On the occasion of Republic Day, the central government announced the Padma Awards. As part of this, the government selected Nandamuri Balakrishna for the Padma Bhushan Award for his contributions to the film industry. In this context, Balayya made comments advocating for the Bharat Ratna to be awarded to his father, senior actor N.T. Rama Rao (NTR).
Balakrishna expressed his happiness, saying, “I am very happy to receive the Padma Bhushan. My sincere thanks to the central government. I see this not as a title, but as a responsibility,” he said.
He further added, “It is my fortune to be born as NTR’s son. I request that the Bharat Ratna be awarded to him. This is the wish of all Telugu people. As the former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh and a legendary actor, NTR served the people in many ways. Such a great personality deserves the Bharat Ratna,” Balakrishna appealed to the central government. In addition to Balakrishna, Tamil star actor Ajith Kumar and former popular actress Shobana, among others, were also selected for the Padma Bhushan awards by the central government.
