Bollywood struggles ft. Akshay Kumar

Brut India

"I’ve not got any big banners.” Akshay Kumar revealed how he was typecast into only commercial movies in Bollywood, in this old video from Karan Johar’s show.  :

Transcript

00:00They've called me just a furniture.

00:02They've not given me any kind of break.

00:05Whether it's Chopra's or Johar's, nobody has.

00:08Johar's is only me.

00:09So, I'm your big director.

00:10I don't believe in competition.

00:12We're not Mahalaxmi's horses

00:14that we'll compete who'll be number one

00:16and who'll be number two.

00:26Has that ever bothered you

00:27that the perception of you as being a big movie star

00:29you make blockbusters,

00:31but you're still combating the perception of

00:34is Akshay Kumar the actor or is he just a superstar?

00:37You're still fighting that.

00:38Does that ever bother you?

00:40Or you don't get bothered?

00:42I'm happy with whatever I've got.

00:44I'm happy with whatever I've got.

00:46And I'm not fighting anything.

00:49But yes, I want to keep on every day

00:52when I listen to a script,

00:54I'm looking for that script if I can get something to prove it.

00:57Like a special 26 when I got it.

01:00I was very happy with it.

01:01Like, even a script like Oh My God.

01:06But a lot of times people come with a commercial film

01:09only to give it to me.

01:10They don't come with a lot of acting,

01:13or a lot of thinking,

01:15or a lot of study, homework.

01:17They just don't come.

01:18And what about critics in India?

01:20I mean, have they been kind to you?

01:21Have you kind of had an opinion on them?

01:23And things they've said.

01:24They've been very kind.

01:25They've called me just a furniture.

01:28And when I'm actually a showroom.

01:30So, they've been very kind to me.

01:32That's...

01:33They called you... Who called you furniture?

01:36A long back, someone had written to me.

01:38That they called you a piece of furniture?

01:40Yeah.

01:40But I mean...

01:41My acting is like a piece of furniture.

01:42Like you're basically wooden.

01:44Easy.

01:45Just sitting there.

01:46And how have you reacted when you read things like this?

01:47Nothing. It's funny.

01:49It's nice.

01:49Yeah.

01:50It's funny to read something like that about you.

01:52What can you react?

01:53Where do you see yourself in the scheme of things today as a movie star?

01:57You know, we have like Desha, Rukta, Salman, Aamir, you,

02:00Akshay, you know, you, Hrithik, Ranbir.

02:03Everyone has a place.

02:04Do you see yourself competing ever for box office numbers?

02:08Do you see yourself in this number game?

02:10I've always maintained it and I've said it from the beginning of my career

02:14till now also that I don't believe in competition.

02:16I have...

02:18There are 180 movies made every year.

02:20Right.

02:21And there are around 10-12 actors.

02:23And they all, out of that, about five, six only do one film a year.

02:27Right.

02:27And there are one, two who just do one film in three years.

02:30Right.

02:30So, there are so many movies for all of us.

02:33Right.

02:33What are we competing about?

02:34I have so many movies. I have so many scripts to hear.

02:37I have so many things.

02:38So, I don't believe in competition.

02:41We're not like Mahalakshmi's horses

02:43who will compete for the number one or two.

02:46So, it's... I don't believe in that.

02:49I just do my work because there's so much work.

02:51Yeah.

02:52There's plenty of work.

02:54To be done.

02:54Yeah.

02:55From the beginning of my career, no big people have given me a film.

03:00Right.

03:00From maximum, I've done one or two films with Chopras.

03:05Right.

03:05And that's it. I've not got any big banners.

03:09I've always given hits with newcomers.

03:11Right.

03:12I've done about 13-14 films with newcomers.

03:17You're saying the bigger filmmakers have always stayed here?

03:20They've not given me any kind of break.

03:24Whether it's Chopras or Johars, nobody has.

03:27Yeah.

03:28Johars is only me.

03:30It's only me.

03:31So, I meant you only.

03:32Yeah.

03:33You mean like the bigger directors like...

03:35So, I'm your big director?

03:36No, no, no. I know. I'm just talking about the others also.

03:39Like, say the leading filmmakers of the country.

03:41Actually, you've maintained your stardom

03:43and created it without any kind of big name.

03:46I had no choice.

03:48Yeah.

03:48I had no choice. I had to do it like that.

03:50Right.

03:51If a new, big name wants to take it, you have to start...

03:55You have to do something on your own.

03:57Correct.

03:57You have to start a small industry on your own.

04:00Right.

04:00Which is no small industry. You created a brand for yourself.

04:03That I was lucky enough.

Category

Transcript

Recommended