Release Date : December 02,2021
Rating : 3.25/5
Starring: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Pragya Jaiswal, JagapathiBabu, Srikanth, Avinash, Poorna, Subbaraju
Director: Boyapati Srinu
Producers: Miryala Ravinder Reddy
Music Director: Thaman S
Cinematography : C. Ram Prasad
Editor: Kotagiri Venkateshwara Rao
It has been quite some time since we have seen Balayya in a mass role. He is now back with Boyapati’s Akhanda. The film has been released today and let’s see how it is.
Story:
Murali Krishna(Balakrishna) is a well-known people’s man in the faction-ridden Anantapur district. Things get problematic in his area when a mine owned by Varadarajulu(Srikanth) creates massive problems for the poor. Murali Krishna takes on Varadarajulu but gets arrested sadly. When the goons create more havoc with Murali Krishna’s family, Akhanda(Balakrishna as Aghora) enters the scene to save everyone. Who is this Akhanda? What is his background? and how he saves everyone is the story of Akhanda.
Plus Points:
It has been a long time since the fans have seen Balayya in a powerful avatar and to their happiness, Boyapati Sreenu provides them a full meal by showcasing Balayya in a never-before-seen avatar in a double role.
Balayya does full justice to his roles but it is the character of Akhanda which the fans are going to love the most. Balayya as the Aghora is on another level in the film. Be it his screen presence, dialogue delivery, or intense look, Balayya is solid and impresses one and all.
One of the biggest assets of the film is Thaman’s BGM. If not for Thaman, the film would have not looked the way it did. Thaman’s BGM for all the elevation episodes is amazing. Pragya Jaiswal gets a good role and makes full use of it. Kalakeya Prabhakar is also neat as the ruthless cop.
Last but not the least, Srikanth is ferocious in the negative role. He surprises one and all with his screen presence and gives a good fight to Balayya. But his screen time is limited.
The first half is impressive and the way both the characters of Balayya are unleashed is just superb. The film is filled with several fan moments and the song, Jai Balayya is just the icing on the cake.
Minus Points:
Like in all Boyapati films, there is not much story in Akhanda. There are no basic twists and you exactly know what is going to happen next. The first half is quite long even though the fights are good.
The problem of Akhanda lies in its second half. Once the character of Akhanda makes an entry, there is no strong opposition to him. Balayya just keeps killing the goons and the novelty point is missing big time. A proper villain elevation would have made things even better.
The emotional angle is also missing a bit in the second half as the family and mother angle looks forced on the viewers. Too many fights in this half are also an issue. Though the fights are good, they look repetitive after a point here.
Technical Aspects:
As said earlier, Thaman has breathed life into the film with his work. Special mention to the way the fights have been choreographed. They give several adrenaline-pumping moments for the fans.
Dialogues are of typical Boyapati style and the way Balayya mouths them is also superb. The dances, lyrics, and costumes of Balayya are also good. However, the film can easily be chopped off for at least ten minutes to make things crisp.
Coming to the director Boyapati, he has lived up to the hype created and has given fans what they were missing. He wrote two powerful characters for Balayya and showcased him superbly. If he would have had an even stronger conflict point in the second half, the output would have been better. Though he went overboard with the logic and fights in his last film, he has taken care of those errors here.
Verdict:
On the whole, Akhanda is a feast for hardcore fans and Balayya gives them ample moments to cherish with his stunning act. The story is dull and violence in the second half is in excess. Akhanda is a kind of film that the class audience might have issues with. But as it has been a long time since a biggie has come out in theatres, the masses will surely lap it up as Akhanda is filled with Balayya’s mass masala avatar like never before.
