Akshay Kumar has given the maximum number of hits in the last one year and now the box office collections of his new release Singh Is Kinng has cemented his position as the number one star.”But I don’t want that. I’m not a superstar. I’m not saying this for effect. I’m only here to entertain people. I keep telling my wife I don’t want to be either No.1 or No.2. I just want to be alive and kicking in the film industry,” Akshay told IANS.
Akshay describes Singh Is Kinng as an entertainer.
“It is not a great film. It’s an entertaining film. That’s the kind of cinema I believe in,” said Akshay who has dedicated the film to his father and secretary, both whom have died.
“It’s my first home production and I’ve dedicated the film to my late secretary, Mr. Vikas Bali, and to my father. They’d be so proud of Singh Is Kinng.”
Do you think “Chandni Chowk To China” will be as big a hit as Singh Is Kinng?
“That’s a scary thought. And I don’t want to think about it.”
Excerpts:
Q: Another hit, I guess. Katrina Kaif tells me she just follows you into projects?
A: Thank you very much, Katrina. But please don’t trust me blindly. I still have a lot to learn about scripts and cinema. I make a lot of mistakes. I hope when I make a mistake in selecting a script, you (Katrina) are not in that film.
Q: Why a film on Sardarji?
A: When I was younger my dad and I would have endless discussions on movies. One of the things that bothered him was why Sardarjis were ridiculed in our films. My father’s concern remained somewhere in my subconscious. That’s how Singh Is Kinng was born. If I produce any more films, it would be about issues that I’ve grown up with and believe in. Singh Is Kinng is a tribute to my Punjabi community.
Q: Akshay, you’re living life king size.
A: Ha ha, you can say that again. But like I keep saying these days the real king is Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan, and no one else. Some people don’t like my saying this. But it’s the truth. Whatever I’m today is because of the love and support of my fans. Beyond that I don’t want to be the king.
Q: Superstardom is a slippery status.
A: And I don’t want it. I’m not a superstar. I’m not saying this for effect. I’m only here to entertain people. I keep telling my wife I don’t want to be either No.1 or No.2. I just want to be alive and kicking in the film industry. By the grace of god, this industry has given me immense love and affection. I’ve got much more than I deserve.
Q: But you’ve worked hard for it.
A: Yes, it’s not easy. When you reach a certain position, it isn’t easy to hold on to that position. It’s the crab mentality at work. When I’m told Singh Is Kinng has got the biggest opening ever, I can only thank my audience, my fans and my community. Also, the media has been very kind to my film and me.
Singh Is Kinng is not a great film. It’s an entertaining film. That’s the kind of cinema I believe in. I come from the grassroots and that’s the majority section I want to pay off my debts to. I don’t think ordinary people want to pay Rs.150 to watch a film that preaches and sermonises. There’s so much stress in real life. I want my films to be stress-busters. Singh Is Kinng has a message, but not done in any loud way.
Q: All your recent films have been hits, except Tashan, which we won’t mention.
A: Oh you can mention it. I’m not the least ashamed of Tashan. I loved my role of Bachchan Pandey. I want to thank Aditya Chopra for giving me that film. Why should I disown a film just because it hasn’t done well? If I’m getting the credit for Singh Is Kinng then I also want to stand by Tashan, which may not have done that well. But it got me a lot of appreciation.
Q: Do you feel a whole lot of pressure trying to sustain the box office success that has come your way?
Q: It is a large responsibility on my head and shoulders.
A: Until the day before the release of Singh Is Kinng I was so tense I had stopped talking to my wife. I become edgy before every release. But this time it was worse. So many factors are linked to Singh Is Kinng. It’s the first controversial film of my career. Most important of all, it’s my first home production. I’ve dedicated the film to my late secretary, Mr. Vikas Bali, and to my father. They’d be so proud of Singh Is Kinng.
Q: It was very gracious of you to dedicate your film to your secretary.
A: I did what I felt to be instinctively right. Mr. Bali was not just my secretary. He was a father figure after my father. His wife didn’t know about the dedication. She called and got very emotional when she saw the film. Today, Mr Bali’s brother looks after my work.
Q: You always told me you’d never get into production. What made you change your mind?
A: There’s a time and place for everything. I’ve been in this film industry for 18 years. When I got the title Singh Is Kinng, I wanted to make the film in partnership with my friend Vipul Shah. I identify very closely with the North-Indian family values.
There was a time when my parents, sister and I wouldn’t miss a single Hindi film. That habit continues. I don’t miss a single film even today.
Q: How do you find the time now?
A: I don’t know how I do it. But I’ve to find the opportunity to watch every film. If I miss one, I make a note of in my diary and then catch up with the film later. I had missed “Cash” and “Race”. I watched them recently.
Q: Will you be producing more films?
A: If I like a script as much as Singh Is Kinng why not? If I don’t I won’t. It’s not as if I’ve tasted blood and want more.
Q: Now do you think “Chandni Chowk To China” will be as big a hit as Singh Is Kinng?
A: That’s a scary thought. And I don’t want to think about it. That’s my autobiographical film. It’s the story of my life. I always wanted to put my own journey from Delhi to Bangkok into a film.
Q: Are you taking credit for the story?
A: Not at all! I’ve no fascination for taking credit for anything apart from acting. Full credit for the story of “Chandni Chowk To China” goes to Sridhar Raghavan. I told him my own story of a waiter from Chandni Chowk, who goes abroad and learns martial arts. Sridhar added about 80 percent of his own ideas to my story.
IANS
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Akshay Kumar is a very gifted actor. I am sure he will do justice
to any kind of role and a strong believer of his heart.
He can’t be King.
Afer a few successful movies, which are hits / superhits, whatever, one can’t become King. You have to give movies which are remembered for a long time.
Name me a single such movie of Akshay.
There is none.
Akshay is true king always down to earth.He never said i am king
in spite of nobody like him in the industry.He is king of boxoffice .
Akshay we love you keep up entertaining us.
I thought India is a democrazy !!! How one become a king !!!
You don’t want to be a king BECAUSE you are not.We are not idiots, the title “king” associated with SRK was giving you constipation so you came up with a inovative and safe idea of Singh is king. Tell us what the title of movie ” singh is king got anything o do with stupid gangsters of the movie????
Dude, your scond constipation came to light when you said Real king is Amitabh Bachan. Abey kutai, Amitabh is Shenshah( Emperor).Its been 15 years, media named Amitabh as Shenshah and SRK as king. So tell us akshay who is the king. DO you have the guts to say it?
Loretta excuse me,Why Akshay kumar worried now he is getting
sucess and more sucess.SRK is worried and constipatated watch
all the fuction you never ever see Akshay saying anyting agingst
SRK.And watch SRK who is jeslous and badly constipated that
he in all the award fuction always dig on Akshay.Its clealy tell
the story who contipated or who is not.See the facts first.
SRK got great sense of humor and boy he can talk well. Ofcourse you haven’t notice how SRK poke fun at himself also at every award function and even movies ( kal Ho na ho ). The akshay joke skit also included mockery of srk and saif. Not your fault because you also seem constipated. Try immodium 3.
Anyway, SRK has been and is number 1. Otherwise name SRK shouldn’t pop up everytime there is news about akshay, salman, hrithik, amitabh, amir etc etc. I have never heard of …..is Amitabh number one or hrithick….is hrithick number one or Amir…..is akshay number one or salman. It is alwyas SRK verses all the above. hahhahahahahha. Seems like it is a One man Show all the way……………..
he guys,,,
can u belive that comic hero like akii can b a king of bollywood ????
did u remember govinda in 93 to 95??? ill tell his big hits that time back to back shola aur shabnam , raja babu ,cooli no 1 ,hero no 1 and etc..
so did govinda got anything ??
this is akii now he is good actor ok but not a king like srk
srk’s like darr,bazigar,anjam,ddlj,kkhh,devdas,cd india all this movies are rememeble and srk got many best actor awards everyone know;s that
dont worry if singh is king 2008 ki badi hit hai then 2009 may akii ki hawa band karne “my name is khan” (srk;kajol) hai
one last things for akii’s fans pls go back on 2006 when don and jaaneman relesed akii sallu vs srk and u saw what happened better then me
LOLZ YOU AS A KING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLZ LOLZ LOLZ………………………………… AKKI, GET A LIFE, DO A MOVIE WHICH FOR ONCE MAKEZ SENSE, DOING THE STUFF YOU DO, PROVEZ YOUR THE KINGZ OF CLOWNZ NOT BOLLYWOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET A JOB AS A JOKER IN A CIRCUS OK, SAYING THINGZ ABOUT SHAHRUKH MAKEZ YOU SEEM JEALOUS AND UNEDUCATED, SO STOP IT YOU JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!