Birth Day: 1954-07-14
Place of birth: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright, and director who primarily works in Telugu cinema, with appearances in Tamil and Hindi films. He began his career as a stage actor and playwright in the mid-1970s before entering the film industry. Bharani made his film debut as a dialogue writer for *Kanchu Kavacham* (1984). He wrote dialogues for films including *Ladies Tailor* (1985), *Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe* (1987), and Ram Gopal Varma's gangster drama *Shiva* (1989), in which he also played Nanaji. He later appeared in villainous, comedic, and supporting roles. He won the Nandi Award for Best Villain for *Samudram* (1999) and the Nandi Award for Best Character Actor for *Nuvvu Nenu* (2001). Bharani has acted in more than 750 films and has written books, plays, and devotional songs dedicated to Lord Shiva. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu drama *Mithunam* (2012), starring S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Lakshmi, and received the CineMAA Special Jury Award for Best Direction. He played the priest Swamyji in S. S. Rajamouli's *Baahubali: The Beginning* (2015) and *Baahubali 2: The Conclusion* (2017). His Tamil film roles include appearances in *Ghilli* (2004) and *Vaathi* (2023). His 2024 releases include the political thriller *Prathinidhi 2*, the action film *Bhaje Vaayu Vegam*, Harish Shankar's *Mr. Bachchan*, the thriller *Kalinga*, and *Nindha*. His 2025 credits include Krish Jagarlamudi's period film *Hari Hara Veera Mallu*, Mohan Krishna Indraganti's comedy *Sarangapani Jathakam*, *Kishkindhapuri*, and Mani Ratnam's Tamil action-drama *Thug Life*. He has received three Nandi Awards and the Sahitya Puraskar for his literary work.
Credits
-
-
-
-
As Ahobila Rao -
As Sivaguru -
-
As Swami -
As Bhushan Verma -
-
-
-
As Satyanand -
-
As Spiritual Preacher -
-
-
-
As Mahendra -
As Bala -
-
-
-
-
-
As Sarpanch -
As Rameshwar Kodathi -
-
As Appa Rao -
-
As Subhash and Jai's father -
As Singinadham -
-
-
-
As Thanigachalam -
-
As (Voice Only) -
-
As Vasudeva Rao -
As Police Officer -
As Ramu, Sanjana's Father -
-
As Priest -
As The Priest -
-
-
-
As Sreenu's Father -
-
As Master -
-
-
-
As MLA -
-
-
As Govindu -
-
As Appayya Panthulu / Outdated Priest -
-
As Vinay Chandra -
-
-
As Vashishta's Uncle -
As Producer of Movie -
As Ganapthi -
As Sadasivam, Anand's Grandfather -
-
-
-
As IG Y. V. Narendra -
As Anjaneya Prasad -
As Varaha Murthy -
As Rama Sharma -
As Venkateshwar Anandaraju -
As Govindayya Sharma -
-
As Ravi's father -
-
-
-
-
-
-
As Shyam Prasad -
As Trust chairman Tilak -
-
As Abhi's uncle -
-
As C.M. -
-
As Janardhan -
As Jai's Dad -
As Swami (voice) (uncredited) -
As Murthy -
As Gundappa Naidu -
-
-
As Rama's Father -
As Duvvada Subrahmanya Sastry -
As Deva Dattudu -
As Chalaram (Cameo) -
As A.K.Ganapathi Sastry -
As Radhakrishnan's Father -
-
As Waiter -
As Chief Minister -
-
As Mailaramgadda -
As Gabbar Singh's Guardian -
As Kaalidasu -
As Mohan -
As Sudoku Murthy -
-
As Sathyaraj's Friend
-
-
As Dr. Anjeneyulu -
As Amala's Father -
-
As Anu's would-be father in law -
As Sathya's father -
As Orphanage Principal -
-
As Makrandam -
As Ravi's Father and Rama Chandra Rao's Big Brother -
As Swamiji -
-
As Doctor -
As Ersam -
As Venkata Rao -
As Venkatratnam -
As RMP Doctor -
As Ramarao -
As Narasimha's friend -
-
-
-
-
As Dasaradh Prasad -
-
-
As Vedam -
As Adi Moolam
-
As Lawyer -
As Valli's Father -
As Jailor -
As Adi Keshava -
As judge -
-
As Ammullu's Father -
As Kondala Rao -
As Pilli Gopi Krishna Simha -
As Shankarabharanam -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
As Mavayya -
As Narayana Murthy -
-
As Bhooti -
-
As Viswanath -
As Ramachandra -
As Kaksheera -
As Guruvayya -
As Badri's Father -
As Voice Over -
-
As Chandu's Father -
As Preethi's Father -
As Narayanan -
As Rakesh's Father -
As Y. Venkat -
-
-
-
-
-
As Ajay's Father -
As Durga Prasad -
-
-
-
As Chari's Adoptive Father -
As Ram Murthy -
As Ram Murthy -
As Sharma C.S. -
As Nanaji -
-
As Lawyer Saab -
-
-
-
-
-
-
As Devudu Babu -
As Veeraiah -
-
-
As Telugu Teacher -
As Varun's Father -
-
-
-
-
-
As School Teacher -
-
-
-
As School Teacher -
As Raghava /"Dallas" Nageswara Rao -
As Sarva Sarma -
-
As Principal of College -
-
As Bulli reddy -
As Bommana brothers' father -
-
As Deiva's Father -
As Guru's Father -
As Anjali's father -
-
As Raja's Father -
-
As Forest officer -
-
-
-
-
-
As RBI Official -
As Corporator Krishna -
-
-
-
As Paparao -
-
As Gajapati -
As Subba Rao -
As Aravind's Friend -
As Paala Pullayya -
-
As Criminal Lawyer Sachidanandam -
-
As Captain Chintamani -
As Lallu -
-
As Mallika's father -
-
-
-
As Kantepudi Srinivasa Rao -
-
-
-
-
-
As Suryakantam's Father -
As Raju's father -
As Naidu -
-
-
As Muthupandi's Father -
As Venky's Father -
As Father of Nandu -
As Farah's father -
As Narayana Swamy -
-
-
As Prudhvi's Father -
-
As Minister Rajendran -
As Nandu's father
-
As Roopa's father -
-
As Murthy -
-
-
-
As Kamesh's Father -
-
As Chakradhar -
As Subramanyam -
As Nanda Gopal's neighbor -
-
-
-
As Preeti's Father (Telugu version) -
As Anjaneya Shastri -
-
As Naidu -
-
As Narayana Murthy -
As Swapna's Father -
-
As Prasad -
-
As Valmiki -
As Shyam Prasad -
As Doobey -
-
-
-
-
As Abu, Vishwanath's friend -
As Anil's Maternal Uncle -
-
-
As Papanashanam -
-
-
-
As Bhrungi -
As Jailor -
As Ashok -
-
-
As Fishing Inspector -
-
-
As Ganesh's father -
-
-
-
-
As TV Anchor -
-
-
-
As Kanaka Raju -
As Ramana's father -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
As Chepala Krishna -
As Sai Babu -
As Tatabbai -
-
-
As G. K. Naidu -
-
-
-
-
-
As Simhachalam -
As Sub Inspector Gottam Gopala Krishna
-
-
-
-
As Psychologist -
-
-
-
-
As Sattipandu -
-
-
-
-
-
As Pakir Dada -
As Thota Ramudu -
As Manikyam -
As Inspector Prem Chand -
As Khan -
-
As Doctor -
-
As Pattabhi -
As Inspector Sennimalai
-
-
As Thota Ramudu -
-
-
As Bank Manager -
-
-
As Manikyam -
As Harichandra -
As Lawyer Saab -
-
-
-
As Raja Varma's Henchman -
As Nanaji -
As Dasu -
As Nanaji -
-
As Paata Samanlavaadu -
-
As Dorababu -
-
As Police -
-
-
-
