25 Famous People From Andhra Pradesh & Telengana

Since its separation from Madras State, the state of Andhra Pradesh has been vocal about its willingness to further separate itself from the Madras identity. A lot of times, people tend to generalize all of South India into the Madras bracket, which rightfully upsets many. With the separation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, things become even more complicated for the average ignorant Indian to grasp, but there’s always space for further learning. Like other South Indian states, Andhra and Telangana too have plenty of talent to their name, and have contributed immensely to make India what it is today. With that, we bring 25 famous people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana whom everyone should know.

Also read: 19 Interesting Facts About The Treasured Telangana

1. Yaga Venugopal Reddy

Born & brought up in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, and better known as Y. V. Reddy, an IAS Officer from the 1964 batch, Yaga Venugopal Reddy served as the Governor of RBI (Reserve Bank of India) from 2003 to 2008. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2010. 

Source: Edubilla

2. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Born in a Telugu family in a village near Tiruttani near the border of Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first vice president of India from 1952-1962 and 2nd president of India from 1962 to1967. He is acknowledged as one of the most influential scholars of India’s philosophy and religion, and for his contribution to these fields, he received the Bharat Ratna in 1954. His birthday, 5th September, is celebrated as Teacher’s day every year in his honor. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

3. Zakir Hussain

Born in Hyderabad, Zakir Hussain’s family later migrated to Uttar Pradesh. He was India’s 3rd president from 1967 until his death in 1969; and was India’s 1st Muslim president. He served as Vice President from 1962-1967 & as the Governor of Bihar from 1957 to1962. He was the only co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia who also served as its Vice-Chancellor. He was awarded India’s highest national honor, the Bharat Ratna in 1963.

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

4. Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao

Born in Vangara, Karimnagar in Hyderabad, PV Narasimha Rao was a renowned Indian lawyer, freedom fighter & politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of India. He is also known as “The Father of Indian economic reforms”.

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

5. Pullela Gopichand

Born in Prakasam’s district Nagandla in Andhra Pradesh, Pullela Gopichand is a well known badminton player who won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001. He became the 2nd Indian player to accomplish this victory and was awarded the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award in 2001 & the Padma Shri in 2005. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

6. Sania Mirza

Born in Mumbai, and raised in Hyderabad, Sania Mirza is a world renowned professional tennis player. She was India’s number one in both singles as well as doubles from 2003 until her retirement in 2013. She won six grand slam titles during her career, and has some notable victories over Victoria Azarenka, Dinara Safina and Martina Hingis – all former world’s number ones. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

7. Sushmita Sen

Born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Sushmita Sen is a Bollywood actress, model & winner of the Miss Universe pageant,1994, and was the first Indian to win the crown. She is considered one of the most stylish and glamorous women in the industry. Sen was awarded the Mother Teresa Award for Social justice in 2013. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

8. Johnny Lever

Born in Andhra Pradesh and brought up in Mumbai (Dharavi), is a Bollywood actor and comedian. Johnny Lever has received 13 Filmfare Awards nominations for Best Comedian, and has won the award twice. Johnny Lever is credited as one of India’s earliest stand-up comedians. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

9. Duvvuri Subbarao

Hailing from Eluru in West Godavari district, a city near Vijayawada, Duvvuri Subbarao is an Indian Economist, Central Banker, Civil Servant & the 22nd Governor of RBI. He is an IAS officer of the 1972 batch who topped the Civil Services Examination & was assigned to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. He worked as the joint secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

10. Nara Chandrababu Naidu

Born at Naravari Palle, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu is the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh & was formerly the state’s youngest assembly member and youngest minister at 28. He served the longest term as Chief Minister of the state from 1995 to 2004, and was instrumental in making Hyderabad one of the biggest IT hubs in India. He was awarded the “IT Indian of the Millennium” from India Today, “Business Person of the Year” by The Economic Times, and was described as one of the “hidden seven”, working wonders around the world, by Profit (Oracle Corporation’s monthly magazine). 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

11. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 

Born & brought up in Konetammapeta, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, S. P. Balasubramaniam was an Indian film playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and film producer. He won the Guinness World Record for recording the highest number of songs (40,000). He also won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times and the Nandi Awards in Telugu cinema 25 times. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2011. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

12. Saina Nehwal

Born in Hisar, Haryana, Saina’s family later moved to Hyderabad where she was raised. She became the first Indian to win a medal in Badminton at the Olympics when she won a Bronze medal at the London Olympics 2012. She was ranked No.1 in the world by Badminton World Federation Women’s Singles 2015. She was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2009, Major Dhyan Chand & Padma Shri in 2010. She also received the Padma Bhushan in 2016. 

Source: Flickr

13. Mohammad Azharuddin

Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Mohammad Azharuddin is a former cricketer turned politician who is the current president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee. Despite a celebrated cricketing career, Mohammad Azharuddin found himself in the middle of a nasty match fixing scandal that completely ended his career in cricket. The BCCI banned him for his involvement in the scandal, and Azharuddin eventually joined politics. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

14. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy 

Born in Illur, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh), Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was an Indian politician who served as the 7th president of India from 1977-1982, and was then the youngest ever President of India at the age of 64. He had also held several other offices during his long political career, including that of the CM of Andhra Pradesh and Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

15. VV Giri

Born in Berhampur in Madras Presidency (present day Odisha), VV Giri’s Telugu-speaking family hailed from a village in present-day Andhra Pradesh. He served as the fourth president of India from 1969 to 1974, and was the only president elected as an independent candidate. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna at the end of his term in 1974. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

16. Mahesh Babu 

One of the most popular actors in the Telugu film industry, Mahesh Babu was born in a Telugu family in Madras (now Chennai), to Telugu actor Krishna. He has appeared in over 25 films and has won several awards, including eight Nandi Awards, five Filmfare South Awards and one IIFA Utsavam award. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

17. Prabhas 

Born in Chennai to a family hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Prabhas is an Indian actor who primarily works in the Telugu movie industry. National and international fame came with the release of Baahubali: The Beginning, where he played the protagonist. Baahubali and its sequel are two of the highest-grossing films ever made in Indian cinema. He has been named in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list thrice since 2015 and has won several awards. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

18. NT Rama Rao 

Born in Nimmakuru in Madras Presidency (present day India), NT Rama Rao was an Indian actor-turned-politician who starred in over 300 films in a career that spanned four decades. After retiring from movies, Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years across three tumultuous terms, and was an advocate for Andhra Pradesh’s unique identity separate from Madras Presidency. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

19. PV Sindhu 

Born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, PV Sindhu is a professional badminton player and was the World No. 2 in 2017. She has won several tournaments and medals representing India, and is the first Indian to become the Badminton World Champion and only the second Indian athlete to win two consecutive medals at the Olympics. She has been conferred with various awards, including the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Bhushan. 

20. Sarojini Naidu 

Born in Hyderabad to a Bengali family, Sarojini Naidu (née Chattopadhyay) was an Indian political activist, poet, and a primary member of the Indian movement of independence. She was called the Nightingale of India or Bharat Kokila by Mahatma Gandhi for her work as a poet. She was the first governor of the United Provinces after the independence of India, and was the first woman to become Governor in the Dominion of India. However, she could not stay in that office for long as she died from a cardiac arrest in 1949. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

21. Harsha Bhogle 

Born in Hyderabad to a Marathi family, Harsha Bhogle is an Indian cricket commentator and journalist. He graduated with a degree in Chemical engineering from Osmania University, and a PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad. He is also on the board of governors at IIM Udaipur. Bhogle is considered one of the most prolific personalities in the cricket broadcasting industry. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

22. Dia Mirza 

Born in Hyderabad to a German graphic designer father and a Bengali interior designer mother, Dia Mirza is an Indian actress and model who primarily works in the Hindi film industry. She won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000 and made her acting debut in the now iconic film, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001).

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

23. VVS Laxman 

Born in Hyderabad to noted Physicians Dr. Shantaram and Dr. Satyabhama, Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman (aka VVS Laxman) is a former international Indian cricketer and a current cricket commentator. In 2002, he was named one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the year. He was the captain of Deccan Chargers in the maiden season of the IPL and later played for the Kochi Tuskers. In 2011, the government of India conferred the Padma Shri on VVS Laxman. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

24. Tabu 

Born in Hyderabad to a Hyderabadi Muslim family, Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, better known by her stage name Tabu, is an Indian film actress who primarily works in the Hindi film industry. Besides Hindi movies, she has also worked in Telugu and Tamil movies. She has worked in several movies over a career that has lasted more than three decades, and is known to have portrayed complex, grey, troubled characters. She has won two National Film Awards for Best Actress and six Filmfare Awards. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

25. Venkaiah Naidu 

Born in the Nellore district of Madras State (present day Andhra Pradesh), Venkaiah Naidu is an Indian Politician who is the current vice president of India. He also held various offices over a long political career, including those of Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Urban Development, and Information and Broadcasting. He also served as the president of BJP from 2002 to 2004. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

So that was our list of the most famous people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. If you think we missed someone out, comment below to let us know!