When Akhanda (2021) released, director Boyapati Srinu and music director Thaman received huge appreciation from audiences across all sections. At that time, both openly accepted the audience’s feedback. But with Akhanda 2, the situation is very different, as Boyapati Srinu and Thaman are in denial mode to criticism.
The film, which was released one week ago, has received mixed to below-par feedback, yet the team is refusing to acknowledge it. Instead, they continue to project the film and its music as their best work, which has left many shocked.
Boyapati Srinu has even criticized audiences for pointing out logical flaws in the film. But he needs to remember that the same audiences once made the Boyapati–Balakrishna combination a super success. There is a thin line between creating magic and going overboard, and in Akhanda 2, Boyapati clearly crossed that line, which backfired and is evident in the collections.
Meanwhile, Thaman has blamed theater owners for not servicing speakers properly, saying that his background score is not loud (which has become a growing concern for his films lately), which again surprised audiences and showed a lack of acceptance of genuine feedback.
The Akhanda 2 team continues to give interviews, attend events, and visit theaters, projecting the film as a big success. They are even planning a success meet before Christmas.
Promotions and audience engagement are not wrong, and every team does them, but the main concern is that the makers are not listening to what audiences are saying. They could have analyzed what worked and what didn’t, trimmed the film accordingly, and addressed feedback in a balanced way.
Instead, they keep insisting that Akhanda 2 is a flawless film, which many find shocking, along with the reaction of Boyapati Srinu and Thaman to the criticism of their work.
