Nandamuri Balakrishna

Nandamuri Balakrishna is a leading actor and producer who works in Telugu cinema and is also a politician. He has acted in more than a hundred films. His father was N.T. Rama Rao, a legendary actor, and three-time Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He is the uncle of N.T. Rama Rao Jr.. Balakrishna is colloquially known as Balayya, NBK, Natasimham, and Yugaratna.

Over the years, he has appeared in films like Janani Janmabhoomi (1984), Mangamma Gari Manavadu (1984), Pattabhishekham (1985), Muddula Krishnaiah (1986), Muvva Gopaludu (1987), Muddula Mavayya (1989), Lorry Driver (1993), Rowdy Inspector (1992), Bangaru Bullodu (1993), Peddannayya (1997), Sultan (1999), Goppinti Alludu (2000), Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), Jai Simha (2018), and Akhanda (2021), among others.

Balakrishna grew up in Chennai before moving to Hyderabad during his adolescent years. He was a student of the Nizam College in Hyderabad, where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Commerce.

He began his career in the film industry when he was 14. His debut film was Tatamma Kala (1974), in which he played the role of Balakrishna. His father, the late N. T. Rama Rao, played the lead role in the film.

As a child artiste, he appeared in a string of interesting films directed by various directors, such as Annadammula Anubandham (1975), Rowdy Ramudu Kinte Krishnudu (1980), Anuraga Devatha (1982), and Simham Navindi (1983), among others.

He also acted in various films directed by his father, such as Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977), Shrimad Virata Parvam (1979), Akbar Saleem Anarkali (1979), and Shri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam (1979).

Balakrishna made his debut as a solo lead actor in 1984 in Saahasamey Jeevitham (1984), directed by Bharathi Vasu. In the same year, he appeared in another directorial venture of his father, Sri Madvirat Veera Brahmendra Swamy Charitra (1984), a biographical movie based on an Indian saint named Potuluri Veerabrahmendhra Swami Varu.

In K. Raghavendra Rao's action film Apoorva Sahodarulu (1986), Balakrishna acted in a dual role, which was the first among several other dual roles that he went on to play in his career.

A versatile actor, Balakrishna has portrayed various characters in his films, including an intelligence officer, a rowdy mechanic, a royal prince, a journalist, a smuggler, a sage from ancient times, an industrialist, a Hindu God, and a legendary actor.

He stepped into science fiction films with Aditya 369 (1991), directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, which was the first Telugu film belonging to this genre. He played a dual role in this movie.

He appeared in the role of a warrior in Singeetam Srinivasa Rao's mythological fantasy film Bhairava Dweepam (1994). It became the second highest-grossing Telegu movie that year and won nine Nandi Awards.

In 1999, Balakrishna played the title role in Gopal B.'s action-drama film Samarasimha Reddy (1999). It became a commercial hit and started the trend of faction-themed movies in Telugu cinema. The film also gave a boost to Balakrishna's career.

In 2001, Balakrishna acted in Narasimha Naidu (2001), a vigilante action-drama movie directed by Gopal B. The film was commercially successful and broke many records at the box office. Balakrishna's performance in the film won him Nandi Award for Best Actor in 2001.

Balakrishna essayed triple roles in Adhinayakudu (2012), where he appeared in the characters of a grandfather, father, and son.

His appearance in faction dramas continued with films like Chenna Kesava Reddy (2002), Simha (2010), and Legend (2014). Balakrishna portrayed dual roles in all these three movies.

Simha, directed by Boyapati Srinu, became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2010, and Balakrishna won the Nandi Award for Best Actor in 2010.

Legend (2014) was another movie that became a massive hit at the box office. Balakrishna won his third Nandi Award in 2014 under the Best Actor category for his performance in this film.

Gautamiputra Satakarni (2017) marked the 100th film of Balakrishna as an actor. It was an epic historical action film based on the life of the 2nd century AD ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni. The film was directed by Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi.

For his performance in this film, Balakrishna won the TSR - TV9 National Film Award for Best Actor (Telugu) in 2019. He also bagged the 7th South Indian International Movie Award for Critics' Choice Best Actor - Telugu in 2018.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indian cinema and public service, Balakrishna was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. He has also been recognized by the World Book of Records for his remarkable achievements and enduring impact on Indian cinema and society.

In 2019, he appeared in NTR Kathanayakudu (2019), a biographical film based on his father's acting career. In the same year, he acted in NTR: Mahanayakudu (2019), another biographical film based on his father's political career.

He appeared in a dual role in Gopichand Malineni's action-drama film Veera Simha Reddy (2023), which earned Rs. 48 crores at the box office on the opening day.

He followed it with Bhagavanth Kesari (2023) (2023), a critically and commercially successful film that won the Best Telugu Feature Film award at the 71st National Film Awards, further cementing his legacy in Telugu cinema.

He later extended his box-office success with Daaku Maharaaj (2025) (2025), reaffirming his enduring commercial appeal.

Akhanda (2021) further strengthened the successful Akhanda (2021) franchise with a successful theatrical run.

He is currently working on his upcoming film, tentatively titled NBK111 (2026), directed by Gopichand Malineni.