The night didn’t quite go her way at Apik Café — the sound system acted up, the audience wasn’t fully tuned in, and the performance felt a bit offbeat. Yet singer Akhila Kanakapuri took it in her stride, shrugging it off with the kind of calm acceptance that comes from knowing some days simply turn out that way. Instead of dwelling on it, she ended her night with a quiet cup of hot chocolate and headed home, ready to move on.
But endings often lead to beginnings and so did our exclusive chat with her. Akhila’s journey with music began long before she chose it for herself. “I started learning Carnatic music in the first grade. It wasn’t really my choice. My mom loves Carnatic music, so she pushed me into it. Honestly, at that age, all I wanted to do was run around and play with my friends, not sit and practice or go to classes,” she recalled.
Akhila grew up listening to music that felt like home. “I grew up loving Chitra amma garu and often listened to Ninnu Kori. I have always adored Sunitha Upadrashta’s songs as well. These days, I am obsessed with Sublahshini, Bhoomika, and Shalmali Kholgade because I love their vibe, style, and the representation they bring in. They inspire me in ways that make me hope to be like them someday. My brother is also a huge inspiration for me since I love his style, which feels new to Telugu music. I genuinely believe there is so much space for artists to grow in Telugu, which is why he motivates me deeply,” she said.
Her own voice, husky and distinct, once made her feel like she didn’t fit in. “For every artist, vocals and vibe are really important, and it is essential to stand out instead of copying someone else’s style. I never felt represented because I have a husky voice, and when I was younger, I wondered why I couldn’t hit higher notes like everyone else. Later, I realised that your voice is unique and you grow with it in your own way, so you don’t have to sound like everyone else, and that is something I remind myself of all the time,” she narrated.
Alongside music, life is a careful juggle of engineering classes, gym sessions and creativity that flows only when she feels grounded. The gym, she calls her escape, the place she resets when she doesn’t feel good enough.
Her inspirations come from her home as much as from the industry. “I’ve seen hard-working men in my life, like my dad and brother, so they inspire me a lot. I’ve witnessed their hardships up close, and learned lessons early on. Seeing them chase their goals made me realise how much effort goes into every little success. On some days, I just tell myself I need to be at least 1% better every day, and that keeps me going. There are tough days, but I still get up the next morning and do the same work again because that’s what I’ve learned from them. They’ve shown me that consistency is key,” she said, describing how their consistency shaped her own. Her dream collaborations include AR Rahman and Devi Sri Prasad — names she hopes to sing for someday.
As the conversation winds down, Akhila wants to release the songs she wrote long ago and grow steadily as an independent artist. Quietly determined, self-aware and delightfully honest, Akhila comes across as someone carving her path gently but firmly, balancing studies, music and the little routines that keep her grounded. She may still be figuring things out, yet there’s a quiet clarity in the way she moves forward, letting her voice evolve at its own pace.