Nandamuri Balakrishna faces scrutiny over Padma Bhushan award; netizens ask, ‘What did he achieve?’

Tollywood star-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna was officially conferred with the Padma Bhushan award on April 28. The honour was presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a formal ceremony, and the video of the senior actor receiving the award went viral online.
Unexpectedly, netizens did not react positively, as many questioned the contributions he had made to the film industry.

social media reaction
The official video, shared by ANI on its X handle (formerly Twitter), drew attention from several social media users. A number of them questioned the legitimacy of the recognition, with one person commenting, “What did he achieve?”

One social media user shared a video of Nandamuri from Daaku Maharaj and wrote, “Isn’t he the same guy who played a role in the Urvashi Rautela-starrer Daaku Maharaj?” Another remarked, “These awards lose their value when given to people without character. Entertainment to some is not art.” A final reaction read, “Padma Bhushan wasted successfully.”

Some users also began circulating clips of Balakrishna with Urvashi Rautela from the 'Dabidi Dibidi' song and criticised the award committee’s decision.
Balakrishna was named one of the Padma awardees earlier in January 2025 for his contribution to Indian cinema. Kollywood star Ajith Kumar was also presented with the Padma Bhushan.
NBK's movies
On the work front, Balakrishna was last seen in 'Daaku Maharaj' directed by Bobby Kolli. The film marked Bobby Deol’s Telugu debut. The cast includes Pragya Jaiswal, Shraddha Srinath, Sachin Khedekar, Makarand Deshpande, and Urvashi Rautela, among others. Nandamuri will soon be seen in 'Akhanda 2', directed by Boyapati Srinu.