Panja Vaishnav Tej (born 13 January 1995) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films. He made his debut as a lead in the romantic drama Uppena (2021), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South and SIIMA Award for Best Male Debut – Telugu, and later starred in the action thriller Konda Polam (2021) and the romance Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga (2022). His second film, Konda Polam won a national award in 2023 from the Government of India.
Panja Vaishnav Tej | |
|---|---|
 Tej in 2022 | |
| Born | Panja Vaishnav Tej 13 January 1995[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–2005; 2021-present |
| Family | See Konidela–Allu family Sai Dharam Tej (brother) |
Early life
editPanja Vaishnav Tej is the younger brother of Sai Dharam Tej. A member of the Konidela family, he is nephew of actor Chiranjeevi.[2] Tej did his schooling at Nalanda School, Hyderabad and completed his graduation from St. Mary's College, Hyderabad.[citation needed]
Career
editTej first appeared as a child actor in Johnny (2003), directed by and starring his maternal uncle Pawan Kalyan. He later played a wheelchair-ridden child in Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. (2004), starring his maternal uncle Chiranjeevi.[3] In 2021, he made his debut as a lead with the film Uppena.[4]
He then appeared in the rural drama, Konda Polam, co-starring Rakul Preet Singh, under the direction of Krish Jagarlamudi, which received mixed reviews from the critics. It was a huge flop at the box-office.[5] It was followed by the romantic drama, Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga, which was directed by debutant Gireeshaaya.
His next film, directed by debutant Srikanth N. Reddy and produced by Sithara Entertainments, was Aadikeshava, co-starring Sreeleela and released in 2023. He has signed a film under the production of Nagarjuna's Annapurna Studios.[6]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Johnny | Young Johnny | Child actor | [3] |
| 2004 | Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. | Sri Rama Chandra Murthy | [3] | |
| 2005 | Andarivaadu | Young Sidharth "Sidhu" | [7] | |
| 2021 | Uppena | Aasirvadham "Aasi" | Debut in Lead role | [8] |
| Konda Polam | Kataru Ravindranath "Ravi" Yadav | |||
| 2022 | Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga | Rishi | ||
| 2023 | Aadikeshava | Balu/Rudra Kaleshwara Reddy | [9] |
References
edit- ^ "Interview with Vaishnav Tej - Telugu cinema director".
- ^ India, The Hans (21 January 2019). "Sai Dharma Tej Introduces Panja Vaishnav Tej". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Did you know Panja Vaisshnav Tej played a role in Shankar Dada MBBS? - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "'I never wanted to be an actor': Panja Vaisshnav Tej". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ Vyas (17 February 2021). "Uppena changed Krish Jagarlamudi's plans". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ Vyas (17 February 2021). "Nagarjuna to produce film with Vaishnav Tej". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "Vaisshnav Tej opens up on what Pawan Kalyan likes in him". Indiaglitz.
- ^ "Uppena First Wave: First teaser of Panja Vaishnav Tej'". Times of India. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Panja Vaisshnav Tej, Sreeleela, movie launched the film is scheduled for 2023 Sankranthi release. - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 November 2022.