Akshay Kumar: I have experimented all gen

My first impression of chef-turned martial art instructor-turned actor Akshay Kumar is that of a pleasant, but guarded man, who speaks with great deliberation. When the guard drops, rarely, he shows you a boyish grin. Audiences with 'Khiladi Kumar' are rare; he has had a strained relationship with the media since they set the rumour mill churning about his alleged relationship with co-star Priyanka Chopra.

As he leans back in his chair at Athena, the cigar-champagne lounge club in Delhi, I quiz him about his eclectic bag of films. Akshay could have easily drifted into obscurity and second-rate action movies had he not made a choreographed move to shed the 'action hero' image. "It was a conscious move to graduate from action films and explore genres like comedy and family drama. After 10-odd years of playing 'action hero', I thought it was time for a change," he admits. "I am passionate about acting. The challenge lies in diverse roles. It is a liberating experience to get into the skin of different characters and sign on different genres of films. In fact, I'd been looking to do a comedy for years."

His choice of films is dictated, he says, by a film's spirit. Does this herald the conclusion of his 'Khiladi' days [which began with 'Main Khiladi Tu Anadi' and ended with 'Khiladi 420'], I wonder? "No, I am not going to quit action films! I have simply revised my priorities," he states. "I relish doing stunts. It is my forte since I am a trained martial arts expert. The thrill I experienced doing the shark sequence in 'Aankhen' is unparalleled. During this sequence, I plunged into a tank infested with sharks! The risk factor was huge. Although the sharks were trained, the trainers did not guarantee my safety. The rush of adrenaline I experienced on pulling it off was incomparable. The Alsatian chase in 'Waqt' was equally thrilling. So the prospect of giving up action films does not arise."

But hasn't his wife stopped him from signing action films, I grill him. "Well, it does scare her; she is concerned about my safety. That is why I have reduced stunts to a great extent. I only do unusual stunts, which give me an adrenaline rush. But she has not forbidden me from doing stunts, like certain sections of the media reported."

With the silver jubilee of 'Waqt', his potential as an actor who can do action, comic and serious roles with equal flair has been established. 'Aitraaz' thrived on his bold character and 'Ajnabee' left audiences breathless with his chemistry with Bipasha Basu, and his comic one-liners and priceless facial expressions underlined the success of 'Mujhse Shaadi Karoge', 'Deewane Hue Pagal', and 'Garam Masala'. "Yeah, I have experimented with all genres: action, romance, family drama and comedy. An actor must reinvent himself to avoid stagnation," is his take.

Wasn't 'Aitraaz', where a woman sexually assaults him, a huge box-office risk? "Initially I was worried how the character might be represented. But my fears were put to rest when I studied the script. The character had certain dimensions. The independent spirit of the theme also attracted me to the film. In terms of risk, I would rather take on an unconventional role than play a character that is one-dimensional."