Exclusive: Does Daaku Maharaaj star Nandamuri Balakrishna need to experiment with his mass hero image?

Nandamuri Balakrishna is one of the biggest names in the Telugu film industry. The veteran actor, who has been an integral part of Tollywood for nearly 45 years, enjoys a strong fan following because of his ability to play to the gallery. His films are usually associated with action sequences, punch dialogues and hero elevation scenes.

Daaku Maharaaj, his latest film, promises to be no exception to this trend. Most movie buffs are excited about seeing him turn ¡®god of the masses¡¯ again. However, some feel that he needs to try out something new. So, does he really need to venture into virgin territory in a bid to satisfy his detractors?

The formula is working for Balakrishna

Nandamuri Balakrishna has been playing to the gallery for many decades. Most of his films, especially over the last 20 years, have done well at the box office despite rarely impressing critics.

According to Ramesh Bala, a trade analyst, NBK should stick to his formula as it has often yielded good results.

¡°He has been doing this for a long time and the approach is still working. In fact, Akhanda (2021) was a massive hit for him. It had action and dealt with spirituality. He does not need to go in for any drastic change,¡± he told India Times.

Akhanda, directed by Boyapati Srinu, featured Balakrishna in a double role and gave him ample scope to showcase his abilities. It centred on an Aghori who fights against ¡®evil¡¯. The film collected Rs 150 crore at the box office and emerged as a blockbuster.

His experiments haven¡¯t been too successful

Generally speaking, actors should experiment with their reel image only if something good comes out of it, Rajinikanth, for instance, has been constantly stepping out of his comfort zone of late with much success. Jailer, an action comedy with dark humour, is a case in point. The Nelson-helmed film, which hit the screens in 2023, was a monster hit at the

However, unlike ¡®Thalaivar¡¯, Balakrishna has not found much success with films that didn¡¯t cater to his larger-than-life image. The two-part NTR biopic, which lacked mass elements, is a case in point. Both films flopped at the box office and took a toll on his career,

Given this, analyst Manobala Vijayabalan feels that Balakrishna should just stick to what he does best.

¡°Balakrishna has a separate fanbase, no matter what he does, there will be a set of audience who watches his films regularly. Mostly he should stick with his formula to ensure producers don't incur losses because of experimental movies,¡±he told India Times

Coming back to Daaku Maharaaj, it revolves around a robber who locks horns with dangerous foes to become a ¡®king without a kingdom¡¯. The cast includes Bobby Deol, Urvashi Rautela, Shraddha Srinath, Pragya Jaiswal, and Ravi Kishan. The Bobby-directed film is set to hit the screens on January 12.