Tollywood superstar and Telugu Desam Party MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna is facing backlash for shoving actress Anjali at the ‘Gangs of Godavari’ event. This is not his first controversy; he’s previously been criticized for slapping fans, abusing colleagues, and making vulgar comments about women. Here are the 5 times Nandamuri Balakrishna grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons and got away easily with his misappropriate actions.
Firing Shots At Filmmaker
In 2004, Balakrishna fired shots at filmmaker Bellamkonda Suresh and his associate Satyanarayana Chowdhary with a revolver registered to his wife. Balakrishna claimed self-defense, stating they attacked him with a paper cutter. Initially, Bellamkonda accused Balakrishna of attempting to kill him but later claimed amnesia, recalling only that he hadn’t attacked Balakrishna. The case was ultimately dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Slapping Fans
Videos of Nandamuri Balakrishna slapping fans have repeatedly surfaced online. During an election campaign in Nandyal, he slapped a fan trying to take a selfie. In 2017, he slapped a supporter attempting to garland him while campaigning for TDP candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy. In 2021, he slapped a fan in Hindupur for pointing a phone camera at him, though the fan later dismissed the incident.
Abusing Assistant, Asking Him To Tie Shoelace
In 2017, Balakrishna was caught on camera abusing his assistant, hitting him on the head, and demanding he tie his shoelaces. Despite widespread criticism and calls for a ban, no action was taken against him.
Vulgar Comments Against Women
In 2016, a police complaint was lodged against Nandamuri Balakrishna for making vulgar comments about women at the ‘Savitri’ audio release event. He said: “If I play eve-teasing roles and just follow girls, my fans will not accept. Either a kiss should be given or they should be made pregnant. That’s all. We have to commit ourselves.”
Following public outrage, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) issued a statement which stated: “Balakrishna regrets his remarks and apologises if they hurt the feelings of any section. He made those remarks as part of fun (during the movie function) and did not aim at anyone. He also said that he inherited the culture of respecting women from his father NT Rama Rao.”
Radhika Apte’s Distasteful Experience
Radhika Apte, who starred with Nandamuri Balakrishna in ‘Legend’ and ‘Lion,’ shared on Neha Dhupia’s show that a prominent Telugu actor tickled her without consent, describing her unpleasant experience in the industry.
She said, “I did south Indian films, they pay you well and you bloody deserve it. I wouldn’t generalise it, but in the projects I worked on, there was (no gender equality). These men are extremely powerful and you’re called two hours before, made to wait, treated differently.”
Radhika added, “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 on Rajinikanth’s film. It’s particularly the two Telugu films I did.”
A video of his many controversies is also going viral on Reddit, check out!
ALSO READ: Anjali BREAKS Silence After Balakrishna Pushes Her During An Event
Read on Lehren - ‘Slapping Fans’ To ‘Shooting Filmmaker’: 5 Times Nandamuri Balakrishna Made The Headlines
source https://lehren.com/regional/telugu/slapping-fans-to-shooting-filmmaker-5-times-nandamuri-balakrishna-made-the-headlines/194103/