While she is known for her appearances in films like Singham (2011) and Special 26 (2013), Kajal Aggarwal is quite the star herself in south Indian cinema. The actress has won four Filmfare South nominations for Best Actress, and has become one of the most popular actresses of the current generation.
Her rise to the top though, was cemented through a number of consistent performances in family dramas. On the actress's 32nd birthday, we take a look at five performances in Telugu films that paved her way to the top.
1. Magadheera (2009)
This was Baahubali before Baahubali. SS Rajamouli's blueprint for the Rs1,000 crore blockbuster was set in 2009 in this Ram Charan Teja-starrer. The film had Aggarwal playing the brave princess of Udayghar, reborn in a modern age for her love. The film won the actress her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare awards South in 2010.
2. Darling (2010)
While family dramas are a staple fare in South India, not all of them are as interesting as A Karunakaran's Darling. Starring Prabhas, the film had the actress playing a self-made lawyer who has to choose between her father and her love.
The film won her another nomination for Best Actress at the 58th Filmfare Awards South, before being dubbed into Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi.
3. Mr. Perfect (2011)
While the actress shares a brilliant chemistry with Prabhas, her fame rests on the foundation of some interesting character choices. In another family drama, Mr Perfect, she played a doctor, who decides to sacrifice for her love. Despite the presence of Taapsee Pannu, the actress managed to steal the show with a consummate performance.
The film went on to become a superhit, and earned the actress another nomination at the 59th Filmfare awards South.
4. Businessman (2012)
In 2012, Aggarwal co-starred with Telugu cinema's reigning superstar, Mahesh Babu, in Puri Jagannadh's crime thriller, Businessman. The film was a resounding success making close to Rs73 crore gross at the box office.
It also proved the actress to be a 'lucky mascot' for film makers in the South Industry.
5. Govindudu Andarivadele (2014)
Another family entertainer by Krishna Vamsi saw her share screenspace with Ram Charan and Prakash Raj. With music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film was a superhit among the masses, earning more than Rs40 crore nett over a period of 50 days. The film also earned the actress her 4th Filmfare nomination for Best Actress in 2014.