In his 100th film, he played Gautamiputra Satakarni, second-century ruler of the Satavahana dynasty in the epic war film "Gautamiputra Satakarni" (2017). The film was screened at the first "Edinburgh Festival of Indian Films and Documentaries". Balakrishna has received three state Nandi Awards for Best Actor for his works in "Narasimha Naidu" (2001), "Simha" (2010), and "Legend" (2014) as of 2014. In 2014, he received the South Indian International Movie Award for best actor for his work in "Legend". Balakrishna serves as the Chairman of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research.