Akki’s award goes to Aamir

Akshay refused to accept apopular award, suggested it be given to Aamir.

After all the drama and exchange of annoyance that took place on stage of an award ceremony recently, it was Akshay Kumar, who saved the show with his kindheartedness. The actor took many by surprise when he refused to accept ‘The Most Popular Actor’ award saying that not him, but Aamir Khan deserved the award for his work in Ghajini.

Our sources say, “Akshay Kumar saw Ghajini in New York when he was there for the premiere of Chandni Chowk to China and was floored by Aamir’s performance and effort. On his return to India from London, Akshay saw Singh Is Kinng in the flight and thought that Aamir’s effort was far more commendable.

Receiving the award Akshay said, “I feel humble that I have won the award for ‘The Most Popular Actor’. I have waited for this award since a long time. However, I recently saw Ghajini and thought that Aamir deserves this award more. I know that Aamir does not accept awards, but I want him to accept this as a symbol of love that people have for him. I want him to enjoy the award as much as I would have done.”

When contacted Akshay Kumar said, “I did something that I genuinely felt. I really do not wish to talk about it.”

Also see Akshay Kumar’s Portfolio

Kat grooves for the King!

Looks like the King of Bollywood can’t do without his Queen.
We are talking about Akshay Kumar and his lucky mascot Katrina Kaif. After giving a string of hits, the jodi will be seen together once again. Katrina has agreed to shoot for a special number for the Akshay-starrer Blue .

The song will be shot on a whopping Rs 6 crore budget and in Mumbai soon. According to a unit member, “Katrina has agreed to do the song only for Akshay’s sake. She genuinely did not have the dates to accommodate another film. But Akshay considers Katrina to be lucky and the two get along very well. So, the actress agreed.”

We hear Katrina has been rehearsing for the song and will have to do double shifts to complete it. But she doesn’t mind it. And, looks like Akshay could do with a little luck after his dismal opening with CCTC last week.


Also See Katrina Kaif’s Home Page

Chinese stuntmen are way ahead of us - Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar can't help but admire the stuntmen from China with whom he worked in close collaboration during his 'Chandni Chowk To China' shoot. He truly believes that they have mastered the art of action. Also, there is a lot that not just India but the world can learn from the Chinese when it comes to Kung Fu skills.

"They are the best in the business and we all were in awe of them when we saw them contributing to 'Chandni Chowk To China'. The kind of preparation they do is unparalleled", says Akshay Kumar who is returning to action four years after Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Khakee' and Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Aan - Men At Work', "The sort of dedication they demonstrate is for all of us to learn."

He also goes on to state, "It is great to see how such world class performers are making an impression all over.

Even in India, if we go just a little back in time, we had stuntmen who were not really in the best of shape and were also overweight. However, today the scene is changing in Bollywood with exposure to world cinema. Our own people too have become conscious about their bodies but still we have a lot of catching up to do with the Chinese."

"It is not wrong to admit that we are behind them in this department", Akshay goes on to add while stating that it only adds on to the positive energy if one is willing to learn from your contemporaries, "Chinese stuntmen are way ahead of us so fair enough, let's try to observe what and how they are doing better than us.

They have an amazing stamina and willpower and I am sure we too can develop that. For me it was a learning experience to revisit the art of Kung Fu. I came back enriched."

He also talks fondly about sharing screen space with Sir Gordon Liu, who plays the role of the main villain 'Hojo' in the film. A veteran of over 75 international films, Liu is the same actor who was seen in the legendary film '36 Chambers of Shaolin'. He has also played prominent roles in both the editions of 'Kill Bill'.

"I was awestruck with what I see in '36 Chambers of Shaolin' and tried to learn from it. Working with the same man who made that film so popular was amazing.

If you haven't seen '36 Chambers of Shaolin', go and watch it today", concludes Akshay while promising that 'Chandni Chowk To China' would live up to the international scale it has been set in.

Lights! camera! cut

Here's a nemesis that our Hindi films cannot slay in its trademark style. The hundred billion rupee film industry is up against recession, and is,right now, frozen with fear



Producers and distributors are waiting – the rest of the industry is watching its back. After a spate of jacked-up prices where our biggest stars got their price on demand, overwhelming and starstruck corporate backing and films mounted on giddily huge budgets, Bollywood is finally facing acute financial scrutiny. Financiers have been quick to lie low, it's no longer important to have extravagant promotions, even the number of cameras used are facing the cut, not to mention the number of technicians. Many films which are complete, are not being released due to lack of buyers and many are not being launched at all.

The film industry has taken guard. They are scared of talking about it openly, but they are talking in whispers. We present the ways in which Bollywood is trying to cut corners. Just to survive.

Shutting Shop
A number of production houses have reportedly retrenched many staffers and even closed down their offices in some cities. One of these has closed down its offices in Bangalore and Delhi, while another has reportedly shut shop in Delhi.

Wait And Watch
Many films are complete, but are not being released as distributors want to wait and watch. Films like Red Alert (Suniel Shetty), Right Ya Wrong (Sunny Deol/Irfan Khan), Juggad (Manoj Bajpai), Aashayein (John Abraham), Aloo Chaat (Aftab), Dev.D.

Meter down
John Abraham has cut down his price by a whopping 60 per cent, and is reportedly charging only Rs 1.6 crore for the film Hook Ya Crook, instead of his usual Rs 4 crore. Even the film’s locations have been changed from the US to the more affordable film studios in Hyderabad.

No free lunch
Freebies are taking a cut. No more free first class tickets for the family, free shopping sprees, free five-star parties and large entourages.

Staying Power
Actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan who never did increase their price to unrealistic levels, may prove to be the survivors.

To the rescue
Big stars, including Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, have had to cut down their price by 50 per cent for their films Veer and De Dhana Dhan, in order to prevent further disaster.

Quartered!
All extra cameras have been returned from the sets of Veer. Also producer Vijay Galani has been asked to cut down the budget of the film to Rs 25 crore, from the original budget of Rs 100 crore.

Half Ticket
The satellite industry has taken a major jolt with Dostana being offered as little as Rs 6 crore. Normally, it would had been offered at least Rs 12 crore for its satellite rights.

On Hold
Many are playing the wait-and-watch game. Rajeev Khandelwal's Peter Gaya Kaam Se, Pritish Nandy’s Fruit and Nut, Deepa Sahi’s film with Nana Patekar and Hema Malini and Farhan Akhtar’s Voice From The Sky have been put on hold until March, 2009. That’s when further decision will be taken.

Forget it!
Actors like Shiney Ahuja, Vivek Oberoi, Zayed Khan who asked for a big price but offered no guarantee that they would bring in the audiences, will be the worst hit as no one will now want to risk their money on them.

I Am Rajiv Bhatia

Rajiv Bhatia, better known as Akshay Kumar, proved beyond doubt that acting isn't at all the key attribute to stardom in Hindi cinema. His success is the result of a combination of factors, but emoting in front of the camera isn't one of them. His meteoric rise just goes to show that you can get by on the strength of your good looks, well-toned body, thrilling stunts and energetic dances. Watch any of Akshay Kumar's films, from 'Dancer' (1991) to 'Jaanwar' (2000) and you will know.

Akshay Kumar had set his sight on the big bad world of films while still in college. Despite taking acting and dancing lessons and being a martial arts expert to boot, that elusive breaks took a long time to come.

Akshay moved to Bangkok and ran a food stall for a while. He came back to Bombay at the turn of the decade finally getting his first film with Raj Sippy's 'Sangharsh (1991). ). The film came and went without much ado and nobody thought its hero had any future. the following year, Abbas-Mustan's 'Khiladi' changed all that, the film had a good run at the box-office and Akshay was widely appreciated as a dancer. After a few other indifferent films, 'Elaan' (1994) he established his image as an action hero who could execute daredevil stunts as never seen before in Bollywood, furthered by such bone-crushers as 'Main Khiladi Tu Anadi', 'Suhag' and 'Mohra' (all 1994).

The biggest boost came from Umesh Mehra's 'Sabse Bada Khiladi', the success of this film mooted the belief that the name 'khiladi' was a lucky mascot for Akshay Kumar. So you had a 'Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi', 'Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi' and even an 'International Khiladi'.

After a lean patch that's lasted a better part of two years, Akshay seems to have realised the virtue of discretion. In the initial years, he had attempted a soft romantic role with 'Yeh Dillag he tried to experiment some more with films like 'Sanghursh' and 'Hera Pheri' where he's apparently tried his hand at light-hearted comedy.

Akshay Kumar is still considered a dependable action hero who gives total value-for-money only when he's bashing up the bad guys.

Shabaash Akki, beta!

Everyone in Bollywood is speaking out against the Mumbai terror attack, but Khiladi Kumar’s found a slightly hatke way to convey his message to people.

Akki’s going to perform a grand Lion King-style musical with his son, Aarav, in New Delhi, as part of the promotion for his next, an animated movie. He’s also bringing along with him the whole cast of the movie, and the show promises to be a spectacle of the kind that Delhi hasn’t seen before.

Or at least, that’s what the organisers say. Navin Shah, CEO of the company which is producing the movie, says, “We’ll bring the spirit of our movie alive in Delhi later this month. It’s going to be a musical on the lines of Lion King. There’ll be lots of song and dance, kids will perform with the artistes, Akshay will lead the bunch and he will interact, dance and have a blast with kids too. The venue has almost been decided upon, but it’s subject to availability. We’ve shortlisted two venues, and one is in the final stages of being confirmed. It will definitely be an event to remember for a long time. It’s on December 21, and entry is strictly by invitation.”

And, that feel-good measure for Mumbai that Akshay’s come up with? He will soon be sporting a tattoo on his arm that says, ‘Everything’s gonna be alright’, which is a song from the movie, to be released soon. And, it’s not just him — the entire cast of the movie will wear it too, as will his mom-in-law, Dimple Kapadia. Says Shah, “When we were filming this song, we never imagined that it would end up being so appropriate in this situation, but anything that makes people feel good is something we would like to do. The lyrics of the song are appropriate considering what’s happened and the low mood in the country today. Led by Akshay Kumar, everybody without exception, has loved the idea and they actually not only live the thought of it, but will physically put the tattoo on their hands.”

So, apart from Akki and Dimple, Lara Dutta, Gulshan Grover and even the senior members of the cast will soon sport the tattoo.