Akhil Akkineni on ‘Lenin’: ‘The Era of Superstars Carrying Their Image From Film to Film Is Over’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Akhil Akkineni returns to the big screen with “Lenin.” Marking his comeback after a hiatus, the actor is excited about this new turn in his career. In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Akkineni discusses choosing a character-driven role, co-producing “Lenin” with his dad, Nagarjuna, and enjoying playing a dual role both in front of and behind the camera.

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Does ‘Lenin’ feel different because you've been involved as both actor and producer?
To be honest, there is an added layer of pressure because we are producing the film. But our family has always been producing films. We enjoy the process of filmmaking, and my father is as much a producer as an actor. So, that comes organically to us, as we respect the job a lot. With this film, there is a lot more workload than with a regular film, but it is worth the effort.

You had produced ‘Hello’ with your father, so how different was producing ‘Lenin’?
We had produced ‘Hello’ nine years ago. Back then, the equation was very different. It was just the beginning of my career, and I was learning the ropes. But with “Lenin,” it has been more of a collaborative effort. While my father was the boss. I've been an executive producer on set.

What was the experience of playing both an actor and a producer on set?
I have no complaints. When we came across the script of “Lenin,” my father and I loved it so much that we decided to produce it. We felt it was a very unique and offbeat script. It's not your regular commercial movie. Such movies need to be made in a certain way. You need to take a more gutsy approach and try not to commercialize it more than it should be.

What appealed to you most about playing Lenin?
Lenin is a very simple boy who is surrounded by a bunch of jackals and hyenas. Bharati (played by Bhagyashri Borse) plays my love interest in this film. It is a village version of Romeo and Juliet. So, there is a lot of drama that surrounds the love story.

‘Lenin’ is a rural drama. What made you gravitate towards this space?
I have been on a journey over the last few years, during which I have found myself returning to my roots. I've gone back to watching my grandfather’s films. I feel his “Donga Ramudu” made me realize that cinema needs to return to character-driven scripts, where it’s the actor who takes over and not the star. So, I feel we've returned to that format of filmmaking where the audience is seeking a high-quality experience in three hours for the money they pay. The younger generation of actors have to realize that the era of superstars carrying their image from film to film and doing a certain amount of commercial acting, which includes five songs and five fights, is over now.