Mohan Babu began his career as a
Physical education instructor at the YMCA college of physical education for many years. During this time, Mohan Babu was introduced to
Dasari Narayana Rao who was then a script writer in Telugu cinema. This would pan out to become the most significant event of his career. Mohan Babu's first major breakthrough as an actor came with the 1975 film
Swargam Narakam, directed by
Dasari Narayana Rao. Dasari cast him as a villain in the movie and went on to achieve great success. It was after this movie that his birth name Bakthavatsalam Naidu was changed to Mohan Babu. After appearing in many films as a comedy-villain, he proceeded to star as the leading actor in
Khaidi Kalidasu,
Ketugadu,
Gruha Pravesam,
Assembly Rowdy,
Allari Mogudu and many more. He appeared in a few Tamil films starring
Sivaji Ganesan. In 1978, he appeared in
Sivaranjani. The movie heralded the 'villain' and also came out with many of the mannerisms. He had an outstanding mentor in the form of
Dasari Narayana Rao, who guided him in the right direction and gave him the initial foundation substratum he required to do well. Mohan Babu followed this success by portraying a variety of roles in his next films such as
Simha Garjana (1978),
Simha Baludu (1978),
Rama Krishnulu (1978),
Padaharella Vayasu (1978),
Nayudu Bava (1978),
Shokilla Rayudu (1979) and
Ravanude Ramudayithe? (1979). His roles in
Patnam Vachina Pativrathalu (1982),
Billa Ranga (1978),
Dharma Poratam (1983),
Padmavyooham (1984),
Bhale Ramudu (1984) and
Sanchalanam (1985), showed a diverse range, despite often playing the villain. In October 2020, his film
Son of India directed by
Diamond Ratnababu was launched and was produced by
Vishnu Manchu. Mohan Babu has penned screenplay for the film. The film was released in 2022. Though not announced officially, Mohan Babu declared that his next films would be mythological film
Ravana Brahma and historical film
Kannappa. Where has Mohan Babu and
Vishnu Manchu are teaming up to produce the
Kannappa film which was announced on 18 August 2023 with a 200 crore budget. Following their attendance at the premiere of
Horizon: An American Saga at
Cannes 2024, Mohan Babu, accompanied by his son Vishnu Manchu, daughter-in-law Viranica Manchu,
Prabhu Deva, and the 'Kannappa' team, presented a teaser of their film, garnering warm applause from the audience. In Dec 2025, Mohan Babu marked his 50th year in the film industry by hosting a celebration titled
MB50, which was attended by prominent figures from the cinema and political spheres. ==Producer==