Akhil Akkineni (born April 8, 1994) is an Indian-American actor who works in Telugu films. He is the son of actors Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni and was born into the Akkineni family. Akkineni has won several awards in his film career, including two Filmfare Awards. He also serves as the captain of the Telugu Warriors cricket team, which competes in the Celebrity Cricket League.
Akkineni made his film debut as a leading child artist in his father's Sisindri (1994), for which he received a Filmfare Special Award. His first adult leading role was in the box office flop Akhil (2015), which earned him the Filmfare Best Male Debut award. Most Eligible Bachelor was his first commercial success (2021).
Early years
Akhil Akkineni was born in San Jose, California, to actors Nagarjuna and Amala on April 8, 1994. From his father's side, he is Telugu, and from his mother's side, he is Irish and Bengali. He is the grandson of actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Naga Chaitanya's half-brother.
Akkineni attended Chaitanya Vidyalaya before moving to Australia for two years. He returned to Oakridge International School in Hyderabad to finish his studies. At the age of 16, he decided to pursue a career in acting and enrolled in a course at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He also has a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of South Florida.
Later in his adolescence, he took up cricket and played for his father's Nag Kings team in the 2010 celebrity Tollywood Trophy, a fundraiser for the Movie Artistes' Association. His match-winning half-century in the final against Venkatesh's Venky Warriors earned him man-of-the-match and series honours. In 2011, he was called up to play for the Telugu Warriors in the inaugural Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). Since then, he has competed in the CCL tournament on a regular basis, winning the 2016 edition as captain of his team.
Career
Akkineni made his debut as an infant in his father's production, Shiva Nageswara Rao's comedy Sisindri (1995), an Indian adaptation of Baby's Day Out (1994).
Akkineni made a cameo appearance in Vikram Kumar's hit family drama Manam (2014), which featured three generations of Akkineni actors. His brief appearance was a big hit with the audience. He described his filming experience with his grandfather, father, and half-brother as "nervous and exciting." Manam went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2014. The film was dubbed a "classic" by critics and went on to win several awards, including Best Film at the Filmfare Awards. He went on to appear in several commercials, including those for Karbonn, Mountain Dew, and Titan.
V. V. Vinayak's Akhil was Akkineni's first film as a full-fledged lead (2015). To prepare for the role, the actor enrolled in a stunt workshop with his personal trainer Kicha and attended two months of workshops in Thailand. The film, which was produced by actor Nithin, began production in December 2014 and starred him alongside fellow debutante actress Sayesha Saigal. The film received poor reviews and, despite expectations, was a box office flop. Following that, he took a two-year break. Despite receiving positive reviews, his second film, Hello, directed by Vikram Kumar and co-written by Middle Class Abbayi, performed poorly at the box office. Mr. Majnu, Akkineni's third film, was directed by Venky Atluri and co-starred Niddhi Agerwal in 2019. His fourth film, a romantic comedy titled Most Eligible Bachelor, co-starring Pooja Hegde, was released in October 2021. It was directed by Bhaskar and produced by Geetha Arts Bunny Vas and Vasu Varma. This film was a box office success, giving Akhil his long-awaited break.
Private life
In 2016, Akkineni married Shriya Bhupal, the granddaughter of business magnate G. Krishna Reddy, V. Their wedding was scheduled for 2017, but the engagement was called off.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Sisindri | Sisindri | Child artist |
| 2014 | Manam | Akhil | Cameo appearance |
| 2015 | Akhil | Akhil | Debut as lead role |
| 2016 | Aatadukundam Raa | Himself | Special appearance in title song |
| 2017 | Hello | Avinash / Seenu | Also singer for "Yevevo" |
| 2019 | Mr. Majnu | Vikram "Vicky" Krishna | |
| 2021 | Most Eligible Bachelor | Harsha | |
| 2023 | Agent | TBA | Post-Production; Releasing on 28 April 2023 |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 43rd Filmfare Awards South | Special Award (Child actor) | Sisindri | Won |
| 2016 | 63rd Filmfare Awards South | Best Male Debut – South | Akhil | Won |
| 5th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Male Debut – Telugu | Won | ||
| CineMAA Awards 2016 | Best Male Debut | Won | ||
| 14th Santosham Film Awards | Best Debut Actor | Won | ||
| 2019 | TSR – TV9 National Film Awards | Special Jury Award | Hello | Won |
| Bio | |
| Real Name | Akhil Akkineni |
| Nickname | Not Known |
| Profession | Actor/Model |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 9" |
| Weight | in Kilograms- 74 kg in Pounds- 163 lbs |
| Body Measurements | - Chest: 40 Inches - Waist: 32 inches - Biceps: 13 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 8 April 1994 |
| Age (as in 2022) | 28 Years |
| Birth Place | San Jose, California , United States |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Aries |
| Nationality | Indian, American |
| Hometown | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| School | Chaitanya Vidyalaya, Oakridge International School, Hyderabad, India |
| College | University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, New York |
| Educational Qualifications | Bachelor of Business Administration |
| Film Debut | Debut Film/Telugu- Sisindri (1995) (As Child Artist) |
| Family | Father- Nagarjuna Akkineni (Actor & Entrepreneur) Mother- Amala Akkineni Half-Mother- Lakshmi Ramanaidu Daggubati Brother- Naga Chaitanya (Half-Brother) Sister- N/A |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hobbies | Travelling, Hanging Out With Friends |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Filmmaker | Christopher Nolan |
| Favourite Films | The Dark Knight, Inception, Momento |
| Girls, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Ex-Fiancee | Shriya Bhupal |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Children | Daughter- N/A Son- N/A |
