Mahesh Babu is one of those great outliers of cinema. He burst onto the scene when Telugu stalwarts Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, and Pawan Kalyan were still at their peak and managed to cement his position in the industry. While he had been a child artiste, he surprised industry veterans with his looks and dialogue delivery.

His first film Rajakumarudu (1999), a supernatural thriller, became a surprise hit at the box office. Since then, he has not had to look back and firmly established himself as one of Telugu films’ most bankable stars. The son of veteran Telugu actor Krishna, Mahesh Babu is now a ‘superstar’ in his own right. The actor’s versatility makes him one of the most sought-after stars on his 46th birthday today, here is a look at five films that have made him the superstar that he is.

Murari (2001)
Another supernatural drama starring Mahesh in the lead, the film had a stellar cast of Sonali Bendre, Sukumari, Lakshmi, Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, and Kaikala Satyanarayana. The film was about Murari, whose land-holding ancestors have lived with the curse of Goddess Durga since the mid-19th century.

Okkadu (2003)
The action film about a Kabaddi player who saves Swapna Reddy (Bhoomika Chawla) from a faction leader while in Kurnool for a state-level tournament. The film follows their journey of triumph over the villain.

Businessman (2012)
A treat for lovers of Indian action dramas, the film revolved around a don from Andhra Pradesh’s attempts to rule Mumbai while taking on powerful enemies. The film received mixed reviews but the critics praised the sincere performances and screenplay.

Srimanthudu (2015)
A commercial film with a message, the film received rave reviews and was a huge box office success. The film’s protagonist adopts a village as he tried to reconnect with his ancestral roots. The film connected so strongly with viewers that several bigwigs ended up adopting villages.

Bharat Ane Nenu (2018)
Also starring Prakash Raj and Kiara Advani, the film follows Bharat, a student who is thrown into the limelight as a leader in Andhra Pradesh and his attempts to reform politics.