Naveen Babu Ghanta, popularly known as Nani, was born on February 24, 1984, to G. Rambabu and G. Vijayalakshmi. He completed his primary and high school education at St. Alphonsa’s High School in Hyderabad and pursued his intermediate education at Narayana Junior College in Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Hyderabad. Nani holds a degree from Wesley College, Hyderabad. Before entering the acting industry, he worked as a clap director and an RJ for World Space Satellite.

Nani’s acting journey began when director Nandini Reddy, who was an RJ at the time, invited him to work as an RJ at World Space. He hosted his own talk show called “Non-Stop Nani,” and Nandini directed an advertisement featuring him. It was during this time that director Mohan Krishna Indraganti noticed him in the ad and cast him in the lead role of Rambabu in “Ashta Chamma” (2008). The film, co-starring Swathi Reddy, Srinivas Avasarala, and Tanikella Bharani, was a significant success, and Nani gained popularity among the audience.

Nani’s career continued with films like “Ride” (2009), “Snehithuda” (2009), and “Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu” (2010), which achieved success at the box office. He gained widespread recognition with “Ala Modalaindi” (2011), opposite Nithya Menen, and made his Tamil debut with “Veppam” (2011). His role in “Eega” (2012) directed by S. S. Rajamouli was a major breakthrough, earning him several awards, including the Nandi Award for Best Actor.