Naga Chaitanya Biography: Age, Wife, Family, Movies, Vrushakarma & Latest News
Naga Chaitanya (born 23 November 1986) is an Indian actor and entrepreneur who works mainly in Telugu cinema. The son of actor Nagarjuna and the grandson of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, he debuted in Josh (2009) and is known for Ye Maaya Chesave, Manam, Premam, Majili, Love Story and Thandel, his highest-grossing film. He is married to actress Sobhita Dhulipala. His next film, the mystical thriller Vrushakarma, releases on 4 December 2026.
Naga Chaitanya Latest News (October 2026)
- Vrushakarma on 4 December 2026: The makers marked the 50-day countdown with a new poster of Chaitanya holding a grappling hook. Directed by Karthik Varma Dandu of Virupaksha fame and produced by BVSN Prasad, it is described as a mystical thriller and is his costliest film so far.
- Cast and crew: Meenakshi Chaudhary plays the female lead, Laapataa Ladies actor Sparsh Shrivastava makes his Telugu debut as the villain, and Ajaneesh Loknath composes the music.
- After Thandel: Vrushakarma is his first release since Thandel (2025), which became the biggest hit of his career and won him the Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Actor.
Naga Chaitanya Profile, Age and Wiki
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Akkineni Naga Chaitanya |
| Nickname | Chay |
| Profession | Actor, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Ye Maaya Chesave, Manam, Premam, Majili, Love Story, Thandel |
| Career | |
| Debut film | Josh (2009) |
| Hindi debut | Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) |
| Tamil debut | Custody (2023) |
| Web debut | Dhootha (Prime Video, 2023) |
| Highest grosser | Thandel (2025) |
| Upcoming | Vrushakarma (4 December 2026) |
| Businesses | Shoyu and Scuzi (cloud kitchens); Hyderabad Blackbirds (motorsport team) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of birth | 23 November 1986 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 39 years |
| Birthplace | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Nationality | Indian |
| School | Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and AMM School, Chennai |
| College | St. Mary’s College, Hyderabad; acting training in Mumbai and Los Angeles |
| Relationships and Family | |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Sobhita Dhulipala (m. 4 December 2024) |
| Former wife | Samantha Ruth Prabhu (m. 2017, separated 2021) |
| Father | Nagarjuna Akkineni, actor |
| Mother | Lakshmi Daggubati |
| Half-brother | Akhil Akkineni, actor |
| Grandfathers | Akkineni Nageswara Rao; D. Ramanaidu |
Naga Chaitanya Early Life, Family and Education
Naga Chaitanya was born in Hyderabad to actor Nagarjuna and Lakshmi Daggubati, the daughter of producer D. Ramanaidu. That makes him part of both the Akkineni and Daggubati film families: Akkineni Nageswara Rao and D. Ramanaidu were his grandfathers, actor Venkatesh is his maternal uncle and Rana Daggubati is his cousin. His parents divorced in 1990, and his half-brother, Akhil Akkineni, is also an actor.
He spent his school years in Chennai, studying at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and AMM School, and later attended St. Mary’s College in Hyderabad. To prepare for films, he took an acting course in Mumbai and trained further in Los Angeles.
Naga Chaitanya Career
Josh and Ye Maaya Chesave (2009–2012)
Chaitanya made his debut with Vasu Varma’s action drama Josh (2009), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South. His breakthrough came a year later with Gautham Vasudev Menon’s romance Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), opposite Samantha, which earned him a Filmfare Best Actor nomination and remains a cult favourite. Sukumar’s 100% Love (2011) was another hit.
Manam and Premam (2013–2017)
He had a commercial success with the action film Tadakha (2013) and then appeared in Manam (2014), the much-loved family film that brought together three generations of the Akkineni family, including his father and grandfather. Chandoo Mondeti’s Premam (2016), a Telugu remake of the Malayalam hit, was well received, and Rarandoi Veduka Chudham (2017) was also successful.
Majili, Love Story and New Languages (2019–2024)
Shiva Nirvana’s emotional drama Majili (2019), with Samantha, and Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), with Sai Pallavi, were two of his most praised performances. He co-starred with his father in Bangarraju (2022) and made his Hindi debut as Balaraju in Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha (2022). He made his Tamil debut with Custody (2023) and his streaming debut with Vikram K. Kumar’s supernatural series Dhootha (2023) on Prime Video, which drew strong reviews. In the series, he plays a journalist whose life begins to mirror eerie newspaper clippings, and it reunited him with Vikram K. Kumar, the director of Manam. The series was widely praised for its writing and his performance.
Thandel and Vrushakarma (2025–2026)
Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel (2025), a love story set against the arrest of Indian fishermen at sea, reunited him with Sai Pallavi and became the highest-grossing film of his career. It won him the Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Actor. His next film, Vrushakarma, is a big-budget mystical thriller from Virupaksha director Karthik Varma Dandu, releasing on 4 December 2026.
Naga Chaitanya Movies List (Selected)
| Year | Film / Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Josh | Debut; Filmfare Best Male Debut – South |
| 2010 | Ye Maaya Chesave | Breakthrough, with Samantha |
| 2011 | 100% Love | Directed by Sukumar |
| 2013 | Tadakha | Action hit |
| 2014 | Manam | With Nagarjuna and ANR |
| 2016 | Premam | Romantic drama |
| 2017 | Rarandoi Veduka Chudham | Family entertainer |
| 2019 | Majili | With Samantha |
| 2021 | Love Story | With Sai Pallavi |
| 2022 | Bangarraju | With Nagarjuna |
| 2022 | Laal Singh Chaddha | Hindi debut |
| 2023 | Custody | Tamil debut |
| 2023 | Dhootha | Prime Video series |
| 2025 | Thandel | Highest-grossing film |
| 2026 | Vrushakarma | Releasing 4 December 2026 |
Awards and Honours
- Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South for Josh.
- Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Actor for Thandel.
- Filmfare Best Actor – Telugu nomination for Ye Maaya Chesave.
Naga Chaitanya Personal Life
Chaitanya married actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, his co-star in Ye Maaya Chesave, in 2017. The couple announced their separation in 2021 and later divorced. He married actress Sobhita Dhulipala on 4 December 2024 in Hyderabad. Vrushakarma is set to release on their second wedding anniversary.
He is a well-known car and bike enthusiast and owns the motorsport team Hyderabad Blackbirds. He also runs the cloud kitchen brands Shoyu and Scuzi and endorses several brands.
The Akkineni–Daggubati Family
Naga Chaitanya belongs to one of the largest film families in Telugu cinema. On his father’s side are his grandfather Akkineni Nageswara Rao, his father Nagarjuna, his stepmother, actress Amala Akkineni, his half-brother Akhil Akkineni and his cousins, actors Sumanth and Sushanth. On his mother’s side are his grandfather, producer D. Ramanaidu, his uncles, producer D. Suresh Babu and actor Venkatesh, and his cousin Rana Daggubati. His wife, Sobhita Dhulipala, is also an actress, known for Made in Heaven and The Night Manager.
Vrushakarma: What We Know
Vrushakarma is described by its makers as a mystical thriller and is Chaitanya’s most expensive film to date. It is directed by Karthik Varma Dandu, whose Virupaksha (2023) was a surprise horror hit, and produced by BVSN Prasad under Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra. Meenakshi Chaudhary plays the female lead, Sparsh Shrivastava plays the antagonist, and Ajaneesh Loknath composes the music. A poster released for the 50-day countdown shows Chaitanya holding a grappling hook, hinting at an action-adventure tone. The film releases on 4 December 2026.
Why Naga Chaitanya Stands Out
Coming from two film dynasties, Chaitanya could have relied on mass action films, but his best work has come in grounded romances and dramas like Ye Maaya Chesave, Majili and Love Story. He has steadily widened his range with a Hindi film, a Tamil film and a horror web series. With Thandel, he finally delivered a major box-office success, and Vrushakarma is his biggest bet yet.
Lesser-Known Facts About Naga Chaitanya
- He trained in acting in Los Angeles before his debut.
- Both his grandfathers, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and D. Ramanaidu, were film legends.
- He owns a motorsport team, Hyderabad Blackbirds.
- His first two directors after his debut were Gautham Vasudev Menon and Sukumar.
- Vrushakarma releases on his second wedding anniversary, 4 December.
Related Biographies
- Nagarjuna Biography – his father
- Rana Daggubati Biography – his cousin
- Sai Pallavi Biography – co-star in Love Story and Thandel
- Samantha Ruth Prabhu Biography
- Krithi Shetty Biography – co-star in Custody
- More stars: Tollywood biographies
Naga Chaitanya FAQs
How old is Naga Chaitanya?
Naga Chaitanya was born on 23 November 1986, so he is 39 years old (as of 2026).
Who is Naga Chaitanya’s wife?
He is married to actress Sobhita Dhulipala. They married on 4 December 2024 in Hyderabad.
What is Naga Chaitanya’s next movie?
His next film is Vrushakarma, a mystical thriller directed by Karthik Varma Dandu with Meenakshi Chaudhary. It releases on 4 December 2026.
Which is Naga Chaitanya’s biggest hit?
Thandel (2025), with Sai Pallavi, is his highest-grossing film.
Who are Naga Chaitanya’s parents?
His parents are actor Nagarjuna Akkineni and Lakshmi Daggubati, daughter of producer D. Ramanaidu.
What was Naga Chaitanya’s first movie?
His first film was Josh (2009), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South.
Is Naga Chaitanya related to Rana Daggubati?
Yes. They are cousins. Chaitanya’s mother, Lakshmi, is the sister of Rana’s father, producer D. Suresh Babu.