Actor Akhil Akkineni is making a comeback after three years with Lenin. His last film was the 2023 flop Agent. The action drama finally hits theatres today. Akhil’s former sister-in-law, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, cheered for him and sent her best wishes on social media.
Samantha posts on Lenin
Samantha took to her Instagram Stories and shared the trailer of Lenin. In the caption, she wrote, “Wishing Lenin @akkineniakhil and the whole team the very best. Big blockbuster vibes already.”
Akhil is the younger brother to Naga Chaitanya, who was previously married to Samantha. The two divorced in 2021 after four years of marriage. Both have since remarried and moved on with their respective lives, with Samantha getting hitched to Raj Nidimoru and Naga tying the knot with Sobitha Dhulipala.
About the film
Directed by Murali Kishore Abburu, the Telugu action-romance Lenin is set in the gritty Rayalaseema region. The story follows a brave protagonist who battles deep-rooted political and family friction, fighting against a cruel local leader. The film also stars Bhagyashri Borse.
Akhil, the son of actors Nagarjuna and Amala, began his career as a child actor with the 1995 film Sisindri, when he was only a baby. He played a cameo in the Akkineni family’s 2014 tribute to ANR, Manam, but his debut was the 2015 film Akhil, which failed to impress. There was a relaunch of sorts with the 2017 romantic drama Hello, which received favourable to mixed reviews.
At a press meet for the film, Nagarjuna spoke about Akhil facing setbacks in his career and requested to avoid comparisons with the career of the previous generation in his family. “There is always pressure on Akhil because of our family legacy. When I began my career, I had the same kind of pressure as well. It has always been a problem. Let us not compare his career with mine; we are not supposed to do this to anyone. Akhil has done many films. Almost none of them worked, but he gave everything to them as an actor. There is a pain in him because of that. That pain is why he connected so deeply with a story like Lenin. And that is when I knew this film would work. That is why I came on board as co-producer… There’s a certain kind of sorrow in Akhil. This movie’s story fits it perfectly. The movie will be fantastic. After hearing the story, I felt this definitely needs to be brought to you. It felt right to me,” he said.