Birthday special: Have you seen these Balakrishna movies?

Balakrishna, Telugu cinema's mass hero, turns 61 today

There's no denying the fact that Balakrishna is one of the most celebrated actors in Telugu cinema. The 'man of the masses' enjoys a huge fan following because of his strong screen presence, powerful dialogue delivery and larger-than-life personality. On Thursday, as 'Nata Simha' turns a year older, here are five films that bear testimony to his talent.

Aditya 369 (1991)

The science-fiction saga is widely considered to be one of the first Indian movies to explore the concept of time travel. The film featured the mass hero in a double role and had a gripping storyline with commercial elements. It emerged as a big hit while receiving rave reviews for its effective presentation.

Narasimha Naidu (2001)

The vigilante drama, which was set in Rayalaseema, is widely considered to be of the best mass movies of the early 2000s. It was directed by B Gopal and created a sensation with its dialogues and action scenes. The biggie revolved around the life of a 'simpleton' with a tragic past and attained cult status. The blockbuster had an impressive cast that included Simran, Preeti Jhangiani, Jaya Prakash Reddy and Mukesh Rishi.

Simha (2010)

Simha, which marked Balakrishna's first collaboration with director Boyapati Srinu, was an action drama that focussed on the lives of a college lecturer and his father. The film featured plenty of elevation scenes and grand action scenes. It emerged as the highest-grossing movie of the year.

Sri Rama Rajyam (2011)

Balakrishna stepped into his legendary father Sr NTR's shoes when he starred in Sri Rama Rajyam, a remake of Annagaru's yesteryear classic Lava Kusa. The mythological drama featured NBK as Lord Ram and received praise for its engaging plot. Balakrishna did justice to the challenging part and earned a Filmfare nomination in the 'Best Actor' category.

Legend (2014)

NBK and 'Srinu garu' reunited for the 2014 mass drama Legend, which helped the seasoned actor consolidate his standing as a mass hero. The plot revolved around the intense rivalry between two families/factions and clicked with 'N' fans. It is perhaps best remembered for the 'history repeats' dialogue and the intense scenes featuring Balayya and Jagapathi Babu.