Happy Birthday Mahesh Babu: Lesser known facts about Tollywood's biggest superstar

Mahesh Babu started his career at the age of 4. In 1979, the actor visited on the sets of Needa, where he shot a couple of scenes for the film and that turned out to be his debut film as a child artist.

As a child artist, Mahesh Babu acted in 9 films- Needa, Poratam, Shankharavam, Bazaar Rowdy, Mugguru Kodukulu, Gudachari 117, Koduku Diddina Kapuram, Bala Chandrudu, Anna Thammadu.

After doing 9 films, the actor focused on studies as instructed by his father. He made a comeback in 1999 he made his debut as a lead actor with “Raja Kumarudu” co-starring actress Preity Zinta.

Mahesh Babu married Femina Miss India winner 1993, Namrata Shirodkar who is three years older than him. The two got hitched in 2005 after dating for over four years and have two kids together- son Gautham and daughter Sitara

Tamil Actor Karthi, brother of Tamil Superstar Surya, was Mahesh Babu’s schoolmate. The two studied in the same St.Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai.

Mahesh Babu’s 2006 blockbuster Pokkiri was remade in Bollywood as Wanted, which starred Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia.

One of the interesting facts about Mahesh Babu is that, he is born and brought up in Chennai and had never an option to study Telugu Language. He can understand and talk Telugu fluently, but cannot read it. He listens to the dialogues from his directors and presents it in his movies

His 2015 film, Srimanthudu is the only Telugu film apart from Baahubali series to gross Rs. 200 crore worldwide.

It is reported that he is second highest paid south Indian actor after Rajnikanth

Okkadu is his first blockbuster movie which released in year 2003.