Mahesh Babu has the starry halo behind him. It is not just that his films are hits. But he has a je ne sais quoi that makes stars out of popular actors.

After Chiranjeevi he maybe the one to fill the big shoes.

Mahesh is on the way to becoming an icon of sorts among the youth of Andhra. His appeal traverses both the worlds of urban and rural.

The real barometer of a person’s iconic rise is the commercial world of marketing. Significantly, Mahesh scores there with aplomb.

Local advertisement circles confirm that indeed Mahesh is being sought for commercial endorsements. But the young man is taking rather coolly.

He does not want to oversell himself. However, the news is that he is the new brand ambassador for Thumps Up cola drink.

The previous brand ambassador was Chiru.

So Mahesh replacing him (Chiru, of course, had voluntarily declined to endorse colas after the pesticide controversy) is a reflection of his growing stature.