Harshaali Malhotra, best known for her leading role as Shahida "Munni" Aziz in the 2015 drama film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, where she played a mute Pakistani Muslim girl, is making a comeback with Akhanda 2.
As Janani, she will be seen in numerous scenes with Nandamuri Balakrishna in the Boyapati Sreenu-directed spiritual sequel to Akhanda. When her character is endangered by villains, Akhanda himself comes to her rescue. The budding actress, who one day dreams of playing lead roles, took a short break from her academics (she is an Arts student studying Plus Two) to act in Akhanda 2. And she feels blessed to have got to share screen space with Balakrishna, who is among her favourite Telugu stars alongside Allu Arjun and Prabhas. "Working alongside Balakrishna garu was an inspiring experience. Initially, I felt a degree of nervousness sharing the screen with such a legendary actor. However, he immediately put me at ease with his remarkably caring nature and abundant encouragement. He genuinely treated me like a member of his own family, displaying an unstoppable, infectious energy on set," Harshaali says. How did she spend her time in recent years? "I focused on my studies. I also learned Kathak. I felt fortunate that this movie came along while I was waiting for a good opportunity," she answers.
During a pre-release event, Balakrishna mentioned that Harshaali returns to the big screen after ten years, performing wonderfully in the film. He also included her in a positive general statement, noting that Boyapati's and his films always aim to send a positive message. Akhanda 2 hits the screens on December 5. It is produced by 14 Reels Plus.