It was a not-so-pleasant surprise for Akshay Kumar’s fans when on Saturday morning they woke up to the news of the actor having just a 25 minute role in his upcoming release Mission Mangal. Considering the fact that the film was being promoted as the superstar’s next big patriotic film, the news was hard to digest. However, sources say that there is no truth to these rumours, and Akki indeed is ‘the hero of the film’. “When Akshay has a cameo or an extended guest appearance in a film, he announces that himself loud and clear. He did that with Naam Shabana, right? Taapsee Pannu was the leading lady of the film and everyone associated with the film, including Akshay himself, made this clear to the fans well in advance,” says an insider.
Producer R. Balki, who last directed Akshay in PadMan, says, “I have no clue from where this false news originated. Akshay has more screen time than just 25 minutes.” The rumors originated because Mission Mangal has quite a few leading ladies including Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee and Kirti Kulhari. They all play characters that were involved in the true story of India’s biggest space mission. Fans began to wonder if Akshay will play a small or significant role in the film, which is being directed by Jagan Shakti. “Akshay is the hero of the film. He will be seen for a longer duration than even Kesari,” Balki retorts.
