Bitter smile, quiet resilience; 13 million views in no time; Akhil NRD's new reel goes viral

Malayalam social media influencer Akhil NRD has returned to social media with a new video amid ongoing rumours surrounding his marriage. There were strong rumours of his marriage falling apart, but Akhil chose not to respond to the matter. However, when many thought he would take a hiatus from content creation, the social media star turned actor returned to Instagram with a new video that is now going super viral.

Akhil's latest video has so far crossed 13 million views. Film actors including Kalidas Jayaram, Hanan Shah and Diya Krishna commented in support of the influencer.

Plot of the NRD’s new video:

A wedding photographer is busy instructing a couple to maintain a pose. However, he is interrupted by a friend who came to invite the photographer to his housewarming ceremony. While leaving, the friend, in a wily way, asks the photographer to bring his camera so that they could capture some photos at the event. The photographer then sports a forced smile, despite understanding his friend's ulterior motive: it was not his presence but the camera he needed most at the housewarming ceremony.

The photographer agrees to come to the event and returns to the couple, asking them to pose with a smile.

Akhil NRD rose to popularity during the TikTok era with short videos that humorously depicted the mundane everyday happenings among middle-class society. For the same reason, NRD amassed massive popularity among family audiences and others.

From an influencer, Akhil became an actor and was last seen in a lead role in Mahrajas Hostel, which was released in 2026. However, rumours surfaced last week about a sudden rift in his marriage. Akhil’s latest video on social media is adjudged to be a sly response to the matters that have affected his personal life lately.