The Next Gen of the Tollywood brigade is turning the heat on becoming pan-India stars. And as if in trying to keep up with the expectations, real or otherwise, they seem to be surrounded by the best luxuries the world has to offer.
Be it their palatial abodes, cars or wardrobe, these Tollywood stars seem to love to splurge on an enviable collection, seemingly cocooned in a lifestyle that spells flamboyance. What’s more, unlike the yesteryears’ actors, the present ones have no qualms in splashing their luxurious lives for the world to see.
The hot wheel collection
It was only a few days ago that Prabhas added another swanky car to his collection. Apparently, the Baahubali star recently bought a brand new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster (from Bengaluru), open top car which cost him about a cool Rs 5 crore.
We hear now that even Jr NTR has recently booked a swanky Lamborghini Urus. Megastar Chiranjeevi, the veteran actor, continues to drive in Rolls-Royce, while his son Ram Charan is regularly seen around in an Aston Martin.
Although Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu have a wide range of car collections, they favour to move around in a Range Rover or Bentley.
But the catch here is Naga Chaitanya. Always press averse, the Majili star perhaps has the best collection of cars. Nissan Skyline, Ferrari F430, Mercedes-AMG, etc., are reportedly just some hot wheels in his collection. Then there is this private jet that his father Nagarjuna is seen travelling by.
Watch the timepieces
It’s not only the flashy automobile in their garage that accounts for these actors’ flamboyance. Some of their timepieces on their wrists flaunt the opulence they like to be associated with.
Wildly expensive, though equally exquisite and awe-inducing, these wristwatches some of our favourite actors parade have a price tag that starts from '75 lakh.
For instance, Ram Charan uses a Richard Mille watch, priced at Rs 2 crore!
While Naga Chaitanya has a collection of Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet and a royal oak among many others he likes to sport on his rich wrist, Prabhas uses a Rolex or a Hudlot and Chiranjeevi, a Cartier Pasha, costing close to Rs1,800,000.
What’s new?
As shocking and awe-striking as it may be for the rest of the world, producer Suresh Babu maintains that film actors leading such a lifestyle is not a new phenomenon. According to him, it keeps happening although it may not have been very evident back then.
“From times immemorial, whenever anyone makes any additional money they’d invest in their fascination — be it cars, luxury houses, jewellery, etc. Yesteryear actors used to do it, too, spending money to acquire their prized luxurious possessions depending on their tastes and fantasies. It’s a regular phenomenon,” he says, adding there’s nothing new about it.
Even producer Abhishek Nama remembers hearing anecdotes from his father about how actors always invested in areas that fascinated them.
“My father, Madhusudhan Rao, produced and distributed films, and I remember him telling me how simple actors such as Sanjeev Kumar used to be. They led a simple life, while legends such as NTR and ANR followed their passion,” points out Abhishek.
“For instance, NTR garu, ANR garu and LV Prasad garu built film studios, theatres, labs, etc. Now, however, the idea of a luxurious life revolves around buying swanky cars, etc.— more of making a style statement that reflects their personality.”
Stylish and transparent
Producer Sravanthi Ravi Kishore, who bankrolled several yesteryear blockbuster films such as Ladies Tailor, Maharshi and Balarama Krishnulu, admits that he sees a sea change in the way the current crop of actors lead their lives.
“While the emergence of social media has seemingly made everything transparent, actors too don’t feel the need for secrecy,” shares Ravi Kishore. However, he also points out that back then, actors used to live for the future.
“Yesteryears’ actors used to think about their Next Gen, but I think the current generation of actors love the way they are now — very transparent and luxurious,” he says.
