Editing Chiranjeevi (section)

===1987–2007: Commercial success===
Chiranjeevi received his first [[Nandi Award for Best Actor]] for ''[[Swayamkrushi]]'' (1987), directed by K. Viswanath.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiranjeevi felicitation on Padma Bhushan honor – Telugu Cinema actor |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/chiranjeevi-felicitation.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124115444/http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/chiranjeevi-felicitation.html |archive-date=24 November 2020 |work=idlebrain.com}}</ref> ''[[Pasivadi Pranam]]'' (1987), ''[[Yamudiki Mogudu (1988 film)|Yamudiki Mogudu]]'' (1988) and ''[[Manchi Donga]]'' (1988) also did well at the box office. He co-produced and acted in ''[[Rudraveena (film)|Rudraveena]]'' (1988), which won the [[Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration]],<ref name="rve">{{cite news |last=Suresh Krishnamoorthy |date=18 August 2008 |title=From reel to real life |url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/18/stories/2008081859490400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916222222/http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/18/stories/2008081859490400.htm |archive-date=16 September 2008 |access-date=10 June 2011 |website=[[The Hindu]] |location=}}</ref> and the [[Nandi Special Jury Award]].<ref name="rve" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Govardhan |first=Maragani |date=13 January 2023 |title=బాలయ్య-చిరంజీవి నిజమైన సంక్రాంతి హీరో ఎవరు? 11 సార్లు బరిలో దిగితే పందెం గెలిచింది ఎవరు? |trans-title=Balakrishna vs Chiranjeevi: Who is Balayya-Chiranjeevi the real Sankranti hero? Who will win the bet 11 times? |url=https://telugu.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/chiranjeevi-vs-balakrishna-which-hero-got-more-successes-in-sankranti-season-121673589188275.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113072323/https://telugu.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/chiranjeevi-vs-balakrishna-which-hero-got-more-successes-in-sankranti-season-121673589188275.html |archive-date=13 January 2023 |access-date=13 January 2023 |work=Hindustan Times Telugu}}</ref> The title "Megastar" appeared for the first time in the title cards of the 1988 release ''[[Marana Mrudangam]]'', marking its association with Chiranjeevi.<ref name="rve" /> During the shoot of ''Marana Mrudangam'', Chiranjeevi was poisoned by a fan who attempted to get closer to him.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-23 |title=Chiranjeevi పై అప్పట్లో విషప్రయోగం చేయించిందెవరు? |url=https://www.chitrajyothy.com/2022/oldies/chiranjeevi-was-attacked-by-poisoning-in-1988-krkkmrgschitrajyothy-32781.html |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Chitra Jyothy |publisher=[[Andhra Jyothy]] |language=te}}</ref> The incident was recalled by Chiranjeevi in 2023, who took it lightly as an act of misguided admiration.<ref name=":32">{{Cite web |date=2023-01-13 |title=నిజమే.. 'మరణ మృదంగం' టైంలో విష ప్రయోగం జరిగింది: చిరంజీవి |url=https://vidhaatha.com/latest/chiranjeevi-about-poison-10548 |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Vidhaatha |language=te}}</ref>

He then experimented with ''[[Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari]]'' (1990), a [[fantasy film]] directed by [[K. Raghavendra Rao]] and produced by [[C. Aswani Dutt|Aswini Dutt]]. Other notable works during this period include ''[[Kondaveeti Donga]]'' (1990), released in [[70 mm film|70 mm]] format with 6-Track [[stereophonic sound]], the [[Western film|cowboy film]] ''[[Kodama Simham]]'' (1990), and the social problem [[action film]] ''[[Gang Leader]]'' (1991). These films were major box-office successes and established Chiranjeevi as the "Boss of Telugu cinema".<ref name="gang_leader">{{cite news |last=Gopalan |first=Krishna |title=Southern movie stars & politics: A long love affair |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/business-of-bollywood/southern-movie-stars-politics-a-long-love-affair/articleshow/3424194.cms |access-date=19 September 2010 |newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] |date=30 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829174116/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/business-of-bollywood/southern-movie-stars-politics-a-long-love-affair/articleshow/3424194.cms |archive-date=29 August 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1992 film ''[[Gharana Mogudu]]'' was the first South Indian and Telugu film to collect over {{Indian Rupee}}10 [[crore]] in [[Box office#Distributor rentals|distributor share]] at the box office.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite news |date=17 August 2012 |title=First Telugu film to gross 100 million |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/did-you-know/first-telugu-film-to-gross-rs-100-million/articleshow/15529887.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404140102/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/did-you-know/first-telugu-film-to-gross-rs-100-million/articleshow/15529887.cms |archive-date=4 April 2021 |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> The film was screened at the 1993 [[International Film Festival of India]] in the mainstream section.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10–20 January 1993 |title=International Film Festival of India 1993 |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm24IIFAAward.aspx?PdfName=24IIFA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006134803/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm24IIFAAward.aspx?PdfName=24IIFA.pdf |archive-date=6 October 2014 |access-date=5 October 2016 |publisher=The Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting}}</ref>

Chiranjeevi's [[Bollywood]] performances were appreciated in ''[[Pratibandh]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2627|title=Telugu Film Khaidi No.150 Has 8th Highest Opening Day in India |publisher=Box Office India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806145445/https://www.boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2627|archive-date=6 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj]]''. For his role in ''[[Aapadbandhavudu]]'' (1992), he received his second [[Nandi Award for Best Actor]] and third [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu]]. The mid-1990s saw a career dip for Chiranjeevi with box office duds such as ''[[S. P. Parasuram]]'', [[The Gentleman (1994 film)|''The Gentleman'']], [[Big Boss (film)|''Big Boss'']] and ''[[Rikshavodu]]''. There were exceptions, such as ''[[Muta Mestri]]'', which fetched him a fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; ''[[Mugguru Monagallu (1994 film)|Mugguru Monagallu]]'' and ''[[Alluda Majaka]]'' were also successful.<ref name="weekendcreations1" /> In 1996, he appeared in a guest role in the [[Kannada cinema|Kannada film]] ''[[Sipayi]]''. After a brief lull, Chiranjeevi bounced back with ''[[Hitler (1997 film)|Hitler]]'', ''[[Master (1997 film)|Master]]'', ''[[Bavagaru Bagunnara?]]'', ''[[Choodalani Vundi]]'' and ''[[Sneham Kosam]]'', for which he received his fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. In 1999, Chiranjeevi was to appear in a Hollywood production directed by Dushan Garsi, and produced by Rameshkrishna Murthi. The Telugu version was directed by [[Suresh Krissna]]. The movie, which was titled ''The Return of the Thief of Baghdad'', had its filming suspended for undisclosed reasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b833b268c|title=The Return of the Thief of Bagdad (1999)|website=BFI|access-date=13 April 2019|archive-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413224845/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b833b268c|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Chiranjeevi's new decade started with ''[[Annayya (2000 film)|Annayya]]'' (2000). After a brief gap, Chiranjeevi starred in ''[[Indra (2002 film)|Indra]]'', released in 2002, which broke all his previous box office records of [[Telugu cinema|Tollywood]] and won him his third [[Nandi Award for Best Actor]] and sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. After that, he appeared in films with an underlying message and a social cause, including ''[[Tagore (film)|Tagore]];'' ''[[Shankar Dada M.B.B.S.]]'', for which he won his seventh and latest Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; and ''[[Stalin (2006 film)|Stalin]]''. He was awarded the [[Filmfare Special Award – South]] in 2006 and the [[Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South]] at the [[58th Filmfare Awards South]] in 2011 for his contributions to the film industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Filmfare trivia: Chiranjeevi|url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/filmfare-trivia-chiranjeevi-3738.html|access-date=24 August 2021|website=filmfare.com|language=en|archive-date=24 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824062126/https://www.filmfare.com/features/filmfare-trivia-chiranjeevi-3738.html|url-status=live}}</ref>