Waves Summit 2025: From Mrigayaa to Sholay: Chiranjeevi talks about his acting influences and the stars who inspired him
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Chiranjeevi needs no introduction, he is a legend in his own right and has inspired an entire generation of actors. But not many know who inspired him to become an actor and survive in the industry. Speaking at the Waves Summit 2025, Chiranjeevi opened up about his early influences. He was seated alongside Mohanlal and Hema Malini and was interviewed by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar.
Chiranjeevi's speech at Waves Summit goes viral
When the Waqt and Pad Man actor asked Chiranjeevi who inspired him when he entered the film industry, the megastar responded, “When I was learning acting in Chennai, I watched Mithun Chakraborty’s Mrigayaa, and I learned the importance of keeping things real. At that time, big stars like NTR and ANR were already dominating the industry. That’s when I asked myself, ‘How can I be different from the rest?’ and I came up with a unique plan,” he shared.
You @KChiruTweets are the flag bearer of the Telugu cinema- @akshaykumar 🥺❤️🔥🔥#Chiranjeevi #BossRaBachhas pic.twitter.com/Sa2Z38dftO
— Lord Shiv🥛 (@lordshivom) May 1, 2025
Chiranjeevi, known for hits like Tagore and Anji, also revealed that he was deeply influenced by Amitabh Bachchan’s performance in Sholay, which inspired him to perform his own stunts. “I loved Kamal Haasan’s dancing and drew inspiration from him. Eventually, I created my style in many aspects, which people appreciated,” he added. “When it comes to perseverance, I learned from Mohanlal and Mammootty, who stayed in the game for decades and eventually rose to become massive stars in their own right.”
After consecutive setbacks with Acharya and Bholaa Shankar, Chiranjeevi has now pinned his hopes on his upcoming film Vishwambhara, directed by Vassishta of Bimbisara fame.
Allu Arjun hails Chiranjeevi as his inspiration
The Waves Summit 2025 was a star-studded affair, with the who’s who of the Indian film industry in attendance. Among them was Allu Arjun, who also shared his inspiration. The Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo star said that his uncle Chiranjeevi was the sole reason he aspired to become a star in the Telugu film industry.
With so many actors citing Chiranjeevi as their inspiration, it’s refreshing to learn about the icons who once inspired the megastar himself.
