You know when I was offered Bachelor it was about two and a half years back when I
two years back and when I heard the script, I thought Mr Allu Aravind had called me I
said, sir another love story. Oh God.
The next few films are not going to be love stories are
very, very openly talking about that for the first time actually
At least until I’m until I know that I’ve given it everything I have and grasp the opportunity
I have I know that I won't be ready to get married at least
So, the biggest thing for me obviously was when I was entering into the industry there was a
lot of expectations, hype around the launch all of that which comes with a launch of
someone’s son or someone's grandson, I have to specifically strongly say this it puts a lot of pressure
Virat Kohli.
Wow, very interesting.
I think that would be a journey of passion, journey of
fires and what dedication he has in fact he has influenced me in a lot of ways
Hello everyone. Our guest today made his debut in 2015 as Akhil and since then he’s not only
become a celebrated actor but is indeed the Most Eligible Bachelor.
Yes, you've guessed it right. We have Akhil Akkineni with us. Hi Akhil, welcome to Pinkvilla.
Hi, how are you? Thank you very much.
You know I’d like to begin this interview by talking about Most Eligible Bachelor’s theatrical
release. We have been amidst a pandemic for a year and a half now where not many films
release in theatres, what do you have to say about the Most Eligible Bachelor's big-screen release?
At the moment to be very, very honest this is like a new experience all over again we haven’t
had a release in two years we've crossed two lockdowns, come across two waves of Covid and
now finally like you said most importantly releasing the theatres
So, we make I mean we’ve set out to make movies for the theatres with all respect to the
OTTs so suddenly now after two years sitting now promoting my film getting ready in two
days for the theatre release, I’m feeling like it’s my first film all over again
Yeah I mean it's been a while. I had a pre-release event the other day when I saw some
we saw the fans and we had an event after so long it was like I was actually nervous
walking into the event and it was like you said was feeling a little alien to me again I
was finding my feet again until I held them I can actually spoke I was finding my but I’m
absolutely thrilled that we’re coming to the theatre and I’m glad that my team, my whole
Most Eligible Bachelor team held its fort and we stood our ground and we waited for the theatre.
Did you miss going to the theatres not as an actor but as a viewer?
Absolutely you wouldn't believe even during the pandemic we would make popcorn and
would have like a coke or diet coke or something just for a theatre experience, just to
create that experience at home we would do that on purpose but you know I have to tell you
from when I was a little boy going to the theatre was part of my life not just to a multiplex to
a single screen theatre for the first day first show I would throw papers myself and I would
I’m totally a part of that culture and I miss the theatres very much I’m watching the first
show of my film definitely in the theatre and I can’t wait to go and experience that euphoria again.
Sure, I think all the 90s kids will relate to the single screen
theatre because we didn't have multiplex in that
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, it’s quite interesting but Most Eligible Bachelor I saw the trailer and it looks really
interesting I think the tone of the movies also as such is very important and I think will give
some is more lighter which will make people happy in these grim times
Very well said I mean for us coincidentally we had set out to make a film that we will talk
about love, about the issues of married life and all of that but we will talk about in a very
entertaining way. We want someone, we want anyone who comes to the theatre and watches
our friend we want them to go with the spirit lifted and with a smile on their face and I really
think that is the need of the hour at the moment people want to come to if you do come to a
theatre at this point, in this situation in life I think you want to come out laughing want to
come out with your spirit lifted no one wants to be bogged down anymore we’ve had enough
in our life for the last one and a half year everyone has faced enough troubles I think and for
me, that's the biggest you know confidence I have that everyone's going to walk into the
theatre and laugh have a laugh riot and come out with a nice smile on their face.
Absolutely what attracted you mainly when you offer this script?
You know when I was offered Bachelor it was about two and a half years back when I
about two years back and when I heard the script, I thought Mr Allu Aravind had called me I
said, sir another love story. Oh God. Am I in the mood for another love story or not? But he said
it's a very fresh one just hear it out I said of course. I heard it and there was more than a
love story to it. It’s not just we're not dealing with issues just between a boy and a girl
between Vibha and Harsha, the characters we're not dealing just between their issues my
director has very beautifully brought out what most people face in their real life, real-life
issues in a relationship, in a married couple's life all of that and he's beautifully given you a
few solutions to them hopefully people can take those solutions back home but more
importantly he's told all of these solutions in a very humorous and pleasant way and it will be
a light-hearted film where everyone can take something
home and relate and they’ll be able to relate something in their lives.
But as a leading man do you also feel this stereotype in the business sometimes that you
know once you have given a blockbuster in something the same kind of roles keep coming back to you?
So, in my case, I think yes that lover boy image is a little bit it
has been following me that also comes with the baggage or the legacy sorry of my family.
Yes of course.
Those a lot of love stories my family has done and so you know honestly, I am I have taken a
conscious decision that you know after this film I am breaking that pattern
The next few films are not going to be love stories already very openly talking about that for
the first time actually and my next film is called Agent.
Yes.
After that is not a love story and these decisions have come not because I’m bored of love
stories I don't like love stories it's the very question that you have asked me as an actor I don't
want to be stereotyped and I promise you one thing when you see Most Eligible Bachelor I
will not have done the same thing I have done last it's very different from what I’ve done
before I have removed myself from the character completely and we've done a very honest
film is what I really believe and that's what this film will stand apart from the others we've
removed any cinematic heroism all of that we've tried to take away all of that and make a
very relatable boy next-door character and try to present a me that someone will relate to very
easily it was very important for us having said that I am breaking my pattern I’m not doing a
love story for a while and I’m excited to move on and move forward as an actor and try and
present myself in new ways and after Bachelor, Agent is that first step
But when you say that you want to break away from the pattern what kind of roles, we'll
expect to see Akhil Akkineni like in the future are you looking like doing that over-the-top action?
See, I feel that it's important to have a graph or it's important to have an ultimate
goal of what you're trying to do I have had the time to think over the last maybe a year and a
half because of the lockdown and things have slowed down, life has slowed down
professionally and personally we've had a lot of time to introspect and try and understand
what I’m really trying to do and in that process I have sort of gained more clarity on the actor
I want to be which is approach each role differently and try and progress as an actor from
film to film which means if I do one type of action film I’m doing a spy action film next I’m
not going to do the same style of film after that even if I do an action film I will try and find a
very, very different character which I will be able to present myself very differently
otherwise I don't think I will be excited to go to work every day and sort of you know
honestly be able to make an effort I will start to again be stereotyped into that sort of role
which we were talking about so whatever it is my promise to myself was that I will pick
something that will completely excite me so that in turn I can
give my best and then excite the audience whoever is watching
Sure, sure you know there's a very interesting line in your trailer and correct me if I’m wrong
in translation but it says you know if you want your marriage to be happy you have to have a
successful career as well you have a successful career, you are the Most Eligible Bachelor
what's happening in your life? Are you single?
You know the dialogue which we have said in the trailer is the dialogue of the first half
character which is basically there's a transformation if you see you'll see that they're two
looks it’s the first half Harsha’s dialogue which basically he believes that everything is a
calculated process in life he has calculated that 50 percent is career, 50 is married life
everything is like a sketched-out plan and you know he goes
about in in that sort of manner so that character is not me.
So, for me if you ask me at this point honestly frankly be honest with you I am 100 in my
career right now I have made up I have prioritised my career way too much for me to have
anything else going on right now in my life so honestly, I’ll tell you there is nothing going on
for me and for a while at least until I’m until I know that I’ve given it everything I have and
grasp the opportunity I have I know that I won't be ready to get married at least
Sure, but as a brother, I just hope I hope to see you married also very soon and very
No, no I have I definitely want to eventually and all of those dreams are there, all of those
hopes are there but you know it's just that last one and a half years we've lost a lot of time
with this Covid and these moments coming back into my career taking momentum again
are very important and I want to give it everything I have.
You made your debut in 2015, we are in 2021
It has, it really has flown but it has also been a very fascinating journey you have received a
lot of love that has come your way in the last few years, has it been overwhelming?
You know love received is overwhelming always you have to take it and you have to calm
yourself down and remember that love comes with a lot of responsibility so the biggest
thing for me obviously was when I was entering into the industry there was a lot of
expectations, hype around the launch all of that which comes with a launch of someone's son
or someone's grandson, I have to specifically strongly say this it puts a lot of pressure,
It puts a lot of pressure on us and sometimes it can get tough and that responsibility is what
reminds me every day how hard I have to work so every day when I wake up it's not you
know the love is overwhelming and it’s very beautiful I can say that you know I just I enjoy it
every day I can say that but it also have tell you how important it is that I understand my
responsibilities and that I have to live up to that so every day
that pressure makes me work hard for sure yeah
Sure, and you rightly said you know being a star kid and with
this entire debate around nepotism it's not easy for you'll?
Yes, you know while I understand the privileges I’ve been born with while I
understand that I’m very well aware of it I’m also aware of the
responsibility and the effort I have to put in to live up to that
What are your thoughts on nepotism?
Like I said while I understand it, I’m aware of it
I am aware of what I’ve been born with and I respect what I’ve been born with and that is
why I work harder or I work double hard I try that hard to live up to those privileges that
I’ve been given and I would like to say that it's important to
know what you have been given and I will always remember
Sure, you're also a sports lover specifically cricket is your favourite. Given an opportunity as
an actor if you could play a real-life character onscreen of a sports personality what would
that be? Have you ever imagined to play someone on screen?
So here and there a few biopics come in but I feel strongly that it's easy to say that let's okay
let's just make a sports-oriented film we can just pick up cricket, horse riding, this that we can
just do it but unless the stories that the sports will not be highlighted and I’ve still not found that yet.
I'm so looking forward to 1983.
Yes, me too.
Yes I can't wait for the film to release that’s something you know those that script like that is
something like you know which really excites me I hope to see that film work out on
screen I wish the team all the best but what I’m trying to say is you need something really,
really monumental, you need something really gripping as a story for the sports to be
highlighted it’s not at the end of the day we can't just come and watch a sport being
played on screen it needs content to elevate it I’m really hoping that someday something
really gripping comes to me because I’m absolutely crazy about sport hopefully someday
something will come along where I’ll be able to take my teeth into and prepare myself
properly and convince everyone that I’m a sportsman.
I'm sure you will but is there a journey of a sports person that
has fascinated you which you think you can portray onscreen?
Virat Kohli.
Wow, very interesting. I think that would be a journey of passion, journey of fire and what
dedication he has in fact he has influenced me in a lot of ways, the way he carries himself and
the way he dedicates himself to his craft, to his sport it's incredible to see someone so
dedicated and the zeal to be, the passion to be number one maybe a story on him someday would be great.
As far as Hindi films are concerned you know we haven't really heard anything of late that
you’re making you know we constantly keep hearing about south actors coming to the Hindi
space but we haven't heard about you a lot in recent so
Nagarjuna sir is doing Brahmastra, Chaitanya is doing Lal Singh Chadha
So at the moment I think over the last year and a half things have slowed down we’ve not
really, we're not understanding whether to start a Pan-Indian project now or not because of
the pandemic there are a lot of big issues but I have not had the time or I have not really
found the script maybe yet that I’m trying to present myself there opportunities you never
know what will arise when right now I’m concentrating at home which is Telegu for me and
hopefully someday we can find a script that will be universally accepted and there as well I
hear Mr Majnu has done some insane viewership on OTT if I’m not wrong so
you never know maybe I’ll hit the screen, big screen at some point and yeah, I think Pan
Indian projects have become very you know it’s not that unexpected to have a Pan-Indian
project now but to find the right one and come with the right one as your debut is always
important so until I find the right one and I feel that this is
the way I want to present myself Pan-India I’ll take that step.
I can’t agree more. Any film of your father’s that you think should be remade with you?
You know those golden films if we touch this
My problem is if I want to remake it must be a very good film like he's done a film called Hello Brother
Yes.
Okay so that film for me is like one of my all-time favourite films and the issue that is so
good, how am I going to better that film? So there's going to be so much pressure on me and I
would never forgive myself if I remade it and ruined it so all of these thoughts run in my
mind but if you ask me for the sake of answer, I will say Hello Brother.
Lovely but I hope it's made at some point and I hope
everything that you do in the future is successful.
Thank you so much, Akhil. This was a lovely conversation
Thank you so much for your time.