Combating expectations: Akhil Akkineni gears up for 'Mr Majnu'

After receiving a lukewarm response for his last two releases – fantasy drama Akhil and romantic action thriller Hello, actor Akhil Akkineni is bracing up to break the box-office jinx with his third film, Mr Majnu. “These films taught me important lessons and the setbacks have made me a better person. I have always taken note of my onscreen mistakes and waiting to see the audience reaction post-release of Mr Majnu.” shares Akhil.

Asked about how he landed the role, he says, “I have been friends with director Venky (Atluri) for 10 years. Mr Majnu’s script was offered to me even before my first film, Akhil released. As I was committed to other films, I asked Venky to not wait for me and go ahead with another actor. Surprisingly, he reserved this script for me and after wrapping up our respective films, we started this project.”

Elaborating on the flavour of the movie, Akhil said it’s a first-timer for him with a genre that offers wholesome entertainment. “It’s a riveting love story loaded with good music, emotions, action, youth appeal and entertainment. The entire first half revolves around my character and it’s quite challenging to portray it. But I enjoyed doing it as the role gave me a sense of fulfilment. I can confidently say this is one such film, which I’ve never done at all,” explains Akhil.

Introspecting, Akhil realised he had to choose roles carefully. “I have been feeling the pressure ever since my debut film was announced. High expectations and the hype and hoopla surrounding my films made me a conscious effort to choose scripts carefully. I’m enjoying this phase as it gives me hope for betterment and strength to live up to the reputation,” reveals the Sisindri actor.

At the pre-release event of the film, Nagarjuna has asked Akhil to focus firmly on doing out and out commercial flicks. “My dad wanted me to reinvent myself as a commercial hero and work in films that have all the mandatory elements that qualify for a mass entertainer. He wanted me to learn the mass hero niche from Tarak (Jr NTR) anna. But I don’t know how to go about it and I should seek his help,” says Akhil.