Tanikella Bharani is an Indian actor, poet, playwright, director, and screenwriter who has worked in over 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi. He has won three Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards, and is known for his songs, including "Aatagadaraa Sivaa" and "Enta Mosagadivayya Siva". Bharani was born on July 14, 1954 in Secunderabad, Telangana, and is 1.73 meters tall. His ancestry includes poets and literary figures of Telugu literature, including Diwakarla Venkatavadhani, Viswanatha Satyanarayana, and Tirupati Venkata Kavulu. 

Bharani has directed several films, including Mithunam (2012), which won him the CineMAA Award Special Jury Award for Best Direction.