Ever since it was announced that ‘Khiladi’ would be joining hands with Superstar for 2.O, fans have been going crazy — after all, it is not often you get to see two of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, sharing screen space. With the shoot of 2.O going on in full swing, Akshay Kumar is in the city to enact his portions. In a candid conversation with DC, he opens up about his excitement over Rajini’s Kabali, his respect for Tamil cinema fans, his upcoming Bollywood flick Rustom and more.
“I can’t wait to see Superstar’s Kabali. I heard that lots of people here have already started requesting for leave on the day of the release! Further, I came to know that fans wake up as early as 4 am to witness their beloved idol on the big screen. Even on the sets of 2.O, I hear the Kabali ringtone everywhere! This is unbelievable. I really wish I were in Chennai on the day of Kabali’s release,” starts Akshay on an exciting note.
He goes on to say that though he has been in adoration of Rajini for a long time, he’s now getting to see more of Superstar’s aura up close — “There’s a saying that cinema is magic and actors are magicians. For me, Rajinikanth sir is the real magician. From what I have noticed, he has his own way of delivering dialogues — which I can’t even think of doing myself!”
The Airlift actor also says that he has learnt a lot from Kollywood industry — “Many of my films were shot in Chennai and one thing I have noticed about this industry is that people are extremely professional.” He adds, “I also love Tamil movies. Directors work a lot to make the screenplay engaging with lots of twists and turns. I closely follow the works of actors like Vijay, Vikram and Kamal Haasan. I also loved Arvind Swamy in Thani Oruvan. This is the main reason why there is a lot of competition to buy the rights of Kollywood films.”
With his upcoming Bollywood flick Rustom slated to release this August, he shares interesting tidbits about it — “The film was a different experience for me. In many movies, you would have seen husbands having affairs and then asking for the wives’ forgiveness. In Rustom, it happens the other way around! As it is based on a real life story, it will be very intriguing.”
Akshay is one of the few actors, who successfully manages to find the right balance between entertainers and serious movies. Stating that it’s a conscious decision, he explains, “I want to prove myself that I can do all kinds of roles. By God’s grace, I am in a position where I can afford to experiment — some might work and some might not. But it will never stop me from exploring various genres. In fact, I’m now looking forward to do a horror comedy,” he reveals.
When we query if we can see him helming a project in the future, he says he will never turn director. “Come on, let me be happy! Directing a movie is an extremely challenging job. It’s not my cup of tea,” he grins.
On a concluding note, Akshay says that he would love to do a Kollywood movie again. “Cinema lovers in this state are serious about cinema. As an artist, this gives me the biggest inspiration. I would be privileged to be a part of this great industry again. Let us go for the best,” he says and takes our leave!
