Tollywood thespian Nandamuri Balakrishna has been honoured with a rare recognition by World Book of Records UK for completing 50 years in Cinema, becoming the first Telugu actor to receive the unique award which is a testament to his longevity in the film industry. On Saturday evening, a grand felicitation ceremony was held in Hyderabad to bestow the award to Balakrishna. Central Minister and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay and Andhra Pradesh IT Minister and son-in-law of Balakrishna, Nara Lokesh graced the occasion as chief guests. Several Tollywood celebs also attended the event.
Balakrishna expressed his profound gratitude to his parents for being his guiding light and also hailed his fans and filmmakers for inspiring him all these years. He dedicated the award to all his supporters in film industry and political journey. Balayya remarked that he has a huge family including fans, moviegoers in Telugu states, his costars and other technicians in Tollywood and said the legacy to continue the family was handed over by his father and legendary actor NTR.
Balakrishna said he only remembers the number of films he acted but never cared about the box office records achieved by them. He said there is a lot of potential to develop film industry in Andhra Pradesh because of the wide range of locations and employment opportunities. He said there are no language and regional barriers for art and movies. Balakrishna recalled that Telugu film industry has showcased the stamina of Telugu people and made everyone feel proud. He thanked the organisers of World Book of Records for the honour.
Nara Lokesh praised Balakrishna and called him a Mass Maharaja who redefined several records. Bandi Sanjay commended that Balakrishna is a straightforward person who never looked back in his life.
