Akshay Kumar, aka Khiladi Kumar, is known to be the most energetic actor in the Hindi film industry even at the age of 50+. Age seems to be just a number for him as the actor still looks fit and good to do action movies like any another young actor. Add to that, his alacritous style of working, which separates him from the rest as he is still the only actor to have 3-4 releases in a year on an average. Akshay is currently basking in the glory of his latest release, Housefull 4, which has minted a lot of riches already at the box office. In an exclusive candid conversation with IWMBuzz, Akshay Kumar talks about the success of Housefull 4, his character transformation, fake box office numbers rumours and a lot more. Read to find out:
What’s your take on critics and their perception towards your movies?
I respect critics. It is their job to write what they feel honestly about a movie. But then the fact is that the taste of comedy varies from person to person. The kind of comedy that I might like, my wife might not like. So it all varies, and that’s why there’s so much variety in critics.
Why do you think there’s so much negativity coming into play despite the single screen and mass audience liking the movie?
Well, that, I guess, only the ones who have written about it can tell you (laughs). The most important thing is your figures. They speak for themselves, and it’s good so far for Housefull 4.
How was your experience working with two directors in one movie?
Well, I have known both for a long time and it hasn’t been too difficult. The reason being Farhad has written the movie, hence once they took over, they knew what they were doing. So it wasn’t very difficult to work upon. It was the same with the entire star cast.
Did any of the fake Housefull 4 numbers rumors bother you?
Absolutely not. See, the producer and the studios won’t lie as they will get absolutely nothing out of it. Plus, theatre owners of places like PVR, Cinepolis and many places have opened up as well. Everything is before the world to see.
Why do you think so many different box office figures came into play?
See, I don’t know, honestly. But then there’s a studio called ‘Fox’ and it’s a corporate that has got a lot of credibility. They won’t lie and neither will they benefit anything by giving out fake numbers. They make movies worth millions and hence it just doesn’t matter. Let us all be a little practical and sensible.
What do you have to say about your transformation from the ‘Khiladi’ action-hero to someone acing in the comedy genre?
Well, I have never learnt anything or done anything methodically. I have not been in any school or something to learn. Whatever I have done all these years, I have learnt from my experience in working. I don’t take myself too seriously. I just go with the flow and I tend to hold my director’s hand, because he knows the film 100 times better than me. That’s why he is called the ‘Captain Of The Ship’.
Lastly, you have been having a stupendous run at the movies and you have given 11 back to back blockbusters. Somewhere down the line, do you feel more confident about your movie choices now?
No, not at all. I still remain very scared every time my movie comes out. You work so hard for 9-11 months and then you have to be careful about whether the movie is liked or not. A film release is a huge process. I still remain very scared whenever my movie releases.
