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Newsarchive January 2008
Akshay on a roll!The year 2007 clearly belonged to Akshay Kumar and 2008 promises to be no different.
But while last year witnessed Akki at his funniest best in comical avatars, this year will see the superstar reclaim his Action King status. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Khiladi who’s back to his forte of beating up baddies and performing his signature death-defying stunts after a hiatus of almost four years. And the actor’s fans have more reasons to rejoice as Akki has not one, but almost four action films under his belt, including "Kambakkht Ishq", Rohan Sippy’s" Chandni Chowk to China", Vipul Shah’s "Singh is Kinng" and Yash Chopra’s "Tashan".Talking about the break from his action image, Akshay says, "I just wanted to explore all aspects of the spectrum, right from comedy to emotions and not be slotted in a particular image. What I want to do is entertain. But action is always closer to heart. After all, action does speak louder than words, doesn’t it?" So, did he miss doing action in all the years? "No, my son made sure I get enough of it," laughs Akki referring to son Aarav who keeps his ‘daadaa’ on toes. On a serious note he adds, "I keep myself fit as action needs a very high standard of concentration and strength, so I have not really been away from it. But, of course, sometimes you miss being the tough guy who can dishum dishum the world."And though the actor confesses that being a family man does make him think twice before performing any stunt, he’s not wary of going in for any daredevilry. "It’s action that has made me what I am today and the show must go on. We are entertainers after all, right?" he quips. Was it difficult getting back to action? "Nah, not really! Don’t forget my middle name, before King was Khiladi. Action is in my blood," says the actor. "Action may have evolved manifold, but at the core it still remains the same!" Talking about the sea change he’s witnessed in the past few years, Akki says, "The boys are men now and this is where the tough get going. So you need to be really fit to pull of daredevil stunts. We are being watched and compared to the best, so we better be up to it."And what does he find more difficult making people laugh or doing scary stunts? "A stunt is when you compete with yourself. You are in control, but in comedy, your performance depends on your audience, so I would say comedy is more difficult." Are there any actors he looks up to? "Tom and Jerry! They’re good at both action and comedy. I don’t think anyone can beat them," pat comes the reply. Courtesy:
Times of India
Kushti Inc
While Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta are investing huge money in IPL, Akshay Kumar is all set to sponsor and take care of the financial
needs of five wrestlers in Mumbai. All are at present associated with the Maharashtra Wrestling Association.
Akshay Kumar was present at the annual wrestling contest on Saturday evening at Andheri Sports Complex when the show organiser, promoter and Congress party spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam requested him to do something for the association. Akshay immediately agreed and said that he would look after any five wrestlers that Nirupam recommended, and who were deserving and needy. One of the little-known facts about the star is that his father Hariom Bhatia was also a wrestler. Lokesh Bali, Akshay’s business manager, confirmed, "When the members of this association and some of the wrestlers spoke to us there, Akshay decided to sponsor five among them. The association will send us their names and details. Akshay has decided to take a long-term interest in their career.""It is our dream to bring a gold medal from the Olympics and wrestling is one of our biggest and the safest bets. There is a lot of talent and they even get invited overseas, but the wrestlers have no money to go there," said Nirupam adding, "I spoke to Akshay and he understood my point of view. His father was a wrestler and together we now aim to bring a gold medal for our country. Akshay will be taking care of their basic needs such as food, gear and travel. We have already set up a huge akhada in Goregoan for their training and Akshay has promised that he would be visiting it from time to time." Courtesy:
Times of India
Akshay’s private parkour place The actor has brought a special architect trained in parkour to design the gym Akshay Kumar, currently training in parkour for the last six months under trainer Daniel from Liverpool, has become so focused on the sport that he has built a parkour gym in his earlier flat at Lokhandwala (Skypan Apartments). He’s lovin’ itSays a source close to Akshay, "Akki has lost more than six kilos in the last six months because of parkour. He started training for it for "Chandni Chowk To China" but now it’s become a passion for him where he practises for three to four hours at his special gym." According to the source, "Akshay had architects specially trained in building parkour gyms to construct his gym in his flat. He’s very excited about it. Nobody can just build this kind of a gym as special architecture and interior design is required for it.""Now, because of parkour, Akshay is looking lean, trim and geared up to do fantastic action sequences in Chandni Chowk To China Gate. With parkour, he can perform seemingly impossible body movements and body rolls when landing. This reduces impact forces on the legs and spine," gushes the source. Moving onAkshay who was shooting for Vipul Shah’s "Singh Is Kinng" in Chandigarh will be soon going to Delhi and China for a 10-week schedule for "Chandni Chowk To China".The source adds, "Akshay likes Parkour as he feels it helps you not just physically. You approach problems differently, because you have been trained to overcome obstacles. Though parkour is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible. It principally uses the abilities of the human body to overcome obstacles, and the philosophy is great. It focuses on practising efficient movements to develop one’s body and mind to be able to overcome obstacles in an emergency." Courtesy:
Mid Day
"Singh Is Kinng", Anees Bazmee's quickest filmAnees Bazmee, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif are not resting in spite of their "Welcome" turning out to be third biggest money spinner of all times after "Om Shanti Om" and "Dhoom:2". Their next film "Singh Is Kinng" is almost complete with only a few more days of the principal shoot remaining.Says Anees Bazmee, "After the Chandigrah shoot, "Singh Is Kinng" is around 80-90% complete. Only a few more scenes remain to be canned and after that we should be wrapping up with the shooting portion and move on to post production." Planned for a 15th August shoot, "Singh Is Kinng" would be Bazmee's quickest film shot in recent times after "No Entry" and "Welcome", both of which took close to 2 years to reach the finishing line.Laughs Bazmee, "See, things like these are not in anyone's hands. One never plans things thinking that I would want to give two years to a film's making. Thankfully "Singh Is Kinng" has been progressing smoothly and we should be able to have a hassle free ride." Courtesy:
Glamsham
"Bhool Bhulaiyaa" all set to cross 100 days
"Bhool Bhulaiyaa", which is one of the many Akshay Kumar successes in the months gone by, would be celebrating its 100th day at the box office this Sunday.
Entering its 15th week, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" has already achieved a super hit status for itself after earning close to 55 crores at the box office. Such favorable has been Akshay's run in the current season that his latest release "Welcome" crossed the 55 crores mark in two weeks flat. Coming back to "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", its DVDs have been out on stands for more than a month and are already enjoying brisk sales. The film is also special for Vidya Balan since it marked a hat trick of box office successes for her in 2007 in the form of "Heyy Babyy", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" and "Guru".Courtesy:
Glamsham
"Welcome" - Akshay's biggest overseas hit of 2007
While "Welcome" is now officially India's second biggest grosser in 2007 after "Om Shanti Om" in 2007, it continues to make big money on overseas as well.
After the fourth weekend, collections of "Welcome" stand at £885,734 which makes it the second highest grossing movie of 2007 in the UK & Ireland. 2007 saw three other Akshay films releasing worldwide - "Namastey London", "Heyy Babyy" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa". Super success of "Welcome" with collections as an evidence establish by default that it is the biggest of these four Akshay releases of 2007 in this territory. Worldwide, "Welcome" was marketed and distributed by Indian Films. Remarks Tanuj Garg, Head of the UK and Europe at Studio 18, "After "Jab We Met", am delighted by the resounding success of "Welcome". An incredible amount of planning went into making it a mega release and the effort has clearly paid off."With the writing being clear on the wall, it seems obvious that the Top 5 films in the UK read "Om Shanti Om", "Welcome", "Namastey London", "Partner" and "Salaam-E-Ishq". While there are two Akshay films in this list, remaining three have a Khan in the lead ("Om Shanti Om" - Shahrukh Khan, "Partner" and "Salaam-E-Ishq" - Salman Khan). Adds Tanuj, "2007 indeed had some big releases in this market and among our formidable competitors were Akshay's other releases! With "Welcome", he's had his biggest hit of 2007 in the UK." Director Anees Bazmee concurs, "I gave close to two years of my life in making this film. In spite of all the struggle that went into making the film reach the finishing mark, none of us from the cast or crew ever had doubts around the film being accepted worldwide by the audience. It was the faith of everyone involved with the project which kept us strong willed in ensuring that the film clicks with the masses."Some industry folks are still shocked with the box office outcome of "Welcome", isn't it? Laughs the soft spoken director, "A few cynics may have carried dreams to pull the film down but they never got a chance to do so the moment box office counters opened. With collections like these in both India as well as overseas, it is bound that everyone notices the kind of success the film has achieved." Courtesy:
Glamsham
Saif consults Akshay's pretty 'Parkour' trainer?
One of the most successful male pairs of the mid and the latter 90's, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan ("Main Khiladi Tu Anari,
"Yeh Dillagi" and "Aarzoo"), are bonding again.Please do not take it otherwise! We are only talking about them striking a great rapport on the sets of Yash Raj's upcoming action blockbuster, "Tashan" which reunites the much loved 'jodi' of the 'Khiladi' and the 'Chhote Nawab'. While we will talk about one of the most awaited releases of the year later, here is an interesting anecdote that we want to share with you. As per a coffee table periodical buzz, the two stars share a common passion, and before the fertile minds get into overdrive, we simply mean fitness! Both of them are fitness freaks. Akshay, who is obviously the fitter of the two, owes his fit state to martial arts and an intense physical sport called 'Parkour', while Saif opts for weight training.So Saif decided to try his hands at the intense physical sport and was happy to take tips from Akshay's pretty 'Parkour' trainer on the sets of TASHAN. But little did he realize that this intensive sport and training was not his cup of tea, and so after two gruelling sessions the 'Chhote Nawab' gave up and headed straight for his gym, saying that lifting weights was much easier. Well, whoever said getting into shape was easy!Courtesy:
Glamsham
Nagesh denies having any problems with AkshayNagesh Kuknoor’s "Bombay To Bangkok" is releasing this Friday. His next film, the John Abraham starrer "Aashayein" is also complete and now he will start working on the second schedule of his ambitious project with Akshay Kumar titled "Eight By Ten" (earlier known as "Tasveer"). There were reports doing rounds in the trade circles that Akshay Kumar was not happy with Nagesh during their Canada schedule and had a fight with the director due to the delay in the shoot."Reacting on it, Nagesh says, "Journalism has entered a new age of fiction. People just manufacture stuff as they want. So the best way to react is not to react at all. Sometimes the stories are written without substantial justification or verification." He agrees that there were some issues on the location but denied reports that Akshay Kumar had any problems with him. "There was a location issue but that had nothing to do with Akshay. The local location managers screwed up so it got delayed but Akshay and I were totally unrelated to this issue", explains Nagesh.But didn’t the schedule go haywire? "The schedule didn't go as per the plan, so what? We will find the next schedule and start the film." Confronting the issue regarding Akshay he says, "If there were any problems between Akshay and me, we wouldn’t have worked together. But we are shooting in January again." Talking about his film Nagesh says, "Eight By Ten is a thriller. Akshay Kumar and Ayesha Takia are apt for the film as they have not been paired yet and they were perfect for their characters".Courtesy:
Indiatimes
2008 to keep Bollywood cash registers ringing
If 2007 has been officially recorded as one of Bollywood's most prolific years at the box office, then 2008 sends out a double promise.
It promises to keep the cash counter ringing with the usual supply of blockbusters, and like 2007, it promises to keep the fastidious filmgoer satiated too with the avant garde. A quick run through of the official list of films lined up for a release this year shows that Akshay Kumar might just end up the king of the marquee, carrying his 2007 success mantra forward. Last year, the most talked about star may have been Shah Rukh Khan with his critically acclaimed "Chak De India" and his mass entertainer "Om Shanti Om". But the BO rock star was Akshay Kumar, proving his consistency with three consecutive hits: "Namastey London", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" and "Welcome".This year too, Akshay seems to be hell bent on proving that indeed, Singh is King in the industry. After the success of "Salaam Namastey", director Vipul Shah has planned an unadulterated ode to the lions of Punjab, a film which reportedly celebrates Punjabiyat like never before. Karan Johar take a back seat, there's somebody else saying shava shava this time. Akshay's other biggies are "Chandni Chowk to China", "Tashan" and "8x10". If Nikhil Advani's "Chandni Chowk to China" and Yash Chopra's (produced) "Tashan" mark his rebirth as the action hero — something he's already proved his forte with — then Nagesh Kukoonor's "8x10" has been in the news for it's desification of Manoj Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense". Akshay is the hero with the sixth sense, having the power to peep into the past of dead people. Truly, an attempt to be different from an actor who has been wedded to the mainstream until now. ...Courtesy:
Times of India
Sajid signs on Arnie & BeyonceSajid Nadiadwala, in a major casting coup of sorts, has apparently signed on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to play a cameo role in his next film "Kambakkht Ishq".That is not all. Alongside Hollywood’s Terminator will be pop sensation Beyonce Knowles who is slated to do a bootylicious number in the film starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor! Production work on "Kambakkht Ishq" has already begun in LA and Sajid, who is making a trip to Hollywood, is expected to roll the camera in May for this magnum opus which will be directed by Sabir Khan. Sajid, who has delivered hits like "Heyy Babyy", "Jeet", "Judwaa", "Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega" and "Mujse Shaadi Karogi", was the only independent producer to be listed in the Filmfare Power List recently.The film industry believes he has the same kind of clout in Bollywood as does Yashraj. Prashant Shah, a line producer of "Kambakkht Ishq" in LA and also a major Hollywood presence, said this is the first time a mainstream Indian producer is making such an international film. "So far we have had Deepa Mehta, who is a Canadian, and Meera Nair and Gurinder Chadha, who are Indians of international origin." Sajid himself, when contacted, admitted the Hollywood presence in his film, but declined to make comment or a formal announcement. However, director Sabir Khan said, "It’s an exciting merger of Hollywood and Indian cinema. Sajid has left no stone unturned in ensuring that some of the biggest names internationally have shown keen interest in his film." Apparently, apart from Schwarzenegger and Beyonce, other big Hollywood stars are also likely to be signed shortly for the film.Courtesy:
Times of India
Uninterrupted ActionWhat will make Akshay Kumar survive 2008? Sincerity to his job and a loyal fan base, writes Derek Bose
In 2007, Akshay pulled off a string of back-to-back hits ~ "Namastey London", "Heyy Babyy" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa". The momentum set by this hat trick enabled a below-average and otherwise non-starter, "Welcome" to stand up to the far more endearing and power-packed Aamir Khan-starrer, "Taare Zameen Par". Now, all eyes are on the release of "Singh is Kinng" and "Tashan". Akshay’s victory run actually began a year earlier with "Bhagam Bhag" and "Phir Hera Pheri", both mindless rib ticklers from the Priyadarshan stable. Their success not only eclipsed the flops he turned out in 2006 (such as "Humko Deewana Kar Gaye", "Jaan-E-Mann" and "Mere Jeevan Saathi") but gave him the opportunity to relocate into the comedy space. It was a defining year for the actor headed for a mid-life crisis ~ he was not getting any younger to continue as action hero nor had he become old enough to play character roles like Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan. To me, however, what makes Akshay Kumar a fascinating subject is that he is one senior actor who has not aspired for Bollywood’s top slot. At age 41, he may now be considered a threat to the quartet of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir and Hritik Roshan. But right from the beginning of his career in the nineties, even as he had everything going for himself and was cast repeatedly in the first lead, playing the title role in several films, never did he try competing with any of the reigning superstars. Instead, he has accepted roles they rejected and appeared in mediocre double-hero films time and again. Like Dharmendra and Jeetendra in the past, he remained content being part of the second rung of heroes in Bollywood.The price he has had to pay for being so easy-going and accepting is there for all to see. His first film, "Saugandh" in 1991 clearly established that with his looks, physique and training in the martial arts, he could outclass other action heroes of the time like Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and Ajay Devgan. He proved his backers right with "Mr. Bond" (1992) and most significantly, with the Khiladi series ~ "Khiladi" (1992), "Main Khiladi Tu Anadi" (1994), "Sabse Bada Khiladi" (1995), "Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi" (1996), "Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi" (1997), "International Khiladi" (1999) and "Khiladi 420" (2000). There were several other such action flicks ~ from "Ashaant" (1993) and "Mohra" (1994) to "Insaaf: The Final Justice" (1997), "Aflatoon" (1998) and "Hatya: The Murder" (2004). Any other actor would have sedulously consolidated his position solely on the strength of these recurrent hits, but Akshay frittered away his chances.Another intriguing facet about this actor is that he has never really belonged to any clique or camp within the film fraternity. Even when he was new to Bollywood ~ fresh from his stint as dishwasher in some Hong Kong restaurant ~ he did not seek out a godfather. He chose to be the proverbial lone ranger instead. Today, much as he can walk into any of Bollywood’s powerful camps, be it Yashraj Films, Mukta Arts, Dharma Productions or Red Chillies Entertainment, Akshay is happy working with a bunch of middling producers like Dharmesh Darshan, Vipul Shah and the Nadiadwala Brothers. Tomorrow, it could be a completely unknown producer he might opt for. In that sense, he is one star-actor who has retained his independence and takes his chances, regardless of the consequences. This is rather unusual at a time when everyone in Hindi cinema is looking for the safety of numbers and the security of support systems. Yet another factor that sets Akshay apart is his choice of roles. No actor, with any aspiration of becoming a superstar, would willingly demolish the image once created in the minds of the public. Akshay Kumar’s abiding image has been one of an action hero. Yet, he has periodically tried to negate that image by dabbling with romantic potboilers ("Dhadkan", "Dil To Pagal Hai", "Namastey London" ...), family dramas ("Bewafaa", "Waqt: A Race Against Time" ...), patriotic sagas ("Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon" ...) and a host of off-beat thrillers like "Yeh Dillagi", "Aitraaz", "Ajnabee" and "Khakee". He simply does not cease to surprise.Clearly, he holds an agenda bigger than being just another bankable star. By showcasing his versatility, he is essentially extending his shelf life. He knows that he cannot live by action dramas or syrupy romances alone; a time would come when he will have to explore other genres. Rather than start all over again from scratch and compete with his contemporaries at that stage, he decided to sink his teeth in a variety of roles whenever he got the opportunity. And the best part is that he has been able to make a success of most of them. But does that make Akshay Kumar a good actor? Now versatility is one thing and pulling off a credible performance, quite another. For instance, Naseeruddin Shah is a good actor, but not versatile (ask him to prance around trees and you would know!). Akshay, in contrast, can dance, kick, box, perform dare-devil stunts and more. But he does not abide by a recognizable school or style of acting. He has a weak smile, a weaker voice and more often than not, lets his fists do the talking. The articulation of his limbs and other parts of his body is severely limited to just that. Charisma? It is just not there. Ditto for the ruggedness that is supposed to go with his persona.So what makes him so hot? Courtesy:
The Statesman
Is that Akshay’s story?
After director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, it is Akshay Kumar who is going to relive his childhood memories of Delhi’s old quarters in
Nikhil Advani’s new action-adventure-comedy "Chandni Chowk To China".
For long, Akshay had felt that his own success story had the potential to be made into a movie. And now it looks like he’s getting his way. The film’s nimble-footed hero is a cook who goes to China and encounters further adventures. By now it’s part of the Akshay legend that he served as a cook in Bangkok and earned his way back to Mumbai to make cinematic history. The kitchen-angle isn’t the only similarity between Akshay and the hero from Chandni Chowk. Both are martial-arts practitioners. Not having done a full action film for over seven years, Akshay has trained in a martial arts form known as Wushu for the film. "It’s a very intricate art practiced on screen by Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Everyone knows Akshay is a big Jackie Chan fan. This is his chance to get even," says Advani."But I can’t say if Chandni Chowk To China is autobiographical. My writer Sridhar Raghavan (who wrote Johnny Gaddar) wrote an original screenplay. If he
was inspired by Akshay’s life, he’ll know better," Advani adds. Courtesy:
Times of India
You need to take risks: Akshay KumarAkshay Kumar, possibly India’s finest action hero, decided to tickle the nation’s funny bone in the year 2007. He spoke to Subha Shetty-Saha.
With the same determination, he sure-footedly took one ladder at a time in Bollywood, making sure he never missed a step. Finally, the Khiladi had arrived. "After a point, you need to take risks, otherwise things can only get static for you. There is a lot of fun in taking risks. I know I can fall badly if I continue taking risks but at this juncture, I think I can afford to risk it." It was a chance encounter with comedy that made him the uncrowned king of the genre, but Akshay insists comedy is what he fears the most. "When you are watching a serious movie with the audience you don’t know what they are feeling, so you are safe. But if you crack a joke on screen and they don’t laugh, it can be heartbreaking." But for now, he can rest easy — the applause is coming thick and fast.Courtesy:
DNA India
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| Credits | Version 3.0 © Akshay Kumar international | Disclaimer |
Akshay Kumar has become omnipresent. He is everywhere ~ sprinting across billboards on terrace tops, popping out of magazine covers,
grinning on television screens, gliding about on bus panels, scowling from roadside posters, peering out of Press ads… There’s no way you
can escape him these days. In fact, no Bollywood star in recent times has enjoyed the amount of sustained visibility over past one year, the
way this young man is experiencing.
He couldn’t have had a humbler beginning. As a waiter at a restaurant in Bangkok, Rajeev Bhatia could have remained a part of the
woodwork and no one would have missed him. However, the Akshay Kumar in him wasn’t quite ready to take that as his destiny. Many thought
he didn’t have anything to declare — apart from his good looks and great body — which a million others strutted.