65-year-old Balakrishna takes a dig at heroes using green screen instead of coming to set: ‘I'm original, not duplicate’
On the sidelines of IFFI Goa 2025, Nandamuri Balakrishna spoke to the press and mentioned how heroes these days don't come to the set, unlike him.
Actor Nandamuri Balakrishna turned 65 this year in June. The actor, who also marked 50 years in the film industry last year, spoke to the press on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where he was honoured for his career achievements. He took a dig at actors who shoot in front of green screens instead of coming to the set and said this.
Balakrishna takes a dig at actors shooting with green screen
Balakrishna called out the ‘technical domination’ in filmmakers while reflecting on his 50 years in the film industry. According to ANI, he said, “I have completed 50 years in the film industry. Why? It's not that I am the son of NTR; that's why I am continuing. It is the knowledge I have about movies, and it's the legacy I am taking. For what it is, I take pride in it. Only nowadays, filmmaking is totally technique-dominated.”
Calling himself an ‘original’ as compared to actors who rely on technology to do their job, he said, “My movies are larger than life. So my stories are important to me, and we do use (technology) when needed. Nowadays, they are using it for everything. The heroes also don't come into the sets. They just shoot before the green mat or the blue mat. And I am original. I am not a duplicate.”
Balakrishna’s career
Balakrishna debuted in the 1974 film Tatamma Kala. His first film as a lead was the 1984 film Sahasame Jeevitham. The actor has been on a success streak lately, delivering back-to-back hits with films like Akhanda (2021), Veera Simha Reddy (2023), Bhagavanth Kesari (2023), and Daaku Maharaaj (2025). His next film, directed by Boyapati Srinu, is a sequel to Akhanda. Co-starring Samyuktha and Harshaali Malhotra, the film will be released in theatres on December 5. He also plays an important role in Nelson Dilipkumar’s Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2.
