Untouched by stardom

Sensible hero

He might not have many critically-acclaimed films to his credit, but his loud, racy movies — Singh is Kingg and Bhagam Bhag — have a certain comedy-filled, action-packed mass appeal that keep theatres thronging with movie-buffs.

Despite this popularity, the actor is refreshingly down-to-earth. In fact, he speaks with a certain level-headedness that leads one to believe that the glamour of Bollywood hasn’t caused him to lose touch with his humble, Chandni Chowk-roots. He was in the City recently to promote his latest film, Desi Boyz, and Metrolife caught up with him to find out more about his life, co-stars and movies.

Akshay stars with John Abraham in this movie, but this isn’t the first time the two have worked together — they also came together for Garam Masala in 2005. Much was spoken about the pair’s chemistry at that time and one can expect a similar response this time around.

“I have a good chemistry with John — thankfully, it hasn’t reached biology,” Akshay quipped. On a more serious note, he added, “I’ve worked with him after six years and now we’re doing two movies together — Desi Boyz as well as ‘Housefull 2’. I’ve missed working with him. We have a great time when we’re shooting together.”

Given that the movie portrays them as male escorts, who throw on cricket costumes, pilot uniforms and even tool-belts and helmets for their female clients, one can only assume that their next venture would have them playing superheroes — the trend that has been raging in Bollywood of late. But Akshay claimed this definitely wasn’t on the cards. “I think we need to become good heroes first; then we can worry about being superheroes!” he laughed.

He also rubbished recent rumours that he was injured by a bullet while shooting for one of his upcoming films. “It wasn’t serious at all, and reports that a fan fired it at me are completely untrue. I had to shoot a scene with a bullet being fired, but we didn’t use a real bullet. A character actor in the movie had to shoot at me, he aimed a little lower, but it bounced and grazed me. Reports that it was a serious incident are wrong because we didn’t even use real bullets,” he claimed.

Akshay had previously mentioned that Desi Boyz also includes a message, that advises viewers not to turn their backs on their parents or roots. It would seem that he embodies this message to the fullest.

“I trust my mother and father and count on their blessings more than God,” he said, adding, “I think that whatever I’ve achieved is because of them.”

He’s also quick to add that despite its somewhat adult-themed plot, Desi Boyz is essentially a family entertainer — a film that’s suitable for viewers of all ages. “My son would love to see the movie. In fact, you’d be surprised to know that he’s already seen half of it,” he concluded.