Nandamuri Balakrishna & Shiva Rajkumar to do a film together; Century Star confirms at NTR Centenary Celebrations

Legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh CM N.T. Rama Rao's centenary celebrations event was a star-studded affair that saw the biggest of superstars of the Telugu Film Industry in attendance. The occasion, which was organised to mark Sr. NTR's 100th birth anniversary, was graced by a few of the icon's best-known co-stars such as Jayasudha and Jaya Prada along with other bigwigs of the industry like Daggubati Venkatesh, Ram Charan, Naga Chaitanya, Sreeleela and several others, with Nandamuri Balakrishna playing host to all the guests. 

Among these noted names of Telugu cinema was Kannada Film Industry's own Century Star Shiva Rajkumar who took the stage flanked by Balakrishna, as he recounted his most vivid memories of Sr. N.T. Rama Rao. The Vedha actor would discuss the first time he encountered NTR's superstardom while growing up in Chennai and how, in his experience, there have been only two superstars that have boasted a kind of mega fandom.

"My father was a Kannada actor and N.T. Rama Rao sir was a Telugu star. People would come all the way from Andhra Pradesh to see NTR sir and fans came all the way from Karnataka to see my father (Dr. Rajkumar). We used to feel that my father was like his younger brother," said Shiva Rajkumar. He would also throw light on N.T. Rama Rao's magnanimity by revealing that at the time when the film festival was organized in Hyderabad for the very first time in 1984, the legendary actor personally received guests of honour Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and others.

In the same vein, Shivanna made another exciting revelation which has now got social media talking. Speaking of the cameo appearance he made in Balakrishna's 100th film Gauthamiputra Satakarni (as Kalahasteeshwara), Shiva Rajkumar proudly announced that he will be doing a full-fledged film with Balayya. "We are going to do a film together," said Shivanna as he drew a huge cheer from the crowd in front, adding that he certainly hopes that their respective fans will accept this collaboration and encourage them. 

One now awaits more details regarding this exciting film which brings two second-generation superstars from the Telugu and Kannada film industries. Both Nandamuri Balakrishna and Shiva Rajkumar are currently busy with several other commitments but one hopes to see their maiden full-fledged collaboration go on floors at the earliest.