Son of veteran actor Shashi Kumar, Akshith, was all set to have a dream launch this month, when the Covid-19 decided to play spoilt sport and brought the entire nation into a lock-down. The young actor’s film is titled Seethayana — a bilingual in Kannada and Telugu ( Seethayanam ). The film, directed by Prabhakar Aaripaka will later be released in Tamil in a dubbed version. Akshith is paired opposite Anahita Bhushan, who also makes her debut with this film, which is produced by Lalitha Rajyalakshmi.
Akshith speaks to MetroPlus about how he feels about his debut film and what he is doing to keep himself busy during the lockdown.
Excerpts
Tell us about Seethayana
The film is very special to me. However this is my second film. The first was Modave. We started the film in March 2019 and suddenly it got stalled. It was falling into a dump. It hurt. Then after eight months, I got this offer and was cheerful, and now this Covid-19 thing happened.
How do you feel now about your second film also being delayed...
What has happened is very unfortunate, but safety and lives are more important. We need people to be safe first. What is the use of a world if there are no people left to enjoy it?
How do you keep yourself busy during the lockdown?
We are all playing almost every board game at home. l feel like a child all over again. I am playing pranks and irritate my mother a lot. Sometimes I help her with the household chores like chopping vegetables or mopping the house and generally keeping the spirit of others at home up with my antiques. (laughs the 24-year-old actor).
How challenging is it to find a footing in the industry being Shashi Kumar’s son ?
Nepotism does not work in the industry. Being a star-son, does not guarantee that I am welcomed with a red carpet. Even I need to work hard, prove I am talented and have a lot of patience. Just because my father was a popular hero during his time does not guarantee people will accept me.
What changes do you see in the industry since you have been a part of it since you were a child?
The changes I see are the manner in which films are being made. They are more realistic and the camera work is brilliant. I never imagined the Kannada industry to boom up with such power. It is good as everyone in every area is open to change, adapt themselves to new ideas and technology and strive to give it their best.
Tell us a bit about your character in Seethayana .
My character, Rahul, in the film is very contrary to the one that I am in real life. He is very serious and takes rational decisions. And the hash-tag for the film is ‘respect women’. It is not a woman-oriented film but portrays women in a very different manner. If I say more then you will get the gist of the story, so we will leave it at that.
