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The action flick 'Agent,' starring Akhil Akkineni and Mammootty in the lead roles, turned out to be a big box office failure and drew several criticisms, ranging from performances to the execution style. Akhil Akkineni has now spoken about 'Agent's failure, admitting he sensed the film was in trouble long before it reached theatres. Looking back at one of the most difficult periods of his career, the actor revealed that he had concerns after watching the early edits of the film. However, he chose to stand by the project despite those doubts.

Speaking during an interview with Raw Talks, Akhil shared how he realised the film was not shaping up as expected.

Akhil Akkineni knew something wasn't right about 'Agent'Recalling the period before the film's release, Akhil admitted that he recognised the issues while watching the first cut of the movie. He even discussed his concerns with people close to him.

He said, "Didn't I realise it wasn't working by the time I watched the first edit or saw the scenes? Of course I did. I had my doubts. I knew something wasn't right, definitely before the release. I shared those concerns with people, even with some of our mutual friends. I told them it felt different."

Despite recognising the shortcomings, Akhil explained that walking away from the project was never an option. He believed he had a responsibility to remain fully committed because a film represents the hard work of many people, not just its lead actor.

He said, "But it's not just about my profession. It's my moral responsibility to stay committed to the film. If I see a problem, I have to commit even more because it's not just my life or my career—it's everyone's film. After so much money has been spent, I have a responsibility to help recover that investment, right? So yes, it's a very tough position to be in. Every moment, I kept asking myself, 'How do I save this film? What more can I do?'"

Akhil Akkineni opens up about the emotional pressureThe actor also spoke about the emotional toll that the situation took on him. Sharing those difficult moments, Akhil said:

"Whenever I felt stressed, I would pray, 'God, please... please save this film.' When you're desperate, all kinds of thoughts start running through your mind. It happens. It especially happens when you can see everything unfolding right in front of your eyes."

'Lenin' brings a fresh startFollowing the disappointing box office performance of 'Agent', Akhil took a break from films for nearly three years. He has now returned with 'Lenin', which has opened to positive reviews and encouraging audience response. 'Lenin' received a solid 3 star rating out of 5 from ETimes.