Nandamuri Balakrishna says he doesn’t know who AR Rahman is, gets trolled

"I don't know who AR Rahman is. He won an Oscar and I don't even know who he is. He gives a hit once in a decade," Balakrishna said in an interview to the channel TV9. Speaking about Bharat Ratna, the actor said, "I feel that Bharat Ratna is equal to my father's toenail. No award can compensate for the contribution of my family to Tollywood. So, only the awards should feel bad. Not my family or my father." Also Read - What to watch on Disney Hotstar, Netflix, Hoichoi: 99 Songs, November Story and more

However, fans were not pleased with Balakrishna's controversial statement on Rahman. They mercilessly trolled the actor, and started trending a hashtag 'Who is Nandamuri Balakrishna' on Twitter. Incidentally, Rahman had composed the background score of Balakrishna's 1993 film, Nippu Ravva. Also Read - AR Rahman REACTS to Selena Gomez-Madonna's wish to collaborate with him

Soon, Balakrishna's fans were out defending him, saying he was a hero of the masses and a charitable personality. It remains to be seen what Rahman has to say about Balakrishna's remarks on him.