Akhand 2 review: Nandamuri Balakrishna’s film is a noisy enterprise, devoid of logic and emotions

Nandamuri Balakrishna-starrer Akhanda 2: Thandavam has been released in theaters on December 12, 2025 i.e. today. Written and directed by Boyapati Srinu, the film is the sequel to 2021’s Akhanda.

Apart from NBK, the film stars Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra, Jagapathi Babu, Poorna and many others in lead roles. If you are planning to watch it in theaters this week, here is the Pinkvilla review for you.

plot

Akhand 2: Thandavam involves a rivalry in which a neighboring country is plotting to destroy India by attacking what it considers to be the spiritual backbone of the country. The rival nation is planning a massive biowarfare campaign at the Maha Kumbh Mela, throwing the country into a complete crisis.

As DRDO is working on creating an antidote to the impending threat, the responsibility accidentally falls into the hands of Murali Krishna’s daughter Janani, a 16-year-old genius girl with an IQ of 266.

When Janani successfully creates a vaccine against a biowarfare attack, she becomes a prime target of the enemy country. Sensing her life is in danger, her uncle and aghora, Akhand Rudra Sikandar, comes back once again to protect her, as they had promised in the first instalment.

How Akhand uses his divine power and supernatural powers as a one-man army to oppose the threat against himself and the nation forms the rest of the story.

Good

When one goes to the theaters for a Nandamuri Balakrishna film, there is a certain level of expectation from the seasoned actor. In Akhand 2, that’s exactly what audiences get: the Daaku Maharaj star in a larger-than-life, mass-hero avatar.

His ability to elevate heavy action sequences and pithy dialogue into something compelling and dramatically elevated is truly his own style. The charisma he brings to a character that might be unintentionally funny if played by anyone else only works because it’s NBK. In this regard, he performs well.

Although many cinematic aspects fall short, the film’s biggest technical advantage is Thaman S’s music composition. The composer has always been vocal about his admiration for NBK, and it shows once again, elevating several sequences with a strong cinematic heft.

bad

Walking into the Boyapati Srinu direction, one expects physics and logic to fly on screen from the very first moment. However, this time the bar has been raised, with the film crossing every boundary of sensitivity.

While it makes sense to have Akhand be a character with superhuman abilities who uses his divine energy to serve people, single-handedly attacking an entire rival country’s army introduces a whole new level of storytelling, even for Boyapati.

Some scenes make one wonder whether the director is attempting to outdo his own trademark absurdity, with Akhand 2 giving Ram Charan’s Vinay Vidya Ram a run for his money.

Additionally, with a runtime of approximately 3 hours, the film tests the audience’s patience. The lack of emotional depth makes it difficult to connect with the story. Over-the-top action with minimal empathy turns the film into a fever dream of repetition and tiresome moments.

Additionally, each character’s dialogue is shouted. Even lines that should be spoken quietly are shouted, turning the entire film into a literal cacophony.

With weak cinematography and amateurish VFX, the film struggles to maintain momentum or hold audience interest even as an illogical action drama.

Display

Nandamuri Balakrishna shines, and roles like this come naturally to him, making it feel as if the character was tailor-made specifically for his personality. However, Aadhi Pinisetti becomes a disappointing aspect of the film; Although he is introduced as the main antagonist, his parts ultimately feel forgettable.

Sanyukta is reduced to just being attractive, her character is underutilized and her potential is wasted as she mainly appears for a few scenes and dance sequences.

Watch the trailer of Akhand 2: