NBK111 glimpse: Nandamuri Balakrishna unveils new avatar on 65th birthday
The makers of NBK111 released a special glimpse titled Entry of an Era on Nandamuri Balakrishna's 65th birthday, offering fans their first look at the actor's new avatar.
Nandamuri Balakrishna rang in his 65th birthday with a major surprise for fans as the makers of his upcoming film NBK111 released a special glimpse titled "Entry of an Era". The video offers the first detailed look at the actor's character in his upcoming film. The film's official title, however, remains under wraps.
The birthday glimpse presents Balakrishna in a fresh new avatar, quite different from the mass roles he has been known for in recent years. The makers had been building anticipation around this transformation with the tagline, "No more vintage, only new age," which was featured in the film's promotional campaign ahead of the release.
Long before the video shared, the project had already caught the attention of fans through a striking poster featuring a massive sword, dark rain-soaked visuals, flames and bullet motifs. The newly released video expands on those themes, hinting at a story packed with action, mystery and grand-scale storytelling.
The film's cinematography has been handled by Arvind S Kashyap, who is known for his work on the Kantara films. Ahead of the glimpse release, music composer S Thaman praised Kashyap's work and said fans would be impressed with the way Balakrishna has been presented in the film.
Directed by Gopichand Malineni, NBK111 is a historical action drama that is set across two timelines -- one in the ancient past and the other in the present day. The director reportedly began working on the script after completing his Hindi film Jaat.
The film is being produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under the Vriddhi Cinemas banner and is being made as a pan-India project. A large amount of VFX work is also being used to bring the film's grand vision to the screen.
The cast features Nayanthara as the leading lady, while Samuthirakani and Manoj Manchu are set to play important roles. Manoj had confirmed his casting in the film earlier this year. Music for the project has been composed by S Thaman, who is also handling the background score.
NBK111 marks Balakrishna's second collaboration with director Gopichand Malineni after the success of Veera Simha Reddy, which was a box-office hit in 2023. The makers are positioning the new film as a much bigger project in terms of scale and ambition.
The shooting is currently underway, and the team recently completed a major schedule in Hyderabad. While reports suggest the film is targeting a November release, the makers are yet to officially announce a release date.
The film is special as it marks Balakrishna's 111th movie as an actor. He was last seen in Daaku Maharaaj in 2025.