Amala Akkineni Says She Bonded With Stepson Naga Chaitanya Only After He Moved to Hyderabad

Actor and animal activist Amala Akkineni has opened up about her relationship with her stepson, actor Naga Chaitanya, during her appearance on an NTV podcast. She spoke candidly about how their bond evolved over the years and the dynamics within the Akkineni family.

Amala revealed that although she stayed connected with Chaitanya throughout his childhood, she only got to know him closely after he moved from Chennai to Hyderabad for college.
“Chaitanya was a young man when I really got to know him because his mother lived in Chennai, and he grew up there. I was always in touch with him, but our bond deepened only when he shifted to Hyderabad,” she shared.

Describing Chaitanya’s personality, Amala called him “a lovely human being” with “maturity and wisdom beyond his age”. She praised his responsible nature and added that he has always been someone who listened to his father and planned his life carefully.

Amala also spoke about her son Akhil Akkineni, whom she shares with actor Nagarjuna. She said she had a more direct influence on Akhil’s upbringing.
“We brought up both our boys to be independent. They were taught to make their own decisions and learn from both success and failure. They grew up beautifully with love from family and the audience,” she said.

Akkineni Family Background

Nagarjuna is the son of legendary actors Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Annapurna.
He first married Lakshmi Daggubati in 1984, and they welcomed Naga Chaitanya in 1986. After their separation in 1990, Nagarjuna married Amala in 1992, and the couple had Akhil in 1994.

Both sons are now married — Naga Chaitanya to actor Sobhita Dhulipala, and Akhil to artist Zainab Ravdjee.