India, July 21 -- A ctor Akhil Akkineni is revelling in the success of his latest Telugu film Lenin, and the moment feels even sweeter as it marks his return to the screen after a three-year break following the underwhelming response to his 2023 film Agent. Amid the celebrations, Akhil's father, veteran actor Nagarjuna, recently opened up about a life-altering incident Akhil faced around one-and-a-half years ago. At the time, Akhil was on holiday with his then fiancee and now wife, artist-entrepreneur Zainab Ravdjee, when he slipped on a shard of glass in the bathroom. The accident severed a nerve in his left hand, causing him to lose sensation in it. Speaking about the accident for the first time, Akhil tells us, "It was a freak accident that happened in three seconds, and it changed the fate of my life. It taught me that no matter how fearless I am, anything can actually happen any time." He adds, "For the next six months, there was a doubt whether my hand would work and whether it would come back 100%. To be honest, it still hasn't come back 100%. It's completely functional now, but the strength of it is nothing compared to my right hand. So it is what it is, but it scared the living hell out of everyone." Reflecting on the 16-month journey since then, the actor says his priority was clear: "I had to get my fingers back on track and make sure that the physiotherapy went well. So I made it a very military school-like discipline every day, just working on my hand. Soon enough, six months later, it got better, and in eight months, I started to feel the strength come back." The 32-year-old credits Zainab for being his pillar of strength throughout his recovery. "I couldn't have done it without her. She was there when it happened and then every day throughout the recovery. She was resilient and didn't break. It helps a lot to have that sort of support," he shares. Today, as Lenin wins appreciation, Akhil feels grateful to Telugu audiences for looking at the film on its own merit. "I want to thank every single one who came out and gave Lenin a chance without holding it responsible for my past failures," he ends....