Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda has been featured in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list. Deverakonda is also the only actor on the list which features YouTuber Prajakta Koli and singer Meghna Mishra among others.
Deverakonda rose to fame with his 2016 film Pelli Choopulu. But it was 2017's Arjun Reddy that turned his fortunes around. A massive box office success, the film is also being remade into Hindi with Shahid Kapoor in the lead. Deverekonda's romantic comedy Geeta Govindam, was another box office hit that even surpassed the lifetime box office collection of Arjun Reddy. Last year, he also made his Tamil debut with NOTA, a political thriller.
Deverakonda, who is working on his next film, Dear Comrade, took to social media to share an anecdote that defines his journey. He recalled how his bank account was locked for not maintaining a minimum balance of Rs 500, when he was 25. “Dad said settle before 30 - That way you can enjoy your success when you are young and parents are healthy. 4 years later - Forbes Celebrity 100, Forbes 30 under 30,” he said.
Deverakonda's rise in the Telugu film industry is being keenly watched considering he is one of the few Telugu stars with no industry godfathers.