Akhanda 2 Trolled for Exaggerated Action and Gravity Defying Stunts
While Nandamuri fans are hailing the invincible Aghora’s heroic feats, the film has received mixed reactions in many centres, including the US, judging by the volume of trolls online.
The much-hyped Nandamuri Balakrishna starrer Akhanda 2 hit the screens on December 15 to sensational openings across the two Telugu states, though it received a mixed response in several centres. However, the Aghora-centric action drama has been facing heavy trolling over the past few days, with netizens questioning its gravity-defying stunts. One particular scene, where Balakrishna performs ‘Drishti’ while holding a thug upside down, has drawn widespread attention on social media.
While Nandamuri fans are hailing the invincible Aghora’s heroic feats, the film has received mixed reactions in many centres, including the US, judging by the volume of trolls online. Commenting on the trend, producer-director M S Raju said that trolls have now become a form of publicity, and that too unpaid. “Trolls trigger curiosity among fans. Audiences want to check what the trolling is all about, which eventually increases footfalls in theatres,” he observed.
Akhanda 2 is a supernatural thriller that blends multiple genres such as patriotism, science fiction and black magic to present a mass entertainer. “A single genre has become predictable, so directors are trying to mix different genres in Tollywood, which itself is a challenge,” M S Raju pointed out. Do new generation audiences really have a different perspective while watching Telugu superhero-like films compared to Hollywood films like Avengers, Superman and Spider Man where heroic feats are also a bit exaggerated? "I don’t think so. Any big action needs to be backed by strong emotion; otherwise, even superhero content will feel lagging,” he added.
After a sensational opening day with Rs 28 crore net collections, including Rs 8 from premieres in the Telugu states, the film registered around Rs 16 crore on day two in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Social media negativity appears to have impacted the collections. “Many Telugu audiences are yet to watch the film, and these slight variations in collections can be ignored. If a film is good enough, negativity will fade in the coming days,” M S Raju concluded.
Balakrishna and director Boyapati Sreenu have delivered a string of blockbusters in the past with films like Simha, Legend and Akhanda. Akhanda 2 marks their fourth collaboration and serves as the sequel to Akhanda. Defending the over-the-top action, which has once again sparked debates about logic and even memes showing ‘Newton’ being knocked down as villains fly through the air, Boyapati Sreenu addressed the criticism in a post-release promotional interview.
“When we open the film, we clearly establish that Akhanda undergoes Ashta Digbandhana for 12 years to achieve Ashta Siddhi. Once he attains it, he becomes a superhuman, equivalent to a superhero. For someone like him, conventional logic or magic does not apply. If you observe closely, there is logic. We explained in the film that he is exceptional because of Ashta Siddhi,” the director said.