No one would want to be Akshay Kumar right now. No matter the industry, you don’t want to be a labelled superstar experiencing a gruesome drought with hits, and having nine consecutive flops, the latest casualty being Sarfira. However, at the risk of sounding preachy, this is a true test for Kumar to hang on, breathe and trust the process.
When the cards are stacked against you, the odds will not be in your favour but that’s when you’re tested and it seems to be a perennially longer but important test for Kumar as well.
What is Wrong?
It is easy to decide the failure of an array of his films – Bachchan Pandey, Samrat Prithviraj, Raksha Bandhan, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and so on – substandard and bad films getting the fate they possibly deserved. But the recent instance of Sarfira‘s failure puts things into perspective while still leaving you puzzled.
The film, by no means, is a bad film and in fact, it’s a great film which even has Kumar reminding everyone how he can still act and make an impact. That leaves you puzzled as to why is a good film with a superstar not being accepted? But the answer to that is perhaps the domino effect that his previous films and their ruinous results have led to.
A generally apathetic approach seems to have made its way into the hearts of the audiences, and that’s a scary thought. It also doesn’t entirely bode well for his future releases.
Take A Moment & Breathe
Kumar has remarkably done an average of three to five films a year for the past several years, and now that there is a string of flops to look at – it is a sense of wonder as to if it is ‘overexposure’. Kumar has acknowledged this in one of his recent interviews ridiculing it and sticking to his decisions – which, while applaudable isn’t healthy for his recent upcoming releases. To think that still not having recovered from the debacle of Sarfira, he already has Khel Khel Mein, which has an ensemble cast and is set to have a three-way clash with Stree 2 and Vedaa.
It seems suicidal and more so owing to a general atmosphere surrounding Kumar’s films. Not only Kumar but the makers of the respective films need to take a moment, pause and breathe. Kumar, with his relentless pursuit of films which, at times for reasons beyond his control lead to back-to-back release dates; and the filmmakers strategising the time of release even though there is an economic aspect attached to it that needs to be catered to. Kumar needs some introspection, now more than ever.
Not Everything is Bad
Having said all of the above, here we sit back knowing that Kumar has over six films in his kitty including and excluding special appearances and cameos. And amidst the list, the two films that seem to have the best chance for Kumar to bring back spoke moolah would be Welcome To The Jungle and Housefull 5 and a possible Hera Pheri 3– not only because they are a part of popular comedy franchises but because people are dying to watch the comic prowess that Kumar is known to portray effortlessly.
The sprinkling cameo in Singham Again and another franchise film, Jolly LLB 3 also help his chances, especially the latter. Hence, this isn’t a time of extreme crisis when it comes to his future projects but it should certainly be a time of introspection for Kumar, as and when he will sign more films ahead – which ones will he choose? How often will he appear on-screen? Will he take sporadic breaks? We have the case study of Shah Rukh Khan, who also faced a lull and a four year absence led to three mega blockbusters in one year when he did return. Kumar doesn’t need to do the same but surely needs to think and soak in.