Vijay Deverakonda

Vijay Deverakonda (aka Rowdy) is an Indian film actor, best known for his work in Telugu cinema. Making his debut at a young age after a stint in theatre, Vijay is best known for his role as "Rishi" in the 2015 movie Yevade Subramanyam.

Early life and Education

Vijay was born in Achampet, in the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana. Along with his younger brother, Vijay was admitted to Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School in Puttaparthi, Ananthapur District, Andhra Pradesh. Vijay had spent most of his formative years at this school, away from family for close to 10 months a year.

Vijay credits the holistic learning environment here for making him the man he is today. Vijay says the environment at school was peaceful and calm, without phones or TV. Vijay believes that reading newspapers on a regular basis to stay up to date on current events, as well as participating in sports, reading books, and other activities, have helped him hone his creative skills.

It was here that Vijay developed an immense liking for storytelling, writing, and acting. After his schooling, he returned to Hyderabad and pursued his education at Little Flower Junior College and Badruka College of Commerce, respectively.

Personal life

Vijay has a younger brother, Anand, who works with Deloitte in the USA. Their mother, Madhavi, is the proprietor of Speak Easy in Hyderabad, a soft skills and personality development trainer. Vijay considers his father an inspiration, who had come from a small village to Hyderabad to become an actor and eventually become a TV director.

Career

Vijay's first serious step into the world of entertainment was his brief stint with a theatre group called Sutradhar, based out of Hyderabad. He did a 3-month workshop, which led him to several plays in the Hyderabad theatre circuit. His long-standing association was with Ingenium Dramatics. Soon, he ventured into the cinema.

Vijay played a minor role in Sekhar Kammula's Life is Beautiful. It was on those sets that he got introduced to his assistant director at the time, Nag Ashwin. Nag Ashwin gave Vijay his breakthrough role in 2015's Yevade Subramanyam, alongside renowned actor Nani. The film was produced by the daughters of Ashwini Dutt, a leading producer in the Telugu film industry.

Priyanka Dutt saw his potential and backed him, and once the shooting started, Swapna Dutt signed him to her company. The film went on to be a major success, with Vijay’s portrayal of Rishi winning hearts across the Telugu states and winning him great adulation among fans and critics alike.

Vijay Deverakonda's latest film was Pelli Choopulu, a romantic entertainer directed by debutant Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam, with Ritu Varma as the female lead in this movie. The movie went on to become a blockbuster hit. Vijay's Arjun Reddy became a box-office hit.