Akshay Kumar is determined to be the first male A-lister to take a ‘big’ movie straight to streaming. Industry insiders suspect it’s because the stakes aren’t as high for Khiladi Kumar as they are for the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan who seldom make more than one film in a year; Akshay frequently has as many as four or five releases in the same calendar year. Even if the decision turns out to be a bad one, he’d have four other films to offset the potential fallout from this one. If it works though, he’d be recognised as a risk-taker, a visionary even.
The only hitch could be that Laxmmi Bomb, the film that Akshay has reportedly picked to drop directly on the Disney+ Hotstar service, isn’t entirely finished yet. The film’s co-producer, Shabina Khan, has been telling friends that there’s still two days of shooting left and some post-production to complete. Industry folks have been joking that Akshay will find a way to lock the edit without stepping out of his home to complete the shoot if the price offered by the streamer is right. If they’re crucial portions, there’s a good chance the team will complete the shoot with a minimal crew the moment lockdown is relaxed and they have the permission.
Marathi TV
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