Konidela Varun Tej (born January 19, 1990) is an Indian film actor who works primarily in Telugu films. He is the son of actor Nagendra Babu and was born into the Allu-Konidela family. He has appeared in 13 films to date.
Tej made his acting debut with Mukunda in 2014. It was a box-office flop, as were his next three films, but he did receive praise for his role in Krish's critically acclaimed war film Kanche (2015). With the critical and commercial success of the romantic drama Fidaa (2017), he established himself as a leading actor. Tej has since appeared in movies such as Tholi Prema (2018), Gaddalakonda Ganesh (2019), F2 (2019), and F3 (2019). (2022).
Early years
Nagendra Babu, a Telugu actor and producer, is Varun Tej's father. He is Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan's nephew. Niharika, his younger sister, is also an actress. His cousins include actors Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, Allu Sirish, Sai Tej, and Panja Vaissnav Tej. He attended Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, and St. Mary's College.
Career
Tej made his film debut as a child artist in Hands Up!, directed by his father Nagendra Babu. He was only ten years old at the time. In Mukunda, he made his adult debut alongside fellow newcomer Pooja Hegde. The movie received mixed reviews. His second film, Kanche, was released in 2015 and starred Pragya Jaiswal. It received positive reviews from critics. The Times of India praised Tej's performance as Dhupati Haribabu, praising his "ability to shift gears from intense to sobriety." Loafer, his second release that year, and Mister, his third, were both box office flops.
Fidaa, in which he played an NRI who falls in love with a village belle, was released in the latter half of 2017. The film was a commercial success, grossing more than Rs. 90 crore at the box office. Tholi Prema, his 2018 release, was also a box office success, and Tej's performance as an impulsive young man was widely praised. Sankalp Reddy's space thriller Antariksham 9000 KMPH was his next film that year.
Tej's first release in 2019 was F2: Fun and Frustration, a multistarrer starring Venkatesh, Tamannaah, and Mehreen Pirzada. It was a huge blockbuster. After F2, he dubbed Aladdin's role in the film Aladdin in Telugu. He later appeared in Gaddalakonda Ganesh, a successful remake of the Tamil film Jigarthanda directed by Harish Shankar.
Tej has two films in the works as of January 2020: Ghani and F2's sequel F3. Tej plays a boxer in the film Ghani, directed by Kiran Korrapati.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Hands Up! | Varun | Child actor |
| 2014 | Mukunda | Mukunda | Debut as lead role |
| 2015 | Kanche | Dhupati Hari Babu | |
| Loafer | Raja Murali | ||
| 2017 | Mister | Pichchaiah Naidu / Chai | |
| Fidaa | Varun | ||
| 2018 | Tholi Prema | Aditya Sekhar | |
| Antariksham 9000 KMPH | Dev | ||
| Nanna Koochi | — | Narrator; web series on ZEE5 | |
| 2019 | F2: Fun and Frustration | Varun Yadav | |
| Aladdin | Aladdin (voice) | Telugu dubbed version | |
| Gaddalakonda Ganesh | Gaddalakonda "Gani" Ganesh | ||
| 2022 | Ghani | Ghani | |
| F3: Fun and Frustration | Varun Yadav | ||
| 2023 | Gandeevadhari Arjuna | Arjun Varma |
| Year | Shows | Role | Channel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bigg Boss 3 | Himself | Star Maa | Guest Contestant |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actor – Telugu | Kanche | Nominated |
| 2017 | Zee Telugu Golden Awards | Entertainer Of The Year (Male) | Fidaa | Nominated |
| 2018 | Zee Cine Awards Telugu | Best Film Actor | Tholi Prema | Nominated |
| 2019 | South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actor – Telugu | Gaddalakonda Ganesh | Nominated |
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Varun Tej Konidela |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 191 cm in meters- 1.91 m in Feet Inches- 6’ 3” |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 90 kg in Pounds- 198 lbs |
| Body Measurements | Chest: 45 Inches Waist: 34 Inches Biceps: 15 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 19 January 1990 |
| Age (as in 2023) | 33 Years |
| Birth Place | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| School | Not Known |
| College | Not Known |
| Educational Qualifications | Not Known |
| Film Debut | Telugu: Hands Up! (2000, as child artist), Mukunda (2014, as lead role) |
| Family | Father- Nagendra Babu (Telugu Actor) Mother- Padmaja Sister- Niharika Konidela (TV Actress) Brother- N/A |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hobbies | Playing cricket, reading books |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Actors | Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Prabhas |
| Favourite Actresses | Sridevi, Radha, Jaya Prada, Suhasini |
| Favourite Director | Krish |
| Favourite Colour | White |
| Favourite Food | Hyderabadi Dum Biryani |
| Girls, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Not Known |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Children | Son: N/A Daughter: N/A |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Varun Tej
