Telugu Actor Par Excellence Giri Babu Receives Sakshi’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Yerra Seshagiri Rao popularly known as Giri Babu is a well known name in the Telugu film industry for playing negative roles. He wore many hats —  hero, villain, comedian, character artist, producer and director. He is a multifaceted artist on the silver screen. Giri Babu is a rare breed of film celebrity who has succeeded in everything he did and earned accolades too. It’s only with his passion and efforts, Giri Babu was able to reach these heights in his career. 

From NTR to ANR and Chiranjeevi to Nagarjuna, Giri Babu is one such actor who has essayed the role of a villain in the films of three generations of top actors. Yarra Seshagiri Rao was born on June 8, 1943 in a middle-class farmer's family in Ravinuthala village of Prakasam district. The life and efforts of Giri Babu is an inspiration for today's generation.  

Giri Babu made his film debut with 'Jagame Maya' released in 1973. He launched the Jayabheri Art Pictures so he can make films to suit his own passion. In 1977, he became a producer with the first full-fledged black-and-white cinemascope Telugu film Devathalara Deevinchandi. 10 films like 'Simha Garjana', 'Muddu - Muchatta', 'Sandhya Ragam', 'Merupudadi' and 'Ranarangam' have been produced under various banners. During his five-decade-long film career, Giri Babu has played multiple roles in more than 600 films in several languages. 

An actor par excellence who had a unique body language and distinct voice which made him stand out among the legions of actors. Initially, Giri Babu was doing villain roles, then he switched to comic roles and later he was doing dignified roles. He won many hearts by his brilliant acting in various film genres like social, historical, mythological and folk films. 

Giri Babu, who has worked with all the top actors in Tollywood, has directed films like 'Ranarangam', 'Indrajith' and 'Nee Sukhame Ne Korukunna'. He is a good storyteller who has an understanding of contemporary society. Because of his passion for cinema, he has written stories for his own films. Giri Babu's younger son Bose Babu has tried his hand at acting in a few films. While the eldest son Raghu Babu followed his father's footsteps and today he is a complete actor. 

Giri Babu has experimented with unconventional, off-mainstream choices in films. Recognising his long-standing contribution to Telugu the film industry, the Sakshi Media Group is honouring the great actor with a Lifetime Achievement Award on the golden jubilee of his film career.