Tottempudi Gopichand is a renowned Indian film actor and producer who has made a significant mark in the Telugu film industry. Born to the late T. Krishna, a prominent Telugu filmmaker, Gopichand's early life was not focused on acting, but rather on academics.
He did his schooling at the prestigious Ramakrishna Mission School in Chennai, before moving to Russia to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. However, his life took a dramatic turn when his older brother, who was working as an associate director under Muthyala Subbaiah, tragically passed away in a car accident. This event sparked a desire within Gopichand to extend his father's legacy and pursue a course in dialogue modulation.
With this newfound passion, Gopichand began to focus more on the film industry, making his acting debut in 2001 with the Telugu film Tholi Valapu, where he played the role of the protagonist, Prem. Although the film did not fare well at the box office, Gopichand continued to hone his craft, taking on the role of the antagonist in three Telugu movies, Jayam, Nijam, and Varsham.
His performance in Jayam, in particular, received widespread critical and commercial acclaim, marking a turning point in his career. Gopichand's debut in Tamil cinema came in 2003 with the film Jayam, where he reprised his role from the original Telugu version. He went on to star in several successful Telugu films, including Yagnam, Ranam, and Lakshyam.
Gopichand is known for his versatility, having played both action and drama roles with ease. Despite being typecast as the protagonist in most of his movies, he has won awards in the 'Best Villain' category four times and has been nominated for the same once. His notable antagonist roles in films like Jayam, Nijam, and Varsham earned him the CineMAA, Filmfare, and Nandi Awards for 'best villain' in all these movies.
In his personal life, Gopichand married Reshma, the niece of Telugu actor Meka Srikanth, in 2013. The couple has two children, Virat (born in 2014) and Viyaan (born in 2018). Apart from his film career, Gopichand is also involved in philanthropic work, donating Rs. 10 lakhs to the Corona Crisis Charity during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
