As the media has put it so perfectly, Akshay Kumar is living life ‘kinng sized’ these days. His latest film, Singh is Kinng, stormed the box office and shattered records all over (and continues to do so!) but Akshay remains as humble as ever. He says, “But like I keep saying these days the real king is Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan, and no one else…Whatever I’m today is because of the love and support of my fans. Beyond that I don’t want to be the king.” I hate to break it to Akshay, but currently he is the king of the box office whether he likes it or not. Hit after hit, he continues to deliver blockbusters despite the fact that his films aren’t critically acclaimed.
Even he admits that Singh is Kinng is not a preachy or extremely deep film. He admits, “Singh Is Kinng is not a great film. It’s an entertaining film. That’s the kind of cinema I believe in. I come from the grassroots and that’s the majority section I want to pay off my debts to. I don’t think ordinary people want to pay Rs.150 to watch a film that preaches and sermonises. There’s so much stress in real life. I want my films to be stress-busters.” Going by box office figures and fan appreciation, this seems like a philosophy most Indian film-goers agree with.
Of course, one can’t forget the ‘daag’ on his sparkling ‘chunari’ which came earlier in the year in the form of Tashan. Even though the film flopped, Akshay has no qualms talking about it. “I’m not the least ashamed of Tashan. I loved my role of Bachchan Pandey. I want to thank Aditya Chopra for giving me that film. Why should I disown a film just because it hasn’t done well?” he explains. Akshay admits that despite its failure, the film won him a lot of appreciation.
These days, any Akshay film seems destined to become a hit which is a huge responsibility for any actor. He says he was so nervous before the release of Singh is Kinng that he even stopped talking to his wife! Not only was this film touted to be the be all and end all of his career, but this was his first time dabbling in production. He co-produced this film with Vipul Shah.
Even if you aren’t a fan of his films, one can’t deny that Akshay has worked exceptionally hard for the super-stardom he has achieved. Still, he humbly says, “I’m not a superstar. I’m not saying this for effect. I’m only here to entertain people. I keep telling my wife I don’t want to be either No.1 or No.2. I just want to be alive and kicking in the film industry. By the grace of god, this industry has given me immense love and affection. I’ve got much more than I deserve.” Spoken like a true ‘kinng’!
Next on the table is Nikhil Advani’s Chandni Chowk to China, which Akshay says is his autobiographical film. So does Akshay expect the film to open as well as his recent release? “That’s a scary thought. And I don’t want to think about it,” he says nervously. Going by his track record, it doesn’t look like he has a thing to worry about.
