Telugu actor Akhil Akkineni is making his big screen comeback after a three-year gap. His new film Lenin releases on July 10, and Akhil has now revealed exactly why the break lasted so long.
The gap began after Agent flopped at the box office
The 2023 film Agent was made on a budget of nearly 100 crore rupees but managed to earn only around 10-13 crore rupees at the box office. After the film turned out to be a massive disaster, Akhil Akkineni did not have a single film release for three years. He is now returning with Lenin.
A strange accident in the bathroom
Akhil said he suffered a serious injury about three to four months after Agent released, which kept him away from films for over a year. He explained that a strange accident at home meant it took him 16 months to fully recover, delaying his return to the big screen. He had slipped on the wet floor of his bathroom and fallen on a piece of glass, badly injuring his left hand. The glass cut through a nerve and a tendon, affecting his ring finger and middle finger, and he had to undergo micro-surgery.
He understands fans' frustration, but most of the delay was out of his hands
Akhil Akkineni said he fully understands his fans' disappointment. He admitted that he was partly responsible for the delay, but most of it was beyond his control since he was recovering from a serious injury. Akhil said, "I understand that this has been a long break. Half of it was my fault, half was simply not in my hands. I suffered an injury that took 16 months to recover from, and that took some time. I had two surgeries on my left hand. I got injured about three to four months after Agent released. It was a strange accident, I slipped on the wet bathroom floor and fell on a piece of glass."
Two micro-surgeries and 48 stitches on his hand
Akhil revealed that as part of his treatment he underwent two micro-surgeries and had a total of 48 stitches on his hand. He said, "It's a long story. In short, it was a really bad injury that shook me up completely. For almost seven to eight months, I couldn't lift any weight at all." During this period, the injury made it physically impossible for him to take on demanding roles or perform action sequences.
16 months of recovery and a mental struggle
Akhil Akkineni said, "In total, it took about 16 months to fully recover, get my strength back, get back into the gym and start doing physical activity and action again." The actor also admitted that the injury left him troubled and mentally quite upset in the initial period.
Now, a big screen comeback with Lenin
Lenin has been directed by Murali Kishore Abburu. It is a rural action drama that weaves a love story together with a socially important issue. The film stars Akhil Akkineni and Bhagyashri Borse in the lead roles. Lenin will release on July 10.
