For Aadhi Pinisetty, Akhanda 2 is his second outing with director Boyapati Sreenu. When the spiritual sequel to Akhanda came his way, the actor was so confident in the director's ability that he accepted the offer without asking for the story. In this interview, the Rangasthalam actor talks about his character in the Balakrishna movie, which hits the cinemas on December 5.
Co-starring Kabir Duhan Singh, Samyuktha and Harshali, Akhanda 2 is one of the biggest sequels to come out from Telugu cinema.
The only question I had in mind when Akhanda 2 was offered to me was whether I would be strong enough as Balakrishna's antagonist. The director told me I would make for a perfect fit. This is the first time in my career that I have played a character that is into mantras and tantras.
When I did Sarrainodu with Boyapati Sreenu, I played a commercial movie antagonist. On the other hand, the character in Akhanda 2 is different. I had limited scope to imagine how I should approach the role. The director gave me certain references, and told me what kind of a look I should have, etc. He tested my look in the required get-up.
In terms of highs, Akhanda 2 will be denser than Akhanda. Watching Balayya’s action, Boyapati’s treatment, Thaman’s music, and the many elevations will feel like being struck by a ten-thousand-volt current shock. The action sequences are many and huge, two of which are gigantic. Thaman's focussed background score will make it all the more goosebumps-inducing.
We shot an action sequence for 15 days continuously during the summer. By noon, many people collapsed due to sunstroke. But Balayya used to stand there in that scorching sun. He wouldn't even hold an umbrella.
It’s no ordinary feat to produce a film with such a huge budget across so many different locations. 14 Reels Plus, however, took great care and produced this movie wonderfully. I hope to work again and again with a production company like this and with producers like Ram Achanta and Gopi Achanta.
