Venkatesh was born to Dr. D. Ramanaidu and Rajeshwari in Karamchedu, a village in Prakasam District, A.P. He has an elder brother, D. Suresh Babu, who runs one of the most prestigious banners in Telugu cinema, Suresh Productions, and a younger sister, Lakshmi. Venkatesh did his schooling in Don Bosco, Egmore, Chennai. He graduated with a B.Com from Loyola College in Chennai and got his MBA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA.[1] After his return to India, he wanted to get into production but instead, became an actor in Telugu films.
Venky is married to Neeraja and they have four children: a son named Arjun Ramnath and three daughters, Aashritha, Havyavahini and Bhavana. His nephew, Rana Daggubati, son of popular producer D. Suresh Babu, is also a movie star. Venky is a die-hard fan of cricket; he supports his home team Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) in the Indian Premier League.Venkatesh debuted in Kaliyuga Pandavulu in the year 1986. The movie was not only a hit but also got him his first Nandi award, which is a rare accomplishment for an actor who has just completed his debut film. At an early phase in his career, Venkatesh acted in Swarnakamalam, directed by K Viswanath, which got him his second Nandi award. Bobbili Raja, with the delightful Divya Bharti, was a big comedy and a musical hit. Venkatesh worked with Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma on the film Kshana Kshanam. In 1991, Chanti, a family drama, was a box office hit that got him a huge fan following among women in both Telugu and Hindi films.
