Namastey Akshay!!

 

 

This man can chop vegetables and villains with equal ease and make you laugh or cry while he is at it. Pooja Priyadarshini caught up with the super-fit superstar as he spoke about what makes the entertaining enigma called Akshay Kumar tick…

From a chef to one of Bollywood’s top superstars – how was the ride?

Like good Thai curry – spicy, tangy, and a great taste to remember. The joy ride has taught me a lot. Most of all, it has taught me to never get ‘top heavy’ – the fall becomes more difficult to handle!

How difficult was it for an outsider like you to break through, and make it big in the film industry?

It’s always difficult to break into a world where you’re an alien; and to remain there is even more difficult. Hearing nice things always feels very good. A lot of people say such things to me, but I don’t get carried away! Because if I do, I’ll stop trying and that would make Akshay a dull boy! So we will tackle ‘big’ in the film industry when we come to that bridge...

We hear you are a very dedicated husband and father. How do you balance your family and career?

I need my family to be forever happy and for that, I need to keep myself busy with loads of work! But at the same time, I need to blend the two together. I am happy having the best of both the worlds. At times, Twinkle helps a great deal to make this happen. Other times, Akshay, the father, takes over!

How difficult is it for a successful married actor within the film industry to stay honest and committed in a relationship?

Do I look stressed out and living a difficult existence? I am always smiling… Things get only as difficult as you make them.

There was a time when people like Mahesh Bhatt had touted you as the next big thing – the one who would give SRK a run for his money. Then there was a sudden lull and a new Akshay emerged! What happened during that phase? What went wrong? What went right?

The ‘numbers game’ to me, is just ‘relative’! Akshay’s principle about ‘numbers’ is that they are directly proportional to industry people liking you. You are as good as your last film, like in cricket or any martial art. Every shot, every punch is not the same – even the effects differ! Similarly, some films work, some don’t! No one plans to make or do a bad film... As for numbers, I like the box-office numbers and number of tickets sold and not those which denote who is on the top. If someone at the number 10 position sells more tickets, I’d want to be him! Inside, are you still the hungry Rajeev Bhatia or has the public persona of Akshay Kumar, the successful star taken over?

Has it?!? Well, everybody changes and Akshay Kumar has too – but for the better, I assume. Not as naïve, but still as hardworking as every Rajeev who wants to make it.

We saw you as an action hero initially. Then in an array of serious roles, and of late, comedy. And you seem to have made a mark in all these genres! What kind of roles do you personally like, and why?

Anything that pushes me to experiment with myself and to give out something the audience does not expect me to do... Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? I like to reinvent myself each time. I like roles that work with the audience because they make films successful and successful films permit you to experiment further!

In Bollywood, images are difficult to break through. And yet, we saw you winning the Filmfare Best Villain Award for Ajnabee. How easy/difficult was it?

Difficult is an under-statement. With hindsight, it all seems so easy but the fact is that before every take, you are unsure about whether what you are doing is right or not and that nervousness makes you work that much harder. So it is never easy until it is over.

When will fans of action movies be able to see you in an action-hero role again?

Sooner than they expect! I have a few scripts in the pipeline, but will speak about them only when the time is right. There are martial artists all over the world hoping to make it big on celluloid... What is your message for them?

Keep it straight and deliver the right punch at the right time... and it is all about the correct footwork and ‘focus’!

Tell me about the big international projects we hear you are associated with…

Please tell me too! This is really interesting... People are talking about films and actors with whom I am working which even I am not aware of! Please do me a favour. Once the financials are complete, kindly ask them to send the payment home for sure!

Well, rumour has it that in a forthcoming Hollywood project, you would either be cast opposite actors Eva Green or Salma Hayek or Jessica Alba!

What is the project called? How does it feel?

Shocked, excited, moved, unmoved, spell bound!!!! I don’t know... When it happens, I shall know how I feel and what the film would be called!

What’s that one relationship you cherish most?

I think the relationship between a father and a son is very precious. I shared a very special bond with my father and he was always there for me. And now I try and share the same bond with my son Aarav and I try to be around for him whenever he needs me.

Which production houses would you want to work with in the future?

I have no favourites. If I like the script and see that the director is passionate about his subject, I am game!

What would you have been if not an actor?

Myself!!!