5. Akshay Kumar (Tashan, Singh is Kinng, Jumbo)
Could there possibly be any doubt about 2008 being Akshay Kumar’s year? The new Great Khan starred in the year’s great summer blockbuster Singh is Kinng, alongside the ever beautiful Katrina Kaif, reinforcing the public’s awareness of the current ruling jodi of the screen. The movie appeared to be breaking records everywhere at one stage and providing harmless entertainment for the masses, Akshay’s great comic timing once again shining through. He’s also been a lot more relaxed about his acting this year and this shows in the quality of his performance – fourteen years of experience begins to add up. “I savour the adulation and the love I have been getting from my fans,” he says, “Fourteen years have given me a lot and I can’t thank God and the industry enough.” However, the year didn’t start too well for Akki with the disappointing Tashan – a critical and commercial disaster that disappointed many of his fans. Even though a blonde, if somewhat underfed, Kareena Kapoor was extremely interesting, the movie never quite found its rhythm and the lack of any substantial plot was disappointing. Akshay finished the year with the voiceover for the pachydermous Korean animation Jumbo but spent most of the year working hard on a great line-up of movies for next year including the musical martial arts movie Chandni Chowk to China, Blue – Bollywood’s most expensive ever underwater epic, and the Bollywood/Hollywood reach-out movie Kambakht Ishq alongside Kareena Kapoor once again and Hollywood stars such as Brandon Routh, Denise Richards and Sylvester Stallone. It looks like 2009 may also be Akshay’s year!
