Radhika Apte called Nandamuri Balakrishna ‘humble’, video resurfaces after Telugu film remarks

Actress Radhika Apte recently spoke about an unpleasant experience she had while working on a Telugu film, recalling how she was made to marry her “mama” (maternal uncle) on screen and had to romance a much older actor. While she did not name the film or the actor during the conversation, fans were quick to identify the project as Boyapati Srinu’s 2014 film Legend, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna. Her remarks have now brought an old interview from the film’s promotions back into the spotlight, in which Radhika had praised her co-star and described him as a humble person to work with.

In the resurfaced video from Legend’s promotional campaign, Radhika is seen speaking warmly about Balakrishna and her experience of working with him. She praised his craft, dancing skills and humility, and recalled how he helped her with her Telugu dialogues on set.

“I’m absolutely grateful to be a part of this film. The story is very powerful, very emotional, and it has the power and capacity to reach to absolutely everybody, like, right from young people to women in the households, to working men, to old people, everybody. So it’s like a family film also for young people,” she said.

On Balakrishna specifically, she said, “He’s very refined in his art and he’s also an excellent dancer. He has so much experience and he comes from such a big family, but he’s a very humble person to work with.”

Also Read: ‘I hated everything about it’: Radhika Apte recalls romancing older actor in Telugu film

She had also shared how Balakrishna helped her with her Telugu dialogues during shooting. “He used to help me with my lines, in spite of being such a big superstar. Literally, every line, he used to tell me, ‘Relax, don’t worry. Take your time, take another take, no problem. No stress,'” she recalled. “It was really wonderful to work with him.”

What Radhika said recently

Speaking to Zoom alongside her Akka co-star Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Apte was asked about the most challenging role she had played. “There was a Telugu film I did where I had to marry my mama (maternal uncle),” Radhika Apte said. “That was the most challenging role. Everything about it, I hated.” She did not name the film or the actor.

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Keerthy Suresh’s reaction was initially one of surprise before she began laughing. She then explained the cultural context: “It’s a very Tamil, Telugu thing where you marry your uncle.” The practice of cross-cousin marriage has historical roots in South Indian culture but is viewed as outdated by many in younger and urban audiences.

Radhika Apte clarified that it was not just the uncle-niece dynamic that made the experience difficult. The age difference with her co-star and the broader atmosphere of the film compounded her discomfort. “I had to romance a much older actor,” she said. “It’s a very patriarchal situation and place. For me, that was the toughest thing.”

When Legend released in March 2014, Balakrishna was 54 and Radhika Apte was 29.

She also described how her character’s arc ended. “And then I die in the middle of it. He had to throw me and then do action,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder. “I was like, when am I going to die?”

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About Legend

Legend (2014) is a Telugu action drama directed by Boyapati Srinu. Nandamuri Balakrishna plays a dual role alongside Jagapathi Babu, Sonal Chauhan and Radhika Apte. The actress reunited with Balakrishna for Lion (2015), which was her final Telugu film.