Fitness freak Akshay Kumar’s range as an actor has widened over the years. Here, the Khiladi reveals the reasons why he survived in the film industry for so long.
Unlike other Bollywood actors, Akshay Kumar does several films in a year. There was a time when his films were not doing well (Akshay delivered 16 flops at one point), and suddenly everyone was questioning his ability to pick up scripts.
However, the tide has now turned for the Khiladi. He still does several films in a year, but this time, all his films are doing well at the box-office.
“I would have been thrown out of the industry long ago,” says Akshay, but he somehow cracked the psychology of film producers, and thus manage to survive in the industry for 25 long years.
Here are some more golden nuggets from Akshay Kumar on how to survive in showbiz, especially for those who’re in the beginning of their career. While junior actors nowadays are more professional, there’s still a lot that they can learn from this Khiladi.
- I survived because I was considered to be the ‘Producer’s Actor’ (else, I would have been thrown out of the industry long ago).
Earlier, when some producers would say, ‘Usko hi le lete hain’ (let’s take him) there would be others telling him, ‘Lekin uski film chali nahi’ (but his film didn’t do well).
But the filmmaker would say, ‘Lekin woh time pe toh aa jata hai, yaar. Teen hero ki film hai, ek hero usko le lete hain. Action bhi kar lega'(But at least he comes on time. Its a three-hero film; lets take him as well, he will also do some action).
Its important to understand the psychology of the producers. Don’t be manipulative, don’t order them and they will come around. Producers can manipulate because it’s their money; you can’t do that if the money belongs to the producer.
They don’t mind if you are a lesser actor, but they would like their films to get completed on time. It is the biggest success tip I can give other actors. Just because of this, the industry never gave up on me. Even when I had 16 flops, I had four films in hand. One of those worked and a new journey began.
- Director Pramod Chakravorty (who first signed Akshay Kumar as lead hero with Deedar) taught me a few things, one of which is to be a producer’s hero.
Back then, there were no mobiles and we would make calls from five-star hotels’ landlines or the PCO. He told me, ‘Beta, always remember to pay your own phone bills’. The producers generally didn’t mind footing bills for food and drinks, but what would chew them up is the fact that actors would talk to their girlfriends for hours, and not pay their bills.
I always pay my own phone bills, and I don’t drink; so, I don’t add to their alcohol expenses either. Punctuality is the other thing I’m particular about. These are some simple rules of life.
- To enter the film industry is easier, but its difficult to survive here.
Every 10 years, there’s a bus that drives into the next decade, and it’s important to get on to that bus and be there for the next decade.
Long ago, I had constructed an image, which I dismantled and rebuilt all over again. It’s like making a building, staying there for five-six years, razing the structure and rebuilding it. Yes, there’s risk involved, but that’s I love deconstructing myself.
- I won’t ever write by autobiography. I am an extremely closed man and I believe in keeping secrets. If a person has told me something, or I know things about a someone’s life, it’s my responsibility to keep it a secret, and it will go with me to my grave.
Biographies expose the people around you and often cause a lot of problem for them.
Yahan, main apni biography likh raha hoon, wahan kisi bechare ki duniya kharab kar di maine. Wah ji kya biography likhi hai! I’ve seen so many cases where people have been affected by someone’s biography.
- The last one is actually an observation about how ‘action’ is done in Bollywood now.
Akshay Kumar, always considered to be a top action here, says “Action has gone to another level, and it will soar higher, but that’s not because we are doing better action, but because CG (computer graphics) is doing the action for us. Pehle hota tha real, solid action, without technology.”
Akshay Kumar’s Range as an Actor Has Become Huge, Says Former Miss Universe
Sooraj and Athiya (of ‘Hero’ fame) had attended the ‘book signing’ event of celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala. When asked, who was the fittest man actor in Bollywood, Athiya had mentioned the name of Akshay Kumar. Everybody knows that Akshay leads a disciplined lifestyle, but now, another actress who will be working with Akshay after a long gap, feels that the Khiladi has also grown as an actor.
Lara Dutta, who has already worked with Akshay on several films, will also be seen in Akshay’s upcoming film ‘Singh Is Bliing’.
Lara, who’s a mother of one, says there’s so much to learn from the super star. “Akshay was already a big superstar when I did Andaaz with him, but he has grown more with time. His range as an actor has become huge,” said Lara Dutta.
Akshay Kumar Credits Happy Married Life for Professional Success
For a successful career its important to have a good support system, including a supporting family. Khiladi Akshay Kumar definitely agrees with that and gives credit to Twinkle (his wife) and his happy married life for a successful professional career.
Unseen photos of Akshay Kumar & Twinkle Khanna
Akshay says that his marriage was like a good luck charm for him, and is all praise for her wife Twinkle who has always supported him in all his decisions, and has always stood by him (during failures and controversies).
Akshay says that for a marriage to be happy its important to give space to each other.
“When they say that behind every man’s success there is a woman, it doesn’t mean that they read their (movie) scripts. She has her own life and she is busy with it. She is happy that we have a good family and we are all together,” he said.
In the past, especially during the early years of his career, the Khiladi Kumar was linked to several other actresses in the Industry. Their marriage has survived all these years despite all those linkups, and credit should be given to the couple for the manner in which they’ve handle their married life.
The happily married couple has two children.
