A new trend of cameo appearances has started in the Indian film industry. Industries like Tollywood, Bollywood, and Kollywood, without distinction, are following this trend and reaping successful results. By incorporating stars from other industries into their films for powerful cameo roles, they are creating significant hype among audiences and achieving blockbuster successes. However, many may not know that our Megastar was the pioneer in bringing life to these cameo roles. Chiranjeevi laid the foundation for this trend with a guest role in a Rajinikanth film. What was that film? Let’s explore this special feature on the best cameo films till now.
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Chiru’s Cameo
Chiranjeevi starred in the Telugu hit ‘Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu‘ produced by Geetha Arts under Allu Aravind and directed by Kodandarami Reddy. Later, this film was remade in Tamil with Rajinikanth as ‘Maapillai’ by Allu Aravind. In this film, Megastar Chiranjeevi made a striking cameo. He appears at a temple stairs fighting a riotous mob intent on disrupting the hero’s wedding. Notably, Srihari also appears in these scenes. Chiru even delivered his lines in Tamil himself. When Rajinikanth introduces his mother-in-law, Chiru whispers in his ear, “Your mother-in-law looks good!” (in Tamil) to which Rajinikanth responds jokingly, “You look like you’re causing trouble! Leave now, man!” This cameo was unexpected at the time. Chiru and Rajinikanth had already acted together in several films, but this was the first time Chiru appeared in a guest role. Now, this practice is widely adopted across various industries.
Films with Stunning Cameos
Mr. Bachchan
In ‘Mr. Bachchan‘, a film by Ravi Teja and Harish Shankar, young hero Siddhu Jonnalagadda made a special cameo. Despite the film’s flop status, Siddu’s cameo still managed to elicit whistles in the theaters.
Kalki 2898 AD
In ‘Kalki 2898 AD‘, directed by Nag Ashwin and starring Prabhas, several stars made impressive cameos. Young hero Vijay Deverakonda, Tamil actor Dulquer Salmaan, actress Mrunal Thakur, legendary director Rajamouli, and Ram Gopal Varma briefly shined on the screen. Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan played full-length roles in this film.
Salaar
In ‘Salaar‘, featuring Prabhas and directed by Prashanth Neel, well-known Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran played a significant role. However, it wasn’t a cameo. He appeared as both a friend and a foe to Prabhas in a full-length role.
Jailer
In ‘Jailer‘, starring Rajinikanth, two star heroes made cameo appearances. Malayalam actor Mohanlal and Kannada star hero Shivaraj Kumar appeared in guest roles, captivating the audience.
Vikram
In ‘Vikram‘, directed by Lokesh Kanagarajan and starring Kamal Haasan, Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi and Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil played key roles and significantly contributed to the film’s success. Suriya appeared as Rolex in the climax, delivering a goosebump-inducing performance.
Brahmastra
In ‘Brahmastra‘, directed by Ayan Mukherjee and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Telugu cinema legend Nagarjuna Akkineni made a special cameo. He impressed everyone with his action sequences.
Waltair Veerayya
In ‘Waltair Veerayya‘, starring Megastar Chiranjeevi, star hero Ravi Teja played an important role, reaffirming his admiration for Chiru. The film achieved good success at the box office.
Acharya
In Chiranjeevi’s previous film ‘Acharya‘, Ram Charan appeared in a guest role. Before this, Charan had appeared in special roles in ‘Magadheera‘ and ‘Bruce Lee‘, surprising the audience.
Laal Singh Chaddha
In ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, starring Bollywood star Aamir Khan, Akkineni Naga Chaitanya played a significant role. Although the film did not meet expectations, Chaitanya’s performance was well-received.
Liger
In ‘Liger‘, starring Vijay Deverakonda, world-famous boxer Mike Tyson appeared in the climax, surprising everyone. However, director Puri Jagannadh faced criticism for not utilizing him effectively.
