At a recent felicitation event held in Hindupur, Nandamuri Balakrishna claimed that no other actor in the world has maintained a lead actor career for 50 years. While the statement was met with applause from his fans, it is factually inaccurate on several counts.
To begin with, although Nandamuri Balakrishna made his on-screen debut in “Tatamma Kala” in 1974, he only began playing full-fledged lead roles from 1984. His official debut as a hero is widely considered to be “Sahasame Jeevitham” (1984). Prior to that, his appearances were mostly in his father N.T. Rama Rao’s films or child or teen actor roles.
There is no doubt that Balakrishna’s longevity in the film industry is commendable. However, his claim of being the only actor in the world with a 50-year-long career as a hero is simply incorrect.
For instance, legendary Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood has had a leading career spanning over six decades. His breakthrough as a lead came with “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1964, and he continued to headline films like “The Mule” as recently as 2018.
In Indian cinema, Kamal Haasan’s first major role as a lead actor came with “Apoorva Raagangal” in 1975, marking 50 years as a leading man in 2025. His acting career itself spans over 65 years, beginning as a child artist. Malayalam superstar Mammootty has consistently played lead roles since 1981, even though he began acting in 1971.
Clearly, there are several actors—both internationally and in India—who have had longer or comparable careers as leading actors.
