Mahesh Babu Biography: Age, Wife, Children, Movies and Latest News
Mahesh Babu (born 9 August 1975) is an Indian actor, producer and entrepreneur who works in Telugu cinema. Known to fans as “Prince” and “Superstar,” he is the son of legendary actor Krishna and has won nine Nandi Awards and five Filmfare Awards South. His next film is S. S. Rajamouli’s global adventure Varanasi, releasing on 7 April 2027.
Mahesh Babu Latest News (October 2026)
- 7 April 2027: Varanasi, directed by S. S. Rajamouli and co-starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, has an officially confirmed release date. It is Mahesh Babu’s first film with Rajamouli and one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.
- 2026: Shooting of Varanasi continued through the year, with Rajamouli releasing teasers of Mahesh Babu’s look in the film.
- April 2025: The Enforcement Directorate summoned him for questioning in a case involving real estate firms he had endorsed, Sai Surya Developers and the Surana Group.
Mahesh Babu Profile, Age and Wiki
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu |
| Nicknames | Prince, Superstar |
| Profession | Actor, producer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Murari, Okkadu, Athadu, Pokiri, Dookudu, Srimanthudu, Maharshi |
| Career | |
| Child artist debut | Needa (1979) |
| Lead debut | Rajakumarudu (1999) |
| Breakthrough | Okkadu (2003) |
| Production company | G. Mahesh Babu Entertainment |
| Business | AMB Cinemas (multiplexes in Hyderabad and Bengaluru) |
| Major awards | 9 Nandi Awards; 5 Filmfare Awards South; 4 SIIMA Awards |
| Next film | Varanasi, 7 April 2027 |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of birth | 9 August 1975 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 51 years |
| Birthplace | Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Nationality | Indian |
| School | St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai |
| College | Loyola College, Chennai (B.Com) |
| Relationships and Family | |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Namrata Shirodkar (former actress, Miss India 1993), married 10 February 2005 in Mumbai |
| Children | One son (Gautam) and one daughter (Sitara)
|
| Father | Krishna (actor; died 15 November 2022) |
| Mother | Indira Devi (died September 2022) |
| Siblings | Elder brother Ramesh Babu (died January 2022); sisters Padmavathi, Manjula and Priyadarsini |
Mahesh Babu Early Life, Family and Education
Mahesh Babu was born on 9 August 1975 in Madras (now Chennai) to Telugu superstar Krishna and his first wife, Indira Devi. He is the fourth of five children: his elder brother Ramesh Babu was an actor and producer, and his sisters are Padmavathi, Manjula (an actress and producer) and Priyadarsini. Actor Sudheer Babu is married to Priyadarsini, and Galla Jayadev, the industrialist and former MP, is married to Padmavathi.
He grew up in Chennai, studying at St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School and earning a B.Com from Loyola College. As a child, he acted in eight films between 1979 and 1990, several alongside his father, including Koduku Diddina Kapuram (1989), where he played a dual role. He then stepped away from films to finish his education.
2022 was a year of great loss for the family. His brother Ramesh Babu died in January, his mother Indira Devi in September, and his father Krishna on 15 November 2022.
Mahesh Babu Career
Debut and rise (1999–2005)
Mahesh Babu returned to films as a lead actor in K. Raghavendra Rao’s Rajakumarudu (1999), which won him the Nandi Award for Best Male Debut. Krishna Vamsi’s family drama Murari (2001) earned praise for his performance, and Gunasekhar’s action film Okkadu (2003) became a huge hit that made him one of Telugu cinema’s leading stars. Trivikram Srinivas’s stylish thriller Athadu (2005) added to his reputation and remains a television favourite.
Pokiri and superstardom (2006–2015)
Puri Jagannadh’s Pokiri (2006), in which he played an undercover police officer, became the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time and was remade in several languages, including the Hindi film Wanted. After a few quieter years, he returned to the top with the action comedy Dookudu (2011), followed by Businessman (2012) and the family drama Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) with Venkatesh.
Koratala Siva’s Srimanthudu (2015), about a rich heir who adopts his father’s village, was a blockbuster and the first film from his own production house. It inspired a real-life movement of people adopting villages.
Message films and mass hits (2016–2024)
He reunited with Koratala Siva for the political drama Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), playing a young chief minister. Maharshi (2019), about a tech CEO who returns to help farmers, won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. He followed it with Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), a major Sankranti hit co-starring Rashmika Mandanna, Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022) and Trivikram’s Guntur Kaaram (2024).
Varanasi with Rajamouli (2024–present)
After Guntur Kaaram, Mahesh Babu began his long-awaited collaboration with S. S. Rajamouli, director of Baahubali and RRR. Known during production as SSMB29, the film was titled Varanasi and is a globe-trotting action adventure co-starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The release is set for 7 April 2027.
Mahesh Babu Movies List
| Year | Film | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Needa | Child artist |
| 1999 | Rajakumarudu | Lead debut; Nandi Best Male Debut |
| 2001 | Murari | |
| 2003 | Okkadu | Breakthrough |
| 2005 | Athadu | |
| 2006 | Pokiri | Record-breaking blockbuster |
| 2011 | Dookudu | |
| 2012 | Businessman | |
| 2013 | Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu | With Venkatesh |
| 2015 | Srimanthudu | First home production |
| 2018 | Bharat Ane Nenu | |
| 2019 | Maharshi | National Award, Best Popular Film |
| 2020 | Sarileru Neekevvaru | With Rashmika Mandanna |
| 2022 | Sarkaru Vaari Paata | |
| 2024 | Guntur Kaaram | |
| 2027 | Varanasi | Releases 7 April 2027 |
Mahesh Babu Awards and Honours
- Nandi Awards – nine, including Best Male Debut (Rajakumarudu) and Best Actor for films such as Okkadu, Athadu, Dookudu and Srimanthudu
- Filmfare Awards South – five
- SIIMA Awards – four
- Two Gaddar Telangana Film Awards and three CineMAA Awards
Mahesh Babu Wife and Personal Life
Mahesh Babu met Namrata Shirodkar, a former Miss India and Hindi film actress, on the set of Vamsi (2000). They married on 10 February 2005 in Mumbai, and Namrata stepped away from acting. She now manages his business and charity work. The couple have two children: son Gautam, born in 2006, and daughter Sitara, born in 2012. The family lives in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
Mahesh Babu Business and Charity Work
Outside films, Mahesh Babu has built several businesses. His production house, G. Mahesh Babu Entertainment, co-produced Srimanthudu and the Hindi-Telugu war biopic Major (2022). In 2018 he opened AMB Cinemas, a seven-screen luxury multiplex in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, in partnership with Asian Group, and later added a nine-screen multiplex in Bengaluru. He is also one of the most in-demand brand ambassadors in South India.
Through the Mahesh Babu Foundation, run with Rainbow Children’s Hospital, he has funded heart surgeries for well over a thousand children from poor families. Inspired by Srimanthudu, he adopted Burripalem, his father’s native village in Andhra Pradesh, and Siddhapuram in Telangana, supporting schools, roads and health facilities there.
Mahesh Babu’s Screen Image and Fan Following
Mahesh Babu inherited the “Superstar” title from his father, Krishna, and has one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in Telugu cinema. Unlike many stars of his generation, he has built his career almost entirely on original stories and has said he prefers not to do remakes. His on-screen image combines a calm, understated style with sharp dialogue delivery, and directors often build films around his trademark one-liners and his famously youthful looks.
His films are a fixture of the Sankranti festival season, when Okkadu, Businessman, Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, Sarileru Neekevvaru and Guntur Kaaram all released. He is known for separating work and family life: after finishing each film he usually takes a holiday abroad with Namrata and the children before starting the next. With Varanasi, a Rajamouli film planned for audiences around the world, he is set to make his biggest move yet beyond the Telugu market.
Lesser-Known Facts About Mahesh Babu
- He acted in eight films as a child before taking a break to complete his studies.
- He grew up in Chennai and has said he is more fluent in Tamil than many people expect.
- Pokiri was remade in Hindi as Wanted (2009) with Salman Khan.
- Srimanthudu encouraged many people in real life to adopt villages.
- Varanasi is his first film with director S. S. Rajamouli.
Related Biographies
- Rashmika Mandanna Biography – co-star in Sarileru Neekevvaru
- Jr NTR Biography
- Allu Arjun Biography
- Prabhas Biography
- Priyanka Chopra Biography – co-star in Varanasi
- More stars: Tollywood biographies
Mahesh Babu FAQs
How old is Mahesh Babu?
Mahesh Babu was born on 9 August 1975, so he is 51 years old in 2026.
Who is Mahesh Babu’s wife?
He is married to former actress and Miss India 1993 Namrata Shirodkar. They married on 10 February 2005 in Mumbai.
How many children does Mahesh Babu have?
He has two children: a son, Gautam, and a daughter, Sitara.
What is Mahesh Babu’s next movie?
His next film is Varanasi, directed by S. S. Rajamouli, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. It releases on 7 April 2027.
Who is Mahesh Babu’s father?
His father was the legendary Telugu actor Krishna, who died on 15 November 2022.
What was Mahesh Babu’s first movie as a hero?
His first film as a lead actor was Rajakumarudu (1999). He had acted as a child in films such as Needa (1979).
Does Mahesh Babu own a theatre?
Yes. He co-owns AMB Cinemas, with multiplexes in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, in partnership with Asian Group.
Who are Mahesh Babu’s siblings?
He has an elder brother, the late Ramesh Babu, and three sisters: Padmavathi, Manjula and Priyadarsini. Actor Sudheer Babu is married to Priyadarsini.