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Nani Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth24 February 1984

Age41 Years

BirthplaceHyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana)

ProfessionActor, Film Producer, Film Director, TV Presenter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseAnjana Yelavarthy

FamilySon - Arjun Ghanta; Father - Rambabu Ghanta; Mother - Vijayalakshmi Ghanta; Sister - Deepthi Ghanta

Nani Biography

Ghanta Naveen Babu, known professionally as Nani, is an Indian actor, producer, director and television presenter celebrated for his work in Telugu cinema.

Early life and background
Ghanta Naveen Babu was born on 24 February 1984 in Hyderabad, then part of Andhra Pradesh and now in Telangana. Raised in Hyderabad, he attended St. Alphonsa’s High School and completed his intermediate studies at Narayana Junior College in Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar. He went on to graduate from Wesley Degree College in Secunderabad. From an early age he became interested in films and learned parts of the craft by assisting on sets and working with family connections in the industry.

Career
Nani began his film career behind the camera, assisting on several Telugu productions before moving into on-screen roles. He adopted the nickname Nani as his screen name and made his acting debut in the Telugu film Ashta Chamma (2008). After a series of early roles, he also appeared in the Tamil film Veppam (2011). His performance in the bilingual Eega (2012) brought wider recognition, and subsequent films such as Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (2012), Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015), Gentleman (2016), Ninnu Kori (2017), Middle Class Abbayi (2017) and Jersey (2019) further established him as a leading performer in Telugu cinema.

Beyond acting, Nani has taken on production responsibilities, credited as a co-producer on D for Dopidi (2013) and working as producer or co-producer on films including Awe (co-producer; 2018), HIT: The First Case (producer; 2020), HIT: The Second Case (producer; 2022) and Meet Cute (2022). He has also worked as a director and as a television presenter, hosting programs and live events such as Bigg Boss Telugu Season 2 (2018) and the 2nd IIFA Utsavam in 2017. Nani has made appearances on quiz shows Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu and has dubbed the Telugu voice for the character Simba in the Telugu version of The Lion King.

Critical recognition and awards
Nani’s performances have been recognized with multiple awards across South Indian film ceremonies. He has received honours including Nandi Awards, Filmfare Critics recognition, South Indian International Movie Awards and other industry prizes for roles in films such as Veppam, Eega, Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu, Gentleman and Jersey. Film Companion included his performance in Jersey among its listing of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade in 2020.

Public profile
Nani is commonly associated with the sobriquet Natural Star of Tollywood. He has appeared on magazine covers and in television commercials for brands such as Sprite and Minister White. Off screen, he is known to be a dog lover and regularly shares religious and spiritual moments on social media. Reports in entertainment media note his admiration for Kamal Haasan and list personal preferences such as a liking for red wine and certain films and directors.

Personal life
Nani is married to Anjana Yelavarthy; the couple wed on 27 October 2012 at a resort in Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam. They have a son, Arjun Ghanta, born in 2017. His parents are Rambabu Ghanta, a businessman, and Vijayalakshmi Ghanta, a pharmacist. He also has a sister, Deepthi Ghanta, who works as a film producer.

Controversies and incidents
Public reporting has documented a number of contentious episodes involving Nani. In 2018 an allegation was made by an actress against him, which led to legal responses and public statements from both sides. In November 2019 his residence was searched by the Income Tax Department and documents and hard disks related to tax returns were reportedly seized. Separately, in 2018 he was involved in a vehicle accident in Hyderabad when his SUV struck an electric pole; authorities registered a case under relevant local statutes but the vehicle’s airbags reportedly reduced the impact.

Latest updates
Recent years have seen Nani continue to balance acting with production work. After the critical and popular success of Jersey (2019), he remained active in lead roles and producers’ credits through titles released into the early 2020s, including V (2020), Truck Jagadish (2021) and Ante Sundaraniki (2022), together with producer credits on the HIT films and Meet Cute (2022). He continues to be a prominent name in Telugu cinema, known both for his on-screen performances and his contributions behind the camera.
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Recent Work

Meet Cute

Producer credit

2022
HIT: The Second Case

Producer credit

2022
Ante Sundaraniki

Actor

2022
Truck Jagadish

Actor

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Debut in Telugu cinema with Ashta Chamma (2008)
  2. Breakthrough with Eega (2012)
  3. Multiple award wins including Nandi Awards and Filmfare Critics Award
  4. Producer credits on the HIT franchise and Meet Cute
  5. Listed among Film Companion’s 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade for Jersey (2019)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nani born?

24 February 1984

What is Nani known for?

Actor, Film Producer, Film Director, TV Presenter

What is Nani’s marital status?

Married

Who is Nani married to?

Anjana Yelavarthy