Aadhi Pinisetty is portraying the antagonist opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna in Akhanda 2, which is set to release on December 5. The film is directed by Boyapati Sreenu. It marks Aadhi’s second collaboration with the director, having previously worked together on Sarrainodu. In that film, he played Vairam Dhanush, opposite Allu Arjun, and received critical acclaim for his performance.
“This role in Akhanda 2 is completely different from Vairam Dhanush,” said Aadhi. “I’m very excited about Akhanda 2. The look is extreme, the performance is intense, and everything is over-the-top. It’s a completely new experience for me. I’ve given my best, and now I’m eagerly waiting for the audience’s reaction when the film releases,” he added.
For the first time in his career, Aadhi revealed that he didn’t even listen to the story before taking the role. “When Boyapati garu approached me and said I would be playing opposite Balayya garu, I didn’t ask about the story. I only asked, ‘Am I good enough? Is it strong?’ Boyapati garu was confident, so I trusted him and accepted the role,” he said.
Reflecting on Sarrainodu, Aadhi shared an interesting anecdote. “When Boyapati garu approached me for Sarrainodu, I listened to the story twice and even took two days to decide. It was my first time playing a villain, so I needed to be sure. Once shooting started, I trusted him completely. The film became a huge success, and my performance was appreciated. Since then, I’ve had complete faith in Boyapati garu, which is why I accepted Akhanda 2 without knowing the story,” he explained.
Discussing the challenges of his role in Akhanda 2, Aadhi said, “The makeup is the biggest challenge. It takes nearly three hours to apply and one and a half hours to remove. We used prosthetics and different get-ups for the first and second half. The makeup process is really tedious.”
He also praised the film’s character design. On the female characters, he admitted, “As I mentioned, I didn’t listen to the story, so honestly, I don’t know much about their characters. I don’t have scenes with Samyuktha or Poorna in the film.”
Talking about Balakrishna, Aadhi said, “His energy levels are incredible. Working with him was a lot of fun. On the very first day, he even called me for lunch and was very friendly. It’s hard to match his energy in front of the camera, but I gave my best and now await the audience’s response.”
Aadhi reflected on his career, saying, “I never planned to become an actor. I completed my engineering and initially wanted a regular job. But once I entered films, I started loving this profession. I never aimed to become a big hero; my goal has always been to work honestly. I want to continue acting and exploring different roles as long as I can, giving my full effort to every project.”
When asked about guidance from his father, veteran director Ravi Raja Pinisetty, Aadhi said, “We mostly talk about Balakrishna garu and how honest he is. My father didn’t give any tips or suggestions regarding my role in Akhanda 2.”
