Akkineni Akhil is high on the success of his latest film Hello. On this occasion, we caught up with him for a very detailed interview. Here is the transcript.

How relieved are you finally?

Yes! I am very happy that my work is being appreciated. What’s more important is that my performance as an actor has been liked. I wanted to showcase my acting skills in this film and I am very happy that things have finally fallen into place. I still remember the day before the release, I couldn’t sleep the whole night until I got a call from the US revealing the film’s result. It has been a very emotional journey for me.

Can you elaborate on that?

I was going through a huge personal turmoil after my first film failed. Things happened so quickly that it was very hard for me to get back. I hardly came out of my home and this is the time my parents helped me to fight my battle. Also, the moment the story of Hello was ready, I was back in action and the process of filming made me forget all the tensions in my life.

What was the best compliment that you received for the film?

One girl wrote on Twitter that I stole her heart during the climax of the film. This was the best compliment I received for the film. Also, my brother Chay said that he loved me as an actor in the film. He said that I had grown a lot as an actor after my first film which made me very happy.

What kind of effort did you put in for the film?

As I knew that the film will have some stylish action sequences, I started training three months before the shoot. Bob Brown our action choreography took charge of things and he is the one responsible for all the superb stunts you see in the film.

What made you sing for the film?

Both me and Anoop used to spend a lot of time together. One fine day, he asked me to hum a few lines. He liked my voice and forced me to sing for the film. Things did not happen right away as I trained for about a month for the song. I did not want to sound foolish and I am glad that my work is being appreciated.

What kind of care did your dad take for this film?

More than he is my father, he is the father of the entire film. Right from the script to the post-production stages, he was involved in every department of the film and made sure that I get the best of things for my relaunch. The way both my mom and dad supported me during this film is just unprecedented.

Where do you things went wrong with Akhil?

I take complete credit for my debut film. I believed in the film along with Vinayak garu and we both went wrong completely. I wanted a huge film in a commercial format and never took care of how I should showcase myself. The film’s failure itself was a huge learning experience and I understood that more than anything else, the story of the film is very important.

What kind of directors do you want to want to work in the future?

As of now, I am concentrating only on Telugu films. I love watching Hindi films and Ayan Mukherjee is my favorite director. Also, I want to work in new age films which will be quite realistic with a strong storyline.