I Deliberately Maintained a Certain Distance from Prakash Raj Sir During the Shoot Said Akshay Lagusani
From Dead Pixels and Kumari Srimathi to Hostel Days, Akshay Lagusani has moved comfortably between comedy, drama, and coming-of-age stories. With Prime Video’s upcoming Telugu original musical drama Jagamae Sangeetham, he takes on perhaps his most emotionally layered role yet as Balu, a young man torn between the musical legacy he inherits and the artistic voice he wants to call his own. Ahead of the series’ premiere, Akshay opens up about the references that helped him understand Balu, his connection with the world of classical music, and the unconventional approach he took to building his bond with Prakash Raj’s character.
Reflecting on what inspired his approach to Balu, Akshay Lagusani shared, _“When I got the call, I immediately thought of Rudraveena. I actually own a vinyl record of the film, and I took it out of my old box and kept it on my table while preparing for Balu. The film’s exploration of classical music really stayed with me, and it became a beautiful reference point as I stepped into this world. I especially loved how Jagamae Sangeetham balances classical and modern music. And then having Chiranjeevi garu came to our sets, it felt like such a full-circle moment for me, especially because Rudraveena is such a special film in this space. It made the entire experience even more meaningful, and I just wanted to be part of that world and give the character everything I had.”_
Further elaborating on getting into the skin of his character and infusing authenticity into his relationship with Prakash Raj, his on-screen grandfather, Akshay added, _“The one thing that really helped me was my respect for Prakash Raj sir. I deliberately maintained a certain distance from him during the shoot. I wouldn’t have casual conversations with him between takes because I wanted to retain that feeling of respect. I transferred the respect I have for Prakash Raj as an actor into the relationship Balu has with his grandfather. I started looking at him as my grandfather. Even when I saw him as an actor, I would touch his feet with both hands, just as you would with a family elder or guru. That helped me stay within Balu’s emotional space.”_
Created and directed by Palnati Surya Pratap and produced by Sushmita Konidela under the banner of Gold Box Entertainment, the eight-episode musical drama is written by Vangala Surya Manoj, Shravani Samudrala, and A.R. Prabhav, with music composed by Vishal Chandrasekar. The series features a powerhouse ensemble cast, including Prakash Raj, Meka Srikanth, Madhubala, Akshay Lagusani, and Sushmita Shetty in the lead, alongside Suman and Sijju Menon in key roles. Jagamae Sangeetham will premiere exclusively on Prime Video across India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide in Telugu, with English subtitles and Tamil dubs, on September 4, 2026.
