Finally, Akhil Akkineni has tasted commercial success with his latest film, Lenin, after years of waiting. Ever since making his debut with Akhil, he had been looking for that one big box-office success, and Lenin has finally given him that breakthrough. To celebrate the film's success, the team held a grand success meet in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at the event, Akhil thanked everyone who worked on the film and those who stood by him throughout his journey.
"Lenin happened because of Nandu (director Murali Kishor Abburu). When he first narrated the story to me, I immediately wanted to do it and even told him not to narrate it to anyone else. He believed in me, and today you can all see the result," said Akhil.
He also thanked Jr NTR for lending his voice to the film. "With just one phone call, he came forward to support us. Tarak anna became a part of Lenin's journey by giving the voice-over, and I am truly grateful to him," Akhil said. Akhil also praised art director Avinash Kolla, who recreated the village of Sriramapuram on a massive set in Hyderabad. "I had worked with Avinash garu earlier as well. He recreated the entire village of Sriramapuram in Hyderabad, which made shooting the film much easier," he said.
He credited cinematographer Leon Britto for his on-screen appearance. "If I looked good on screen, the credit goes to Leon garu's cinematography," he said. Akhil also thanked editor Naveen Nooli, composer Thaman for his music and background score, the fight masters, dance choreographers and lyric writers for their contribution to the film. He expressed his gratitude to Bhagyashri Borse for bringing the character of Bharathi to life and also appreciated Kannada actor Pramod, who made his Telugu debut with Lenin as Vasanth. Akhil also said he hopes to collaborate with producer Suryadevara Naga Vamsi on many more projects in the future.
Speaking about his wife Zainab, Akhil said, "At home, I lovingly call my wife Zainab 'Bangaru Thalli' (my precious girl). Over the last three years, she has been my biggest pillar of support and has given me immense strength and courage whenever I was feeling low."
Talking about his father Nagarjuna, Akhil turned emotional. "Whenever I speak about my father, my king, I become emotional. The hug I gave him on the day of Lenin's release says everything. Over the last ten years, he has always encouraged me, stood by me with unconditional love and never once showed disappointment or negativity. I will always remain indebted to my father. He is my searchlight, my mentor and, most importantly, my best friend," said Akhil.
He added that his father means everything to him. "He carried Lenin on his shoulders and worked tirelessly on it for the last two years. Thank you, Nanna, for teaching me so much and for making Lenin what it is today," he said.
Akhil concluded by thanking his fans, especially Akkineni fans, who have stood by his family over the years. "I don't know what good deeds I did in my previous life to deserve so much love from my fans and the audience. I am not going to raise my collar in pride or celebrate wildly. From now on, I will remain calm and quietly keep fighting for all of you," Akhil said.
