Telugu cinema was never bereft of legendary thespians. From NTR to ANR, from Sobhan Babu to Krishna, they all were unique in their own ways. Yet, during his formative years as an actor, Chiranjeevi's inspirations were non-Telugu superstars.
The Megastar, attending a summit in Mumbai, named three actors from whom he learned a great deal.
Mithun Chakraborty: "His National Award-winning Mrigaya (1976) act taught me the importance of keeping a performance naturalistic and grounded."
Amitabh Bachchan: "His ability to do stunts by himself in films like Sholay made me believe that I shouldn't go for body doubles".
Kamal Haasan: "He used to be a very good dancer. His talent inspired me to find my own dancing style".
It is another matter that Chiru's superstardom exceeded that of Mithun and Kamal. Kamal's dance moves didn't acquire trendiness after a point, while Chiru's dance choreographers were inventive and made the best use of his grace.
