Dad suggested I do 'Andhra Pori': Puri Akash

Actor Puri Akash, who is making his acting debut in the forthcoming Telugu teenage love story "Andhra Pori", says he always wished to be launched by his filmmaker-father Puri Jagannath, who didn't quite agree with his son.

"I've always wished to be launched by my father. I wanted to be launched as a hero in one of his films. But he suggested that I do 'Andhra Pori' as he felt it suited my age and wanted me to experience everything on my own," Akash told IANS.

Without much hesitation, Akash took his father's advice.

In "Andhra Pori", a Telugu remake of Marathi hit "Time Pass", Akash plays a Class 10 dropout.

"I had to pick up on Telangana accent. I essay a massy village dweller. To get my dialect right, I underwent a week-long workshop and it really helped me to champion the language," he said.

Calling his film an "audience-friendly" teenage love story, Akash said the romance in the film is "clean".

"The story is about two teenagers and their first crush. There's romance but it's not portrayed the way our cinema usually does. There's innocence in the romance between the lead characters in the movie," he said.

Akash says he's not in a hurry to sign more films.

"Post 'Andhra Pori', I'll take a few years break and complete my formal education; go to college and earn a degree. Then, I'll decide on my future. I'll take it slow," he said.