Will announce my next on 10th Jan: Akhil Akkineni

Akhil Akkineni is pretty much relaxed. Saying that he doesn't look at numbers, the youngster talks about what went well for 'Hello!', what mistakes he did.

What went into preparing for the much-acclaimed action scenes?

Both ability and training. Capability is one thing. But I also had to put in hours and hours of physical training under Bob Brown's team of 16 trainers who were in Hyderabad. There was a separate trainer for each of the segments like running, jumping, etc. It was a long 60-day training regimen.

What necessitated such training?

Our resolve was not to use CG at all. This was decided at the outset. That's why authenticity mattered.

What are you hearing from the audience?

Even women are loving the action sequences. As for reviews, all of them have been very positive. None of the reviews gave us less than 3 stars. A girl messaged me the other day, saying my acting in the climax stole her heart. The climax had to be right, given the nature of the story. Dad was looking out for it as he knew the story and saw its importance from the beginning. My performance has been seen by all as quite underplayed. Chiranjeevi uncle was saying that I have done a subtle act.

Was the flashback involving the children needed to be that long?

The crux of 'Hello!' is why Avinash and Junnu yearn so much for each other. This longing and love could be established only through such a strong childhood segment.

Your father was very much involved throughout as he took it as a challenge....

Yes. He is like this film's father. From editing and RR to dialogues, he oversaw them all. As a hands-on producer, he even deferred the project with RGV garu for one month.

What is your perspective after doing 'Hello!'?

More than numbers, what matters to me now is the process of filmmaking. I have got insights into it by working with Vikram Kumar, PG Vinod, etc. Even for singing 'Emo Emaindo', I worked with Anup Rubens for 100 hours. Working with meticulous people means a lot.

Don't you think the story of 'Hello!' is quite old?

That's not how I look at it. Love stories can be only 5-7 in number. There are no new love stories. This is true when we are in a commercial zone and not art film zone.

Don't you think 'Hello!' could have done better had there been no competition?

That is true. But Sankranthi, for example, has an even greater amount of competition. It's a given that long weekends and festivals are a favourite among filmmakers as they attract large crowds. Two-three good films can do well even if they release at the same time. We saw it last year when 'Soggade Chinni Nayana' released.

What about your film with Vamsi Paidipally?

We don't have a story in the first place! Nothing more than an informal meeting has happened. We are willing to work, provided there are call sheets and a proper story. The thing is informal meetings over a lunch are interpreted as projects being in force. That's the problem

Finally, how did you cope up with the emotional phase in your life in recent times?

By nature, I give my all when I take up to accomplish something. When Vikram Kumar approached me with the bound script of 'Hello!', I was very low emotionally. I asked him if he is ready for shooting. He said yes. And so did I. I got into it completely from that time. I am of that kind.

What is your next film?
I will announce it on 10 January 2018. I will not repeat the mistakes, I won't take gap now. I have decided to do more movies and in quick span.