Here comes the challenger
ANUJ KUMAR
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He flirts with his image as much as he flirts with his heroines on screen. Akshay Kumar now plays a geek in "Jaan-e-mann", releasing this Diwali.
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I believe in the interplay of destiny and hard work. I am a fighter by training and that makes me take risks.
UNSUITABLE BOY! Akshay Kumar in "Jaan-e-mann".
This man is made for challenges. And this Diwali, he says, comes the biggest of them all when he essays the role of Agastya Rao in "Jaan-e-mann". How? "Because I am playing a geek," says Akshay Kumar. Known for his one-line answers, it has always been a task to take Akshay beyond the obvious. This time though things thankfully looked a shade different. Over to Akshay:
"All my life I have had no problems dating girls. In films too, I have played characters where the audience know from the first reel, `he will get the girl by the last reel.' Recently, in `Garam Masala' I got an opportunity to date three. But here I am playing a loser, whom girls don't want to be seen with. This was the challenge that made me do the film."
Suitable look
To play the nerd, Akshay has got a `suitable' look, created by designer Surily Goel.
"On the surface", shares Akshay, "Set in New York, it is the story of a rock star, a dude played by Salman Khan and I, a nerd, who happens to be an astronaut. He literally lives in his own space. He sports frilled shirts, a unique hairstyle, pants with suspenders and braces. Both fall in love with the same girl, played by Preity (Zinta). The story takes a ten-year jump. The looks undergo a change. Now whether the girl chooses the boy who is imposing and fluent with his ways or a guy who gets tongue-tied at the sight of girls, makes for an interesting climax."
It seems Akshay had nothing to draw from in real life to play the character, but he clarifies, "I might not have faced rejection when it comes to girls, but all my life I have lost many things on the personal and professional front. I have been denied roles which I wanted to do; at times I didn't get the recognition I deserved for my performance. I drew from all those experiences."
He sounds a tad bitter, and it becomes all the more apparent when one talks of his co-star Preity. This is their second film together. The first one was "Sangharsh", when Akshay was an action hero and Preity a newcomer.
"Over the years, she has improved and I have also improved in my own way. But in the interim she has moved into the great school of Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra, something I have not been able to break into." Any tips? The mood changes. "Oh! I should have. I missed the opportunity," quips Akshay.
Dollops of energy
On a serious note, he has a point. The guy might not be the greatest of actors, but has shown diligence with dollops of energy, making him one of the most improvised heroes the industry has seen. Over the years, Akshay has managed to retain the exuberance of "Khiladi", which announced his arrival on the big stage, but at the same time, could diversify into different shades, with films like "Sangharsh", "Dhadkan", "Waqt" and "Hera Pheri" with box office success. Something the Deol brothers and Suniel Shetty, the other action heroes, failed to do.
Still he has not been able to break into the Chopra-Johar circle. He got a guest appearance in Yash Chopra's "Dil To Pagal Hai" where Shah Rukh Khan was the hero, but nothing beyond that. Call it his hard work or destiny; today he is ready to have a shot at super stardom. It was Diwali time in 2004 when his "Aetraaz" managed to stand up to Shah Rukh's "Veer Zara", and this year his "Jaan-e-mann" is ready to lock horns with "Don". According to reports, the 35-crore Sajid Nadiadwala film is going to have an unprecedented start with the distributors getting some 250-odd theatres in the Mumbai territory alone.
Akshay plays down the comparison. "I believe in the interplay of destiny and hard work. I am a fighter by training and that makes me take risks. I was bored of the action tag. That made me diversify. Then in the beginning, I was overly conscious of my comic timing. I worked hard to get it right. Fortunately, audiences liked what I did; otherwise I had to go back to my core strength. As for `Jaan-e-mann', it is a romantic musical, the kind of film people like to watch during festival time."
`Story songs'
He has a special word for debutant writer-director Shirish Kunder whom he calls "a genius in the making for writing a visual film." The film has got some "story songs" by Anu Malik, which take the narrative forward. "Being a loser doesn't mean one can't dance to the beat, so I have got my share of fun with music," says Akshay.
Beyond the Bollywood high, Akshay is enjoying being a father. Taking time out from his busy schedule he teaches his son some karate kicks and gives him "a royal bath". Few people know that every two months he comes to Delhi, most of the time incognito, to visit his ancestral house in Chandni Chowk. "People ask me how Delhi has changed. I say I don't know, because I am here every other month. I miss the paranthewali gali and the kulfi falooda."
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