Akhil Akkineni Adding A Song To Hello, And Idolizing Dad Nagarjuna

Nagarjuna’s second-born Akhil is in a happy state of mind now. Though his debut film the eponymous fiasco entitled Akhil didn’t work and though his proposed marriage plan was suddenly aborted last year. Akhil is now looking forward to the release of his second film entitled Hello.

In fact he is shooting for an additional song for the film in Hyderabad as we speak.

Akhil speaks, “No, it’s not my introductory song in the sense of ‘Hero Jumping On To The Screen’. It’s more a number with a montage of images. My director Vikram and I decided at the last minute that this song needed to be shot. So here we are.”

Akhil whose elder brother Naga Chaitanya got married last month, is very excited about Hello. “Believe me,this feels like a new beginning for me.Not that I’ve any regrets about my first film. It was a learning experience for me. And I’m grateful for the opportunity. But I think somewhere we went wrong with the planning and execution of my debut.”

This time Akhil has covered all the bases, thanks to his Dad Nagarjuna. “My Dad has been on board for the entire project. He has produced Hello and has made sure that everything is just right this time. In hindsight, I feel I should’ve started my career with a home production. When I have the greatest guide and mentor at home why not avail of his wisdom?”

Akhil can’t stop gushing about his father Nagarjuna. “From childhood, both me and my brother have had only one hero, and that’s our dad, We look up to him for guidance in both personal and professional matters. Both my brother and I want to conduct ourselves with the same dignity grace restraint and kindness that my father has become known for over the years. Unfortunately I have a temper. I tend to flare up once in a while.I am trying to control that.”

Dad Nagarjuna has advised Akhil to go easy with the career choices.

Says Akhil, “I don’t intend to do too many films one after the other. I’ve decided to take it nice and slow. After all I am only 24 and I’ve all the time in the world.It took me almost three years to do my second film. I wanted to make sure my second film was the right vehicle for me.And Hello felt right from the start. It’s a very happy film about the search for love, because my director Vikram is a very happy person. I promise you, audiences will come out of the film with a smile on their faces.”

Interestingly Akhil’s Hello releases on the same day as Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai.

Laughs the young affable actor, “Yon won’t believe this. But my debut film had released on the same day as Salman bhai’s Prem Rattan Dhan Payo. Now my second film is coming with his Tiger Zinda Hai.I’ve spoken to Salman Bhai about it. There is no clash as such. He is so much bigger. I am just starting out. I just hope audiences will want to see both his and my film.”

Any plans to get married , now that the first attempted was foiled?

“None at all. I want to make this very clear. I am not getting married for a very long time.My entire focus is on my career. Please pray for Hello to work. It’s planned as my first major step towards making my parents proud by building a career like my father’s.”