Teja Sajja
Teja Sajja | |
|---|---|
Sajja at IIFA Utsavam | |
| Born | 23 August 1995[1] India |
| Education | Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology , The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–2009 2019–present |
Teja Sajja (born 23 August 1995) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema.[2] He began his career as a child actor in Choodalani Vundi (1998) leading up to Boss (2006). As an adult, Sajja had a supporting role in Oh! Baby (2019). He has since played the lead roles in films such as Zombie Reddy (2021), Hanu-Man (2024) and Mirai (2025). Hanu-Man is among the highest-grossing Indian films of 2024 and ninth highest-grossing Telugu film worldwide.[3] He is a recipient of two SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award.
Early life and career
Teja was born on 23 August 1995 in a Telugu family.[4] Sajja made his debut at the age of two in Choodalani Vundi (1998) and acted in over 20 films alongside leading actors in Telugu cinema.[5] These include Kalisundam Raa (2000), Yuvaraju (2000), Indra (2002),[6] Tagore (2003), Gangotri (2003), Vasantam (2003), Samba (2004), Chatrapathi (2005), Balu (2005) with actors Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Pawan Kalyan.[7][8][9][10]
Sajja then made a comeback and played a supporting role in Oh! Baby (2019).[11] His made debut in a lead role in Zombie Reddy (2021).[12] It is the first zombie film in Telugu cinema and received positive reviews from critics.[13] He also starred in Ishq: Not a Love Story alongside Priya Prakash Varrier which got mixed reviews. He completed his first sci-fi romantic film named Adbhutham alongside Shivani Rajashekar, which was released on Disney+ Hotstar, the same year.[14][15][16] He next worked in the Prasanth Varma's superhero film Hanu-Man (2024).[17] He recently starred in another superhero film titled Mirai, which was released on 12 September 2025.
Filmography
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Choodalani Vundi | Rama Krishna's son | |
| 1999 | Rajakumarudu | Vengalla Rayudu | |
| 2000 | Kalisundam Raa | Sandeep | |
| Yuvaraju | Teja | ||
| Bachi | Habibi | ||
| 2001 | Deevinchandi | Siva's son | |
| Prema Sandadi | Siddu Sidhartha Roy | ||
| Akasa Veedhilo | Ram and Lakshman | ||
| 2002 | Indra | Young Indrasena Reddy | |
| 2003 | Gangotri | Young Simhadri | |
| Ottesi Cheputunna | Young Surya | ||
| Vasantam | Young Ashok | Bilingual film; Shot in Telugu and Tamil | |
| Priyamaana Thozhi | |||
| Tagore | Tagore's adopted son | ||
| 2004 | Adavi Ramudu | Young Ramudu | |
| Samba | Chinna | ||
| Leela Mahal Centre | Young Prabhu | ||
| 2005 | Balu | Cherry | |
| Naa Alludu | Young Chandram / Young Suryam | Dual role | |
| Andarivaadu | Govinda "Govindu" Raju Jr. | ||
| Chatrapathi | Young Ashok | ||
| 2006 | Lakshmi | Young Lakshmi | |
| Sri Ramadasu | Raghunathudu | ||
| Astram | Teja | ||
| Boss | Young GK | ||
| 2009 | 7 Days In Slow Motion | Ravi | Debut as lead actor; English film |
| 2019 | Oh! Baby | Rama Krishna “Rocky” | Debut as adult actor |
| 2021 | Zombie Reddy | Marripalem "Mario" Obul Reddy | Debut as lead adult actor |
| Ishq | Siddharth "Siddhu" | ||
| Adbhutham | Surya | ||
| 2024 | Hanu-Man | Hanumanthu | |
| 2025 | Mirai | Vedha Prajapati | [18] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3rd IIFA Utsavam | Host | Gemini TV | Television special[19] |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Awards South | 2026 | Best Actor – Telugu | Hanu-Man | Nominated | [20] |
| Critics Best Actor – Telugu | Won | [21] | |||
| Sakshi Excellence Awards | 2022 | Jury Special Debutant Lead Actor of The Year | Zombie Reddy | Won | [22] |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 2022 | Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Won | [23][24] | |
| Best Male Debut – Telugu | Nominated | ||||
| 2025 | Best Actor – Telugu | Hanu-Man | Nominated | [25] | |
| Critics Best Actor – Telugu | Won | ||||
| Radio City Cine Awards Telugu | 2024 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Won | [26] |
References
- ^ "A Rising Star in Indian Cinema". 19 November 2024. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Teja Sajja wraps up shooting and commences dubbing for Prasanth Varma's Zombie Reddy - Times of India". The Times of India. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "HanuMan director Prasanth Varma says he 'wasted a lot of time' waiting for stars like Ram Charan, Allu Arjun and Jr NTR: 'Even if Tom Cruise comes to me…'". The Indian Express. 27 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Shamanthula, Raju (19 November 2024). "A Rising Star in Indian Cinema". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "Tollywood Child Artist Teja Sajja Biography, News, Photos, Videos". nettv4u. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Teja Sajja reveals a secret about Megastar Chiranjeevi's Indra - Times of India". The Times of India. 24 July 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Teja Sajja reveals a secret about Megastar Chiranjeevi's Indra - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Child artiste Teja Sajja turns lead actor". Telugucinema.com. 25 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Living the dream". The New Indian Express. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Former child artist and 'Oh Baby' actor Teja Sajja turns a male lead - Telugu News". IndiaGlitz.com. 23 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Oh! Baby' fame Teja Sajja turns hero in fantasy love flick". Telangana Today.
- ^ "Varun Tej heaps praise on Teja Sajja at 'Zombie Reddy' pre-release event - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Zombie Reddy Movie Review: A desi zombie film complete with factions and lots of drama", The Times of India, archived from the original on 29 September 2022, retrieved 8 February 2021
- ^ Vyas (1 July 2020). "Shivani Rajashekar as Vennela". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Ishq: Not A Love Story Movie: Showtimes, Review, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes". Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "'Ishq: not a love story' review: A scathing indictment of moral policing". The Week. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ Janani K. (25 June 2021). "Teja Sajja and Prasanth Varma's Hanu-Man goes on floors". India Today. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "'Mirai': Glimpse of Manoj Manchu as Black Sword from Teja Sajja's film out". The Hindu. 20 May 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Rana Daggubati, Teja Sajja's joke on Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram upsets fans". India Today. 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "Nominations for The 70th Filmfare Awards South With Kerala Tourism (Telugu) | Filmfare.com". www.filmfare.com. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Full List of Winners of The 70th Filmfare Awards South With Kerala Tourism (Telugu)". Filmfare. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Winners - 2021 - Cinema Awards". www.sakshiexcellenceawards.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "SIIMA 2022 winner's list: Allu Arjun's Pushpa wins big in several categories". India Today. 11 September 2022. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "10th South Indian International Movie Awards: Pushpa wins big, check full list of winners - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "SIIMA 2025 Telugu, Kannada winners list: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna win big for Pushpa 2; Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan honoured for Kalki 2898 AD". The Indian Express. 6 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ Shamanthula, Raju (19 November 2024). "A Rising Star in Indian Cinema". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.