Cricket being a religion in India, Sachin Tendulkar is God! Beyond
India, the world worships Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Rogerer Federer
and others. They are megastars who have redefined stardom.
In Bollywood, whenever we talk about super-stardom the names of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan strike us. On the 22-yards, we have Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Tendulkar who face no competition.
But to talk of cricket, we have had consistent performers like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, GR Viswanath, Mohinder Amarnath and Sourav Ganguly who have stood up to challenges and made us smile. Yet, Tendulkar is hailed as invincible.
Coming to Bollywood, we have Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar whose films may not have minted multi-crores at the box-office, yet they smell success within the smallest of parameters. The success of Rustom with Akshay in the lead lends credence to the fact that apart from mega-bucks from MEGASTARS who at most have two releases in a year, the industry has to look to SUPERSTARS who won't think big, yet rake in the moolah.
And this is where Akki is a force to reckon with. The guy from Delhi has come a long way. From his debut Saugandh (1991) to Rustom (2016), Akshay has flourished in leaps and bounds marching ahead of his contemporaries barring the Khans. There was a time in the '90s when Akshay was not considered to be an A-Grade star. But thanks to the Khiladi series, Mohra and the twist to his career courtesy his comic timing in films like Hera Pheri and others, the actor reinvented himself.
If in Namastey London, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, Waqt: The Race Against Time and Dhadkan, he showed his emotional side, films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Welcome, De Dana Dan, the Housefull series and Desi Boyz made him tickle the funny bone.
Talk of versatility, Aan, Andaaz, Aitraaz and others saw him in serious avatars as well. Even in Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai where he played a cameo, Akki won hearts especially in the climax with Karisma Kapoor. From being an action star to begin his career with, Akshay has evolved as an actor over the years and his latest films like Special 26, Gabbar is Back, Airlift and Rustom bear testimony to it. Meanwhile, he flirts with the likes of Rowdy Rathore, Housefull and others that only add variety to his kitty.
Akki's films may not be earning as much as a Salman Khan film would, but, he provides stability to the industry much like what Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman did to Indian cricket.
Choose films pragmatically so that the producers make profits and it's the percentage of profits that matters to Akshay. And it is this strategy that has three of his films making it to the Rs 100-crore mark in 2016. Akki is ranked third after Salman and Shah Rukh in terms of the number of films making a minimum of Rs 100 crore at the domestic box-office in the history of Bollywood.
Forbes lists Akshay as the 10th highest paid actor in the world ahead of even Salman and Bachchan. He lags behind only Shah Rukh who is ranked 8th despite delivering mediocre box-office products.
This only proves that Akshay is highly bankable and with due respect, is looked upon as somebody who will set the cash registers ringing in the absence of the MEGASTARS. He may not be Bollywood's Tendulkar, but he is the one who personifies consistency and you may not be wrong to bracket him alongside Dravid and Laxman.
Call him Very Very Special or Mr. Dependable, Akshay has redefined stardom in his own way. And kudos to him.
In Bollywood, whenever we talk about super-stardom the names of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan strike us. On the 22-yards, we have Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Tendulkar who face no competition.
But to talk of cricket, we have had consistent performers like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, GR Viswanath, Mohinder Amarnath and Sourav Ganguly who have stood up to challenges and made us smile. Yet, Tendulkar is hailed as invincible.
Coming to Bollywood, we have Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar whose films may not have minted multi-crores at the box-office, yet they smell success within the smallest of parameters. The success of Rustom with Akshay in the lead lends credence to the fact that apart from mega-bucks from MEGASTARS who at most have two releases in a year, the industry has to look to SUPERSTARS who won't think big, yet rake in the moolah.
And this is where Akki is a force to reckon with. The guy from Delhi has come a long way. From his debut Saugandh (1991) to Rustom (2016), Akshay has flourished in leaps and bounds marching ahead of his contemporaries barring the Khans. There was a time in the '90s when Akshay was not considered to be an A-Grade star. But thanks to the Khiladi series, Mohra and the twist to his career courtesy his comic timing in films like Hera Pheri and others, the actor reinvented himself.
If in Namastey London, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, Waqt: The Race Against Time and Dhadkan, he showed his emotional side, films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Welcome, De Dana Dan, the Housefull series and Desi Boyz made him tickle the funny bone.
Talk of versatility, Aan, Andaaz, Aitraaz and others saw him in serious avatars as well. Even in Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai where he played a cameo, Akki won hearts especially in the climax with Karisma Kapoor. From being an action star to begin his career with, Akshay has evolved as an actor over the years and his latest films like Special 26, Gabbar is Back, Airlift and Rustom bear testimony to it. Meanwhile, he flirts with the likes of Rowdy Rathore, Housefull and others that only add variety to his kitty.
Akki's films may not be earning as much as a Salman Khan film would, but, he provides stability to the industry much like what Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman did to Indian cricket.
Choose films pragmatically so that the producers make profits and it's the percentage of profits that matters to Akshay. And it is this strategy that has three of his films making it to the Rs 100-crore mark in 2016. Akki is ranked third after Salman and Shah Rukh in terms of the number of films making a minimum of Rs 100 crore at the domestic box-office in the history of Bollywood.
Forbes lists Akshay as the 10th highest paid actor in the world ahead of even Salman and Bachchan. He lags behind only Shah Rukh who is ranked 8th despite delivering mediocre box-office products.
This only proves that Akshay is highly bankable and with due respect, is looked upon as somebody who will set the cash registers ringing in the absence of the MEGASTARS. He may not be Bollywood's Tendulkar, but he is the one who personifies consistency and you may not be wrong to bracket him alongside Dravid and Laxman.
Call him Very Very Special or Mr. Dependable, Akshay has redefined stardom in his own way. And kudos to him.
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