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There is a scene in Akhanda 2: Thaandavam that is almost impossible to describe with a straight face. Somewhere in the snow-capped Himalayas, Balakrishna — as Akhanda, endowed with divine powers — bends over the antagonist to check if his heart still beats. This man has already survived one round of Akhanda’s wrath. His tongue had flown out (I wish I were exaggerating), but he apparently stitched it back on and returns to contribute to this talk-heavy film. This time, Akhanda wants to be absolutely certain. So he pierces the man with his mace, hoists him into the air, and swings him left and right several times.
In the cinema, the scene is greeted with loud cheers and laughter. One cannot tell whether Boyapati Sreenu or Balakrishna intended it to be funny.
Boyapati’s films with Balakrishna are legendary for defying science, logic, and everything in between. The only question is how entertaining the excess can be. But there are moments — like this one — when the bar for suspension of disbelief is raised so high that the film becomes unintentionally comic, even for those who enjoy mass-action spectacles. Even the customary “Jai Balayya” chants fizzled out after a point, because the story and screenplay anchoring these mass moments are, to put it mildly, dull.
Akhanda 2 opens with a brisk recap of the first film, in which two brothers are separated at birth because one is believed to embody destruction. Balakrishna reprises his dual roles: Bala Murali Krishna and Akhanda, the latter now elevated to near-mythic status with amplified spiritual overtones. In this chapter, Akhanda is positioned as an incarnation-like force of Lord Shiva, on a mission to save India from an enemy nation that unleashes biological warfare at the Maha Kumbh Mela — the symbolic nerve centre of the country.
Akhanda 2: Thaandavam (Telugu)
Director: Boyapati Sreenu
Cast: Balakrishna Nandamuri, Samyukta Menon, Kabir Duhan Singh, Aadhi Pinisetty.
Runtime: 165 minutes
Storyline: As India is under threat with bio warfare, Akhanda has to save the nation and restore people’s faith in God.
The first film had a narrative that was far-fetched but at least coherent, buoyed by S. Thaman’s overzealous, high-decibel score. The sequel, however, tries to cash in on prevailing sentiments with an apology of a story and ends up feeling entirely outlandish. Did the makers have a coherent screenplay to begin with? We may never know.
A parade of cardboard characters represents a nefarious group on the Indo–China border, plotting to strike at what they believe is India’s core strength — its faith in God and dharma. An opposition politician is conveniently in cahoots. There is a sub-plot involving biological warfare and an antidote devised by young DRDO scientists.
Within this broad arc of saving the nation and restoring collective faith, the screenplay name-checks Manipur unrest, drug cartels in Andhra Pradesh, threats to the Indian Army, surgical strikes, and references to the Ramayana and the Vedas — all without anything resembling an actual story.
Fans may insist that no one enters a Boyapati–Balakrishna film looking for narrative coherence. Fair enough. But the first Akhanda at least had a discernible storyline. Akhanda 2 feels like it was built from a visual storyboard of over-the-top set pieces, with a few scenes hastily inserted to stitch them together.
The makers seem determined to outdo themselves in excess. But does it, at the very least, translate into entertainment? Not quite. The film begins as talk-heavy and remains so till the final frame. The God-versus-demon commentary, the discourses on dharma, and the biological-warfare thread meander endlessly. Meanwhile, those fighting for their lives in the Maha Kumbh medical camp are forgotten for long stretches.
Ensuring the safety of the antidote and saving the nation is child’s play for Akhanda. The “real” battle is triggered when the villains aim a mammoth weapon at — hold your breath — Mount Kailash.
If the intent was to depict good versus evil in mythic scale, Telugu and Tamil classics rooted in the epics have done so with far more conviction. In Akhanda 2, the reliance on religious sentiment and patriotism feels purely opportunistic.
Even the punch lines — “My power is on 24/7”, “You and I may sound the same, but both are not the same” — fall flat.
Balakrishna roars through the film as Akhanda, trying to hold the chaos together, but even he appears fatigued after a point. He is variously equated to Narasimha, Hanuman, and Shiva, with Thaman supplying a lion’s roar for emphasis; none of it lands. His other avatar, Bala Murali Krishna, and Samyukta Menon’s character have little to do. Harshali Malhotra registers briefly. Kabir Duhan Singh, Aadhi Pinisetty, and the rest of the antagonist brigade are reduced to caricatures.
At 165 minutes, Akhanda 2: Thaandavam is an endurance test. The stereotypical portrayal of helpless citizens waiting to be rescued, or losing faith at the first sign of political manipulation, is less grating than the relentlessly amped-up background score. You may consider carrying noise-cancelling earphones.
At one point, Balakrishna bellows, “That’s enough!” — a line that neatly sums up the audience’s mood, too.
Published – December 12, 2025 02:31 pm IST
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‘Akhanda 2: Thaandavam’ movie review: Balakrishna’s presence cannot salvage this loud mess of a film
