"I Am An All-Rounder." Akshay Bares His Heart To Taran Adarsh 
By Taran Adarsh, May 5, 2004 - 01:14 IST
Guess what does Akshay Kumar yearn for the most? No, not bachelorhood. Naah, Bangkok neither [he was stationed here before joining films]. He misses being part of the 'Khiladi' films!
After a series of 'Khiladi' fares - right from KHILADI to SABSE BADA KHILADI, KHILADIYON KA KHILADI, MR. & MRS. KHILADI, INTERNATIONAL KHILADI, MAIN KHILADI TU ANADI and KHILADI 420 - the actor suddenly changed gears and started concentrating on non-action films.
"I was tired of being labeled an action hero," Akshay confesses, "I desperately wanted a change of image. I needed a break."
With action films on the backburner, Akki started concentrating on non-action roles. "I do miss the 'Khiladi' series though. It was fun till it lasted. But I've no idea why Keshu stopped making them. He's the right person to shed light on the 'mystery' [laughs]," he adds.
Coming back to Akki's strategy of changing tracks - from action roles to non-action ones - the actor attributes it to the fact that he wanted to be called an all-rounder. "Refusing action films was a conscious decision. That's why I accepted DIL TO PAGAL HAI, EK RISHTAA, HERA PHERI, DHADKAN, AWARA PAAGAL DEEWANA, AANKHEN, ANDAAZ and KHAKEE," he states.
After winning plaudits for his performance in KHAKEE, the actor is now looking forward to his next release, AAN. Prior to that there's POLICE FORCE as well. Is he specializing in the role of a cop these days?
"AAN is different from KHAKEE in every respect. There are no similarities whatsoever. In KHAKEE, I enacted the role of a happy-go-lucky cop, in AAN I play a cop called Hari Om Patnaik, who hails from Orissa. It's a serious role, in sharp contrast to the one I essayed in KHAKEE. Besides, working with Madhur [Bhandarkar] and Shatru-ji [Shatrughan Sinha] was an enriching experience," he recalls.
The actor has been flooded with comic roles after KHAKEE, but he hasn't accepted any similar-sounding role yet. "I distinctly remember, I grabbed every project that came my way when I started out. I was very insecure then, money was an important criteria for signing films. But I don't wish to repeat the mistakes anymore after KHAKEE," he declares.
Akshay has an interesting line up of films up his sleeve. There's MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI [his second film with David Dhawan, after MR. & MRS. KHILADI], AITRAAZ [Abbas-Mustan], BARSAAT [Suneel Darshan], PHIR HERA PHERI [Satish Kaushik], WAQT [second film with Vipul Shah, after AANKHEN], BEWAFA [Dharmesh Darshan], AB TUMHARE HAWALE WATAN SAATHIYO [Anil Sharma] and Keshu's untitled venture [co-starring Ajay Devgan].
Ironically, a few years ago, Akki had categorically stated that he would concentrate on solo-hero films, but a majority of films on floors today are multi-hero projects. "I have realized that it's important to be a part of a good product," he acknowledges, "At the same time, what matters is your role and the people you work with. If I can still deliver the goods and stand out, like I did in KHAKEE, what's the harm in trying out multi-hero projects?"
It's an all-new Akshay today - more confident, more professional and more dedicated to the craft.
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Akshay injured on set!
