Vinyl Echoes of Rudraveena & Reverence in Silence: Akshay Lagusani Unpacks His Soulful Transformation for Jagamae Sangeetham!
From winning over young audiences in relatable comedy-dramas like Dead Pixels, Hostel Days, and Kumari Srimathi, promising actor Akshay Lagusani is pivoting into a deeply vulnerable, emotionally complex space with Prime Video’s upcoming Telugu original musical drama Jagamae Sangeetham. Stepping into the shoes of Balu, an aspiring artist caught in the crosshairs of an illustrious classical legacy and his own contemporary musical identity, Akshay takes on what promises to be a career-defining role.
Ahead of the show’s worldwide streaming premiere on September 4, 2026, the young actor shared how a vintage vinyl record of Megastar Chiranjeevi's Rudraveena and an unconventional, respectful distance from veteran actor Prakash Raj helped him breathe life into Balu.
"The Rudraveena Vinyl Sat on My Desk": A Full-Circle Tribute
When the role came knocking, Akshay didn’t have to look far for inspiration—he turned directly to the roots of classic Telugu musical cinema:
"The moment I received the call for this series, my mind went straight to Chiranjeevi garu’s 'Rudraveena'. I actually own an original vinyl record of the film. While preparing to step into Balu's headspace, I took that record out of my vintage collection box and kept it permanently on my study table.
The way 'Rudraveena' captured the ideological clash and beauty of classical music has lived with me forever. What made 'Jagamae Sangeetham' even more magical was how effortlessly it bridges the gap between pure classical ragas and modern sonic sensibilities. And when Chiranjeevi garu visited our sets, it felt like a surreal, goosebump-inducing full-circle moment. It deepened my commitment to surrender completely to this world."
— Akshay Lagusani
The Psychology Behind Balu: Why He Avoided Casual Chats with Prakash Raj
In the series, Prakash Raj plays Balu’s grandfather—a stalwart patriarch of music who commands absolute devotion and authority. To make their on-screen tension and reverence completely natural, Akshay chose an unusual method on set:
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Respect Through Distance: "I deliberately kept a quiet distance from Prakash Raj sir throughout filming. I didn't engage in casual chatter between takes because I didn't want that awe to dissipate. I channeled my genuine real-life reverence for him as an acting legend directly into Balu's relationship with his grandfather."
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The Guru-Shishya Dynamic: "I looked at him not just as a co-star, but as my elder and my guru. Whenever I saw him on set, I would touch his feet with both hands with authentic humility. Maintaining that emotional boundary allowed me to remain seamlessly anchored in Balu’s fragile mental state whenever the camera rolled."
A Stellar Ensemble Backing an 8-Episode Epic
Created and helmed by Palnati Surya Pratap (Kumari 21F, 18 Pages) and produced by Sushmita Konidela under the Gold Box Entertainment banner, the eight-episode saga is scripted by Vangala Surya Manoj, Shravani Samudrala, and A.R. Prabhav, with an intricate background score and songs tuned by Vishal Chandrasekar (Sita Ramam).
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Ensemble Powerhouse: The series brings together Prakash Raj, Meka Srikanth, Madhubala, Akshay Lagusani, and Sushmita Shetty in core roles, with seasoned actors Suman and Sijju Menon playing critical narrative parts.
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Global Reach: Jagamae Sangeetham streams exclusively on Prime Video starting September 4, 2026, across India and 240+ countries in Telugu with Tamil dubs and English subtitles.
