Directed by and produced by Shyam Prasad Reddy , Anji was envisioned as a visual spectacle centered around the mythological concept of the Atmalingam . Chiranjeevi played the titular hero, a forest dweller who discovers a mystical stone with divine powers and must protect it from a power-hungry villain (played by Tinnu Anand ) seeking immortality. 2. The Seven-Year Journey

Released in 2004, Anji is not just another action drama; it is a fascinating time capsule. Directed by the legendary Kodi Ramakrishna—a filmmaker famous for his genre-defying horror films like Ammoru — Anji attempted something no Indian film had done before on that scale: a seamless blend of science fiction, Hindu mythology, time travel, and gravitational physics.

Many younger audiences confuse Anji with Acharya or other Chiranjeevi films. Actually, Telugu Movie Anji is a 2004 film starring the late Chiranjeevi’s real-life younger brother, Nagendra Babu , in the lead role. However, the film’s real "star" was the technical team and the mythological concept.