TV star-turned-big screen actor Aakul Balaji has proved his mettle with ‘Athmeeya’ and is still basking in the glory of the film. Now he is all set for another big go with ‘Banni’. He had signed ‘Banni’ but ‘Athmeeya’ went to the theatres before it.

About ‘Banni’ he says, “This film is a love story set in the backdrop of the Banni festival. Most portions of the film has been shot in Uttara Karnataka and the heroine Kasturi, even hails from the region. Kasturi was chosen for the role because she could speak the Uttara Karnataka dialect to perfection.” The film is set for a September release.

Though Aakul had a long struggle before he could make it to mainstream cinema, he is having a busy time in the industry now. He has just finished ‘Paramesha Paanwala’ with Shivarajkumar, directed by Mahesh Babu. About the experience he says, “Working with Shivanna was a great experience.”

He has also signed another film, ‘Gagana Chukki’ with Bhavana Rao, that will begin shooting in September.