The heir to veteran actor Giri Babu, Raghu Babu made a mark for himself in the film industry with his own calibre and hard work. As one would expect, his father did not play the recommendation-card to help his son settle down sooner. The actor had to work his way through flops, unnoticed films and three serials for a decade before people took him seriously. And now, here he is – with a Nandi Award and over 250 films in his kitty.

In Sailaja Reddy Alludu, Raghu Babu played the role of an innocent man who got stuck between the midnight rendezvous of the hero and the heroine. Of course, he made us all laugh with his comic timings but we also sympathised with him.

In Saakshyam, Raghu Babu has a small role but his character leaves us thinking. He plays the assistant of Shiv Prasad, who is the father of Vishwa (Bellamkonda Srinivas). The actor himself believes that he is versatile and can bring seriousness or laughter to his character as required. And we agree with him!

In Nenu Local, Raghu Babu left us all in splits, something that he is perfectly capable of doing. Imagine being a father to the boy who ends up with being left by all girls – during the wedding season. Alas! But in the film, he makes you laugh at his miseries.

In A Aa, Raghu Babu has a cameo and the only thing that this actor does is to make you laugh. He has a dirty secret that could risk lives. While we laugh at it, we also discreetly hope that his secret isn’t revealed

In Supreme, Raghu Babu plays the father of the heroine (Rashi Khanna). If you have seen the film, you know how amazing the father-daughter duo is. But if you haven’t, then here’s a hint – they play a proud father and an incompetent sub-inspector daughter respectively. They keep massaging each other’s egos. Hey! That’s how most father-daughter relationships are, right?

In Pandaga Chesko, Raghu Babu is as one of the four brothers who had to separate from his wife because of a silly misunderstanding, for over two decades. However sad, it is heart-warming to see that a couple truly knows about each other irrespective of the distance between them.

In Sudigadu, Raghu Babu pairs with the new-age king of slapstick comedy, Allari Naresh. One is known for kickass comic timing and the other is known for his funny expressions. You know the output will have you rolling on the floor. Watch it believe it.

In Kandireega, Raghu Babu plays an intelligence officer. This film, as it is known, is a world of confusions and craziness. The actor loves essaying characters that lie between serious and comedy films and this movie is a testament to it.

Over the years, he has played a father, a henchman, a goonda, a sidekick and the likes. Yet, each time he brings newness to his roles. Watch more of his films on ZEE5.

We wish the actor a happy 59th birthday and hope that he continues to ace it all, time and time again.