In 26 years of his bumpy ride as an actor, Akshay has come a long way. But the actor says that he still has the enthusiasm of a youngster whenever he takes up a new project.
“Honestly, in my head, I made my debut two weeks ago. You play the song and I will start dancing on ‘Waada raha sanam’ (song from Khiladi). I have never lost interest and passion.”
To the 50-year-old actor, age is just a number.
“When I say it, I mean it that age is just a number, because it has not affected anything. In my mind space, I am still the same guy,” said Akshay.
At present, Akshay has films like Padman, 2.0 and Gold in his kitty — each different from the other.
It is this interesting choice of movies that makes Akshay relevant in the competitive Bollywood world and makes him give younger actors a run for their money.
“It’s just that the audience has woken up to him today,” says filmmaker Suneel Darshan.
“With every movie he kept growing,” he recounted with a smile, adding that Akshay was in a “fortunate phase” in his life.
Film business analyst Girish Johar told IANS: “Akshay Kumar has been consistently doing three to four films for the past so many years and that is a commendable feat, which no other star actor has done.
“On top of it, selecting the right stories, the right set up, the right different genres and placing them smartly takes a huge effort. He has done all this with elan and has been successful too.
“The public and trade look forward to all his films with equal excitement always. All his hardwork is bearing fruit now, and I am sure he is still not resting on his laurels… But gunning for more.”
Recommended
Filmmaker Farah Khan, who directed Akshay in Tees Maar Khan told IANS: “I know Akshay since he came for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar auditions… I think he’s a true survivor and a true inventor because earlier he used to do all B-grade movies at one time and then he really re-invented himself.”
Khan says that Akshay’s ability to re-invent himself consistently is his greatest asset.
“He was an action hero, then he reinvented himself and became a comic hero and he did so well… Now he is doing socially relevant movies, so I think it’s fabulous that he has had such a long career because when he started, he was not such a big star.”
Earlier this year, the actor won the National Award for his performance in Airlift and Rustom.