Balakrishna's 5 Controversies. Latest: Actress Anjali Incident
Tollywood actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna aka Balaiyya has hit the headlines for the wrong reason. The ‘Simha’ star has come under fire for misbehaving with actress Anjali, during an event. In a video from the ‘Gangs Of Godavari’ promotional event that has now gone viral on the Internet, the ‘Legend’ actor was seen nudging Anjali on stage in front of the paparazzi, causing her to move aside quickly. While the actress laughed it off, netizens have lambasted Balaiyya for this rude gesture. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta reacted to the clip and called him a “scumbag.”
However, this is far from the first time the ‘Akhanda’ star has been in the news for misbehavior.
In 2016, the ‘Gautamiputra Satakarni’ actor again faced a backlash when he tried to defend his choice of roles. In 2018, a video emerged online capturing Balakrishna's behavior on the set of Jai Simha. In the footage, he is observed berating an assistant, striking him on the head, and instructing him to either clean or tie his shoes. Throughout the interaction, Balakrishna remains engaged with the crew, seemingly unaware that the incident is being recorded.
In 2021, Balakrishna slapped a fan in Hindupur after the person aimed a phone camera at him. When the incident stirred controversy, the fan, speaking to the press, claimed to be unperturbed by the altercation. Similarly, in 2017, Balakrishna slapped another fan in Nandyal after the individual accidentally fell on him while attempting a selfie. During the same year, at a screening, he tossed a fan's phone, and another fan was verbally abused for requesting a selfie.
In 2004, Balakrishna made headlines when he reportedly fired shots at filmmaker Bellamkonda Suresh and his associate, Satyanarayana Chowdhary, using a revolver registered under his wife Vasundhara Devi’s name. He stated that he lost consciousness after the incident and was swiftly taken to a private hospital.
Following his arrest, he claimed self-defense, alleging that he was attacked by Bellamkonda and Satyanarayana with a paper knife. The situation took a twist when a day later, Bellamkonda, who initially accused Balakrishna of attempted murder, suddenly suffered from amnesia, stating he couldn't recall who shot at him.
However, he did assert that he didn't assault 'Balayya Babu' with a paper knife, citing himself as a fan. He did acknowledge an argument before the altercation, resulting in injuries to both parties. Ultimately, the case didn't progress due to insufficient evidence.
In an interview with the podcast ‘BFFs With Vogue’, Radhika Apte opened up about working with the actor. Without taking his name, she revealed how she was harassed by him. “My first day in that Telugu film, I am lying because I’m not well (her character). The actor walks in; I don’t even know him, he starts tickling my feet. He is a big actor. I got up and snapped at him in front of everybody; I said don’t ever do that to me. He didn’t expect that, but he didn’t touch me after that. This never happened to me in Rajinikanth’s film. It’s particularly the two Telugu films I did,” she stated.
Apte had worked with Balaiyya in two movies - ‘Lion’ and ‘Legend’.
