayana, Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu portrayed Venkatesh as a funny husband struggling between two wives in the same house. Loaded with hilarious one-liners, rib-tickling comedy scenes, emotional sequences and foot-tapping songs, the family entertainer registered a phenomenal success at the ticket counters. The film was the remake of Tamil film Thaikulame Thaikulame.

Nuvvu Naaku Nachav (2001)
When we talk about romantic comedies in Telugu cinema, Venkatesh’s ‘Nuvvu Naaku Nachav’ will certainly grab a spot in the top list. Directed by K Vijaya Bhaskar, the romantic-comedy generated truckloads of laughter inside the theaters and is continuing to entertain the audience on the small screen. While Trivikram Srinivas’ hilarious dialogues packed a big punch with the viewers, Venkatesh stole the show with his impeccable comic timing in the protagonist’s role of Venkateshwarlu. He was perfectly supported by a bunch of talented actors which include Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam, Sunil and MS Narayana. Aarthi Agarwal got introduced to Telugu cinema with this film.

Malliswari (2004)
Malliswari continued from where Nuvvu Naaku Nachav left in terms of comedy. Starring Bollywood bombshell Katrina Kaif as the leading lady, the Vijaya Bhaskar directorial showcased Venky in the hilarious role of Pelli Kani Prasad. With solid assistance from talented comedians like Sunil and Brahmanandam, the senior actor dominated the proceedings in the romantic-drama. Katrina delivered a visual treat to the masses by flaunting her alluring beauty in songs.

Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule (2007)

Along with comedy and the emotional part, Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verrule received a fabulous response among the family audience owing to the flawless performances of Venkatesh, Trisha and Kota Srinivasa Rao. The senior hero pulled off the complex role of Ganesh with aplomb and his comedy timing with Kota and K Vishwanath’s family will leave you in splits.
F2: Fun & Frustration (2019)
Released in 2019, F2 turned out to be a massive hit by accumulating a worldwide share of over Rs 100 crore at the box-office. Venkatesh bounced back big to his forte of comedy and impressed right from the word go with his trademark expressions and superb comic timing. Along with his impeccable act, the glamour show by Tamannaah and Mehreen worked big time for the hilarious entertainer. Recently, F2 was selected as the only Telugu film to be awarded by the Government of India under Indian Panorama. The comedy entertainer directed by Anil Ravipudi has bagged the national honour in the Feature Film segment.