Akash set for bigscreen debut

Akash, the son of renowned singer Sunitha, and national racquetball champion, is set to make his film debut as lead actor in Sarkaru Naukri. The Sekhar Gangamouni directorial is produced by legendary filmmaker K.Raghavendra Rao (KRR).“How many will get such a chance?” Akash says of debuting under KRR. “That’s s o m e t h i n g unbelievable and I am very fortunate.”The director and the p r o d u c e r were looking for a young actor to headline the story.

Sekhar approached Akash after seeing his photos on social media. He narrated the story. “I liked it and said Yes. Later, we had a few acting and script reading workshops. And then the director revealed that KRR Sir would be producing it,” Akash recalls.

HIV IS THE THEME

Sarkaru Naukri is based on real incidents that happened in 1996. It deals with how the country (especially villages) was affected when the Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) was spreading like wildlife. “The film focuses on the lifestyle of the people at that time, and the tribulations they endured,” says Akash, adding that he plays a government employee.

SPORTS BUFF

Akash’s life has taken a dramatic turn from racquetball to films, but he says he was always inclined towards the arts.“I am a sports buff and played different kinds of sports. I loved racquet ball and felt it was a great way to burn calories. So I played for fitness. As I b e g a n excelling in it, I represented India(at the individual level) in 2015-16 when I was studying in Std 12,”recalls the actor.

FASCINATED BY THE ARTS

Akash is also a trained dancer and well-versed in music. “I come from a musically-oriented family,so dance was an extension of my personality. And I was always fascinated by performing arts, so films were a natural progression. Dance empowered me and gave me a lot of confidence to get into acting. But my mother wanted me to complete graduation before I stepped into films,” he shares.

‘I MUST PROVE MYSELF’

Since his mother has been in the industry for over 25 years, Akash has an understanding of how it operates. We ask how he is preparing for the inevitable trolls, criticism, etc. “As a kid, I have seen how my mother handled criticism.Yes, people may criticise me a b o u t being an epo kid,but eventually it is I who has to prove my worth,”he asserts, adding that s p o r t s taught him to deal with different kinds of people.