IN PASSING
Fighting fit
SUCHITRA BEHAL
Look around and all you see are posters of Akshay Kumar dotting the city’s skyline. And if film magazines were to have a poll, Kumar will certainly win ‘the most talked about actor’ award for this year. Even as people speculate on K
umar’s worth, he continues to maintain a silence. However, the actor remains humble and straight when voicing his opinions.
He may be a daredevil doing all his stunts himself, but when it comes to mental toughness, Kumar insists women are in the forefront. “I see it in my wife, my mother and even my mother-in-law; women have a lot more mental resilience,” said he.
Kumar maintains that his wife has been an exemplary human being having put aside her profession as an actor to be the central pivot at home. “She is much calmer and stronger than me. It’s not easy to leave the industry but she has done it and successfully moved onto another project,” asserts Kumar proudly. “I have become more cautious and avoid un-necessary risks. I will not repeat some of the stunts that I did earlier; they give me a great rush but I have my son and my wife,” said he. Here is one actor who is ‘fighting fit’ even today, Kumar continues to be the ultimate ‘action hero’.
All in the family
Younger siblings, even in star homes, can have a tough time proving their worth. Uday Chopra, despite belonging to the Chopra clan, found out that there were no short cuts to making a film. “When I sat down to write the script for ‘Pyaar
Impossible’, Aditya trashed it,” said Chopra. “It wasn’t easy but I knew that my brother had my best interest at heart and would settle for nothing but the best, so I rewrote it three times. Finally on the fourth attempt Aditya gave it a thumbs up.” But if he thought his travails ended with the older sibling, Chopra still had to make his way to his father and get his opinion. “I went to my Dad with the final draft. He loved the story and only then did we start work on the movie,” said Chopra. He added that, instead of getting upset over the earlier rejections, he took his brother’s suggestions into consideration and worked hard to incorporate them in his script. “After all Adi would only want the best for me, I realised that and today I’m happy that it’s done well.” As they say family support is essential in any venture.
Package deal
“The first criteria to be a hero is to look good. When you do not have conventional good looks you have to work much harder on yourself.” So, in addition to hair extensions, actor-singer Himesh Reshammiya is sporting a slimmer and meaner look. “To me, music is an important part of the film, as important as acting. And since I have been blessed with two voices I can use both at different times.” Despite his first attempt at acting bombing at the box office, Reshammiya is not disturbed. “I made the mistake of trying a character that did not suit me. So for the next few films I am concentrating on roles that suit me. I want to play believable characters,” he said. And what about his music? “I have seen my music reach out to the grassroots but I will not compose for any banner, however big, of which I am not a part,” vows Rehammiya. “I want to be known as a package deal where I am acting, singing and composing.” That it seems is a tall order for ordinary mortals but certainly not for Rehammiya.
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