Challenge to find your path when you come from film family, says Akhil Akkineni

PTI, Nov 7, 2021, 12:30 PM IST

Hyderabad: Actor Akhil Akkineni, son of South star Nagarjuna and actor Amala, says it is not easy to emerge out of the shadows of acting legends in a film family.

Akhil, whose grandfather was iconic actor-producer Akkineni Nageswara Rao, believes as star kids they are under constant scrutiny and expectation to excel with every film. While being born in a film family is a privilege, the 27-year-old actor said it can be daunting when one is trying to make their mark. ”It has been a challenge to find my own path. When you have a lot of actors at home, you are born in their shadows, as their son or grandson. It takes a lot to break out of that. There is a lot of pressure from their fans, our fans, to deliver from day one.

”While there is an immense amount of privilege that I am very well aware of, there is an immense amount of pressure also. There are pros and cons to it. I take it in my stride,” Akhil told PTI.

A year before his debut as the leading actor, Akhil appeared in a cameo in the 2014 Telugu fantasy drama ”Manam”, which featured him alongside Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and his half brother, actor Naga Chaitanya – in their only screen outing together. Over the years, the actor said he has realised that the only way to make a space for himself is by investing in his work rather than succumbing to the pressure of being compared with others in the family. ”I am well aware of who I am and where I have come from. I deal with it by putting in as much hard work as I can. I am here to work, push my limits and see where I can go. Concentrating on my work rather than over-thinking these things is the best way to go about it.” Akhil recently starred in the Telugu romantic comedy ”Most Eligible Bachelor”. He will be next seen in the spy thriller feature ”Agent”, co-starring veteran star Mammootty.

The actor said ”Agent”, directed by Surender Reddy, will be a departure from the love stories he has featured in like ”Hello” (2017) and ”Mr Majnu” (2019).

”It is a spy film. I am attempting a new genre. It will be an action-entertainer. I will be going all out with that film. Let’s see where that leads. We have begun shooting and are in that process. This is a departure from what I have done and I am truly enjoying it,” he said.