Akhanda 2 Review: Nandamuri Balakrishna's film tests your patience and your willing suspension of disbelief

Language: Telugu

Director: Boyapati Shreenu

Cast: Balakrishna Nandamuri, Samyukta Menon, Jagapati Babu, Kabir Duhan Singh, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra

It is nothing less than a celebration when an NBK film releases. With chants of “Jai Balayya” and audiences hooting and clapping at his entry, the excitement in theatres rarely disappoints. That is probably why writer and director Boyapati Sreenu believed it was a good idea to bring a sequel to ‘Akhanda’, despite the film receiving mixed response. But, what looks like a clear attempt at fan service ends up being an excessively long watch (2 hours and 50 minutes) that tests your patience, questions your devotion, and tears through your willing suspension of disbelief.

Fine, this is a fantasy drama, and the audience is not expecting logic. So you will not question why the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing a vaccine, or how one unarmed girl at the DRDO can take down men who killed several trained commandos. Logic has no place here, which is understandable, but Sreenu and Balakrishna ask viewers to stretch their imagination so far that it becomes headache inducing, and even the spirited calls of “Jai Balayya” begin to fade.

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There is a lot happening in the plot. Murali fights thugs single handedly and delivers a long monologue about how marijuana destroys everything and how, under its influence, men misbehave with women. The film also comments on how India has stayed united despite multiple attacks because everyone believes in God and carries faith in their hearts. Towards the end, it begins preaching the superiority of Sanatan Dharma and how a certain neighbouring nation is inferior to India (iykyk). There is even a “tum log” versus “hum log” monologue in the climax that, surprisingly, was approved by the CBFC.

NBK does everything here, a little as Murali and a lot as Akhanda. He performs physics defying action, chops off a man’s tongue (which is somehow stitched back), kills villains with a Trishul and spins it along with them, and drinks while flipping the glass the way he flips mics. The problem is that the blows start landing on the audience, whose interest may drift during the barrage of unnecessary action sequences and the slow motion introductions of nearly every character.

The makers seem to have put little effort into the dubbing. The Hindi version resembles the poorly dubbed Tamil films often seen on TV. The jarring background score, NBK’s roar every time he fights as Murali, and some of the dialogues can easily get on your nerves.

Is there nothing good in the film? There is heavy use of VFX, and while it is not top tier, it is not terrible either. The actors are sincere, though they have very little to do because this is an out and out Nandamuri Balakrishna show. It is a treat to see Harshaali Malhotra again as Janani, and it would have helped if Jagapati Babu’s character had been given more to do than widen his eyes in anger, revenge or amazement.

The film is also unintentionally funny and could have entered the “so bad it’s good” category if it had been even slightly more self aware.

If you absolutely worship NBK and have nothing better to do, you can watch the film. Just make sure you leave your brain safely at home and carry a lot of patience.

1.5 out of 5 stars.

The film is currently running in cinemas.