Has Lady Luck cast her shadow on Akshay Kumar?
When one thinks of Akshay Kumar, it’s virtually impossible to discard the fact that he is the ultimate action hero. His martial-arts background has always given him an upper hand somewhat and he has been known to carry out his own stunts on film sets. However, there seemed to be an obstacle preventing Akshay from carving his own niche among the Khans in the industry.
In 2006, it seemed luck, for Akshay, came in the shape of the model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif. From their first film as co-stars, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, to their most recent box office hit Singh is Kinng, the two have gone from strength to strength together. Their hit pairing opened many doors for Katrina and also put Akshay back into the “superstar” category post-marriage. Akshay became hot-property alongside fresh-faced Katrina, and they delivered successes in all the movies they were cast opposite each other.
During the time, Akshay also had a number of releases minus Katrina, the majority of which didn’t go down to well with the audiences. Katrina on the other hand was delivering hit after hit at the box office, whether that be with or without Akshay. So much so that Katrina has become known to have the Midas touch. In light of this, is it right to ponder whether Akshay was getting just as much from Katrina lucky streak as Katrina was gaining career-wise by being cast opposite the Khiladi of Bollywood? Was Akshay cashing in on Katrina’s luck and slowly making his way back into the hearts of the audiences?
The hit Kumar-Kaif jodi hasn’t been seen together following the comedy Singh is Kinng almost a year ago. Since then, Akshay seems to be finding it difficult to please the masses. His first attempt in the animated movie genre failed miserably at the box office, as did the much-hyped Chandi Chowk to China opposite Deepika Padukone. His most recent offering, 8 x 10 Tasveer, seemed to have all the ingredients to wow the audiences once more but unfortunately went virtually unnoticed at the box office. Is Akshay’s hard work being overlooked without Katrina’s fortune to see it through to success?
On the personal front, Akshay quite recently ended up in hot water when a group of spectators present at his Levi’s unbuttoned range fashion show, during Lakme India Fashion Week, found a significant part of his act offensive. The act surrounded a female model unbuttoning Akshay’s jeans in reference to the same of the Levi’s range. However, during the actual show, Akshay opted to get his jeans unbuttoned by his wife, Twinkle, who was in the front row. It seems that didn’t seem to matter to the onlookers who went on to file a police case against the couple for public obscenity. It seems as if Lady Luck really has left the stunt hero in the dark and not just professionally.
As Katrina’s career chart still seems to be on the up, Akshay is preparing one more to impress all with his next venture, Kambakkht Ishq. The film boasts cameos of a number of Hollywood stars as Akshay plays the role of a Hollywood stuntman. Rumour has it that the producer of the film is planning to release the film in a “bigger and better” fashion than the norm. It is thought that the overwhelming success of Slumdog Millionaire has given way to a new breed of directors who feel they can aim higher and targeting an international audience no longer seems extraordinary. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 and has Miss Popularity Kareena Kapoor in the female lead.
So as Bollywood’s Khiladi prepares for yet another major release, the audiences will need to sit tight to see him share screen space with the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards. Kambakkht Ishq is the first in a long line of big-budget films to be released this year and early promotional videos give the feeling of an out-and-out masala movie. Let’s hope Kareena’s never-fading fame brings with it Lady Luck’s sweet offerings, not only for the film but also for Akshay.
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