Nandamuri Balakrishna, who turned 65 on June 10, believes that age is no barrier to passion or performance. “I don’t want to reveal my exact age—I don’t believe in these numbers,” he said with his trademark charm in his speech at birthday celebrations. “My life is an open book. My fans know everything about me—even my mobile number,” he added with a chuckle.Recalling a surprising moment from his youth, Balakrishna shared an anecdote involving his legendary father, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR). “After I finished my intermediate exams, Dad asked me whether I had written the MBBS entrance test. I was shocked—he had trained me to become an actor! Still, I applied, and just an hour before the exam, I received the hall ticket. I couldn’t avoid it, so I went and randomly ticked boxes on the answer sheet,” he recalled, laughing.Decades later, he finally donned a doctor’s coat—but on screen. “It was in the blockbuster Simha that I played a doctor for the first time,” he said. Coincidentally, around the same time, he took on a new role in real life as well: becoming a management trustee of the Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital, named after his mother. “Things just happened on their own, without any planning,” he reflected.With a career spanning five decades as a leading man, Balakrishna proudly declares, “I am the only actor in the world to play a hero for 50 years. It’s a unique, unmatched journey, and I owe it all to the blessings of my parents.” His recent Padma Vibhushan award, he admits, holds a very special place in his heart.Always eager to challenge himself, the actor-politician believes in lifelong learning and reinvention. “We must keep sharpening our minds and taking up good roles. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as an MLA three times,” he noted.Speaking about his dedication to cinema, Balakrishna described filming for Akhanda 2 in freezing temperatures. “We shot in chilling 4-degree weather in Georgia. I was wearing just a dhoti and shirt, while others were shivering in jackets. I didn’t wear a shawl or coat—maybe I’m blessed,” he smiled.
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