Is Boyapati Sreenu to Be Blamed?

The collections of Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2 seem to be slipping as the film witnessed a noticeable decline on Sunday. Despite the sharp decline in footfalls, the film reportedly managed a net of just over ₹14 crore across the two Telugu states that day. While the action entertainer had a strong opening weekend of around Rs 60 crore, trade circles say it still has a long way to go and must pass the crucial Monday test.

Despite Balakrishna bringing life to the semi-divine role, director Boyapati Sreenu seems to have disappointed the audience with his unrealistic story and weak script. “Balakrishna tried his best to salvage the poorly crafted narrative and delivered solid openings. But even a section of Nandamuri fans were disappointed with the lackluster story,” says a distributor, adding that most of the blame lies with the director.

According to trade sources, its unscientific storytelling and over-the-top action scenes have drawn criticism from various quarters. The film also performed poorly outside the Telugu states, with dismal collections in North India, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; here it reportedly managed to collect only around ₹80 lakh – an extremely disappointing figure for a film mounted on such a large scale.

Balakrishna and the makers reportedly have full confidence in Boyapati Sreenu, who has previously scored three hits with the actor. With an investment of around ₹150 million, expectations were very high. But the director’s overconfidence and apparent lack of understanding of the tastes of a new generation of viewers appear to have backfired. Trade observers concluded that what was expected to be a high-voltage mass spectacle turned out to be a run-of-the-mill masala movie, devoid of rhythm, logic and freshness.