Posted:
| You don't need to be a Khan to be a super-star! - Akshay Kumar | |||
| By Taran Adarsh, November 11, 2005 - 09:30 IST | |||
| Akshay Kumar is going through the best phase in his career. With GARAM MASALA emerging a success story, the actor has proved that there's no stopping him from staking a claim at the throne. In a free-wheeling interview with this writer, the Khiladi No. 1 talks about the hitherto unknown facts concerning his career. Excerpts from the conversation with Akshay after the release of GARAM MASALA. Congrats! Success seems to be your second name these days. AK: It feels nice to know that one's films are working at the box-office. But success to me is not delivering a hit one Friday and another hit after two years. To consistently deliver successful films is important. Besides, sustaining in the industry is far more important than a stray hit. Just one Friday shouldn't be the barometer for success. Agreed. But, honestly, did you expect GARAM MASALA to steal the march over KYON KI… and SHAADI NO. 1, considering that both not only star A-list actors, but are made by reputed names as well?
A section of the industry labeled it a clash of two top-ranking stars [Salman, Akshay] rather than a clash of two biggies [KYON KI…., GARAM MASALA]. AK: It's not right to discuss star power here. They are big stars and they enjoy a huge following. All I know is that I am chartering my own path. I am trying to carve a niche for myself. That's more important to me today!
AK: The labels will continue to exist as long as you're in the race. I distinctly remember, when I started out, they said I was proficient in stunts and I was quickly labeled an action star. Then they said that I was good in dances. And now it's comedy. Believe me, I am keen to experiment with different kind of roles. Didn't I try my hand at an out and out emotional role in WAQT? Even BEWAFAA was different. You've consistently delivered hits and moved to the Top 5 bracket without working with Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. AK: [Ponders for a while] I am blessed with tremendous support from my family. My mother, wife and sister encourage me to move ahead in life. And if you have a strong support system at home, you can concentrate and make a success of your career for sure. You haven't answered the question yet. AK: Who wouldn't like to work with Yash Chopra or Karan Johar? They're extremely talented names and it would indeed be a pleasure to work with them some day [the actor has worked in DIL TO PAGAL HAI and YEH DILLAGI in the past, but that was long ago]... But I've been lucky with the films I chose to act in. These roles offered me ample scope to experiment and most importantly, the films worked at the box-office. The bottomline is, you need to keep working on new things. Else, you tend to stagnate. Your next release, DEEWANE HUYE PAAGAL, is round the corner. How is it looking? AK: If you liked GARAM MASALA, you'd love DEEWANE HUYE PAAGAL. It's much more crazy and comical than GARAM MASALA. It's realistic at the same time with non-stop fun and laughter packed in those 2.20 hours. I'd like to specifically highlight producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala's passion for the film. He's one producer who spent a fortune canning some of the most mind-blowing stunts for DEEWANE HUYE PAAGAL, but he decided to chop off 80% of action scenes from the film to make the end product more viewer-friendly. He could've easily retained those portions since he did spend a fortune on those stunts, but he brought down the length of the film from 2.47 hours to 2.25 hours, deleting most of the stunts, only because he wants it to be one breezy entertainer with loads of fun and laughter.
AK: Yes, I made a lot of money on WAQT. But the money that I earned from the film has been donated to Trillium Hospital in Toronto [Canada]. My father underwent [cancer] treatment at this hospital and the authorities there really took good care of him. That was my way of showing respect and gratitude to the institution. WAQT wasn't a business proposition, there were personal reasons attached as well. You say you're blessed with a great family, your career is at an all-time high, you've a fat bank balance as well. What excites Akshay Kumar today? AK: Experimenting with roles gives me a high. I don't want to be one-dimensional. I don't want people to associate me with just one kind of roles, be it action or comedy. I am ready to take on the challenges as an actor. I am raring to go. One last question. Generally speaking, the media often associates super-stardom with the Khans. But thanks to the consistent hits, you've staked a claim on the throne that was considered a monopoly of the Khans. Comment. AK: They're great actors. They're huge stars with tremendous fan following. I respect their dedication and professionalism. But you don't need to be a Khan to be a super-star! |
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