Nandamuri Balakrishna, fondly called Balayya Babu and Balayya, turns 48 today. The trademark title Yuvaratna held by the actor has all the magic in it. Rose is a rose forever. When NT Rama Rao was the matinee idol of Andhra Pradesh, his 15-year-old-son entered the sets of Tatamma Kala as a child artiste. He enacted the brave and tragic scene as Abhimanyu in NTR’s all time blockbuster – Dana Veera Sura Karna (1977). The audience couldn’t digest it, because they saw Abhimanyu not as a character. He is the son of NTR, the demigod in the making. When he struck the silver screen as a full-fledged commercial hero with Disco King (1984), he received red carpet welcome as NTR’s heir. Perhaps, the hierarchical trend in Tollywood started with Balakrishna’s entry.

Balakrishna’s most happening journey since two and half decades is not a simple tale to wound up in one go. His latest Pandurangadu once again took him to the nooks and corners of the state, culling the so-called barriers of sectarian fandom. Whether his mettle getting into the shoes of his dad is perfect or not, he succeeded in tickling the audiences with nostalgia of an immortal film like Panduranga Mahatyam.

The year 2008 is going to play a defining role in the career of Balakrishna. The political scenario in the state has painted new dimensions to the actor’s future plans, professionally and politically. First of all, he has brought the younger generation heroes of Nandamuri vamsam under one umbrella to resurrect the lost glory of the Telugu Desam Party. One thing is clear: Two different opinions prevail in the TDP cadres and general public. Is he the real political heir of late NTR? If so, what is the role of Chandrababu Naidu? If only the party comes to power, who could be the chief minister? The third opinion is hazy – that after all, the activity is yet another form of dynastic politics.

Interestingly, Balakrishna has never shown any signs of over enthusiasm in politics. Even during the thick of political clouds hovering over the state, he maintained his cool. When his father was thrown out of power (wildly termed as backstabbing), he hardly spoke about politics. He is one and the only person in NTR’s family, who didn’t utter a single word against Lakshmi Parvati, who is widely seen as the woman behind the fall of NTR’s glory. These dignified traits always kept Balakrishna as a person apart. The moment he sang the marriage of his daughter with Nara Lokesh, he won a special place in the TDP cadres. The hardcore backstabbing theory saw its natural death.

With the political entry of Megastar Chiranjeevi getting cent percent certain, NBK’s role in Telugu Desam Party is being viewed curiously. The actor has openly said that he would do the ultimate for revival his father’s dreams. A talk about NTR’s legacy invariably brings to mind his highly popular reforms for the welfare of the underdog; and above all, the immense political awareness that the late leader had created. Going by his recent activities during the NTR Jayanti, it is clear that Balakrishna will don a difficult task as a warrior in politics, which is alien to him. At the same time, he made it clear that he is going to do more and more number of films to satisfy the Nandamuri fans. Finally, it is admirable that Balakrishna has not opted out of Tollywood.

mp3nmore.org wishes Balakrishna – Many Happy Returns of the Day with great success in all his endeavors to cheer the audience as an actor; and to resurrect the vision of late NTR for the uplift of the socially-deprived.