‘I’ve Finally Stopped Restricting Myself To Just Action’
Akshay Kumar on moving beyond fight and stunt sequences and mouthing Telugu dialogues in ‘Kannappa’: Reports
Akshay Kumar, known for his action-hero image, says it took nearly eight years to shift gears and explore beyond the typical stunt -heavy roles. “When I entered the industry, I was only offered action roles. Every day I was jumping off something or fighting someone on set. One day, in the lift of my 12th-floor apartment, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought — ‘Is this all I can do’?” he shared.
The turning point came when directors like Priyadarshan, Mahesh Bhatt, and Guddu Dhanoa gave him diverse roles. “Back then, even directors didn’t trust me with different roles. I had to plead for a chance,” he admitted. Akshay says he’s deliberately choosing varied roles. “It’s all for the love of cinema. I’ve finally stopped restricting myself to just action.”
In Kannappa, a mythological drama, Akshay plays Lord Shiva — his first major appearance in a Telugu film. Impressively, he mouthed all his Telugu dialogues himself. “He appears from the first frame to the last,” said Vishnu Manchu, who also produces and acts in the film. “He has about 18 minutes of screen time. And in the Hindi version, it runs even longer.” Akshay, however, isn’t looking to turn director anytime soon.”
As for sharing screen space with stars like Prabhas and Mohan Babu, Akshay shrugged off any talk of insecurity. “I’ve done many multi-starrers. I don’t look at how many heroes are in a film. If the story works, every character gets noticed.”