30 years of Akshay Kumar: Karan Johar calls the actor ‘a one-man industry,’ R Balki says he’s ‘a genre himself’

Akshay Kumar, who is looking forward to the release of Samrat Prithviraj, completes 30 years in Hindi film industry this year. On the occasion, Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Aanand L Rai, R Balki and Subhash Kapoor opened up about the impact that Akshay Kumar has had on Indian cinema.
Karan Johar, who collaborated with Akshay for Good Newwz and Sooryavanshi, called the megastar “a force to be reckoned with.”
“Akshay Kumar is not just a supreme art and actor. He is a force to reckon with. He is almost like a one-man industry. In the last decade and plus, he has proven his strength. His 30 years have to be celebrated, because really when you talk about Indian cinema you cannot but mention his huge impact to Indian cinema. And on his 30th year, he has one of his most spectacular films releasing, Samrat Prithviraj. From the very first look you know it’s going to be an absolutely cinematic bonanza. It’s going to be a treat for all Akshay Kumar fans, but also for all cinema lovers,” Karan Johar said in a statement.

Sajid Nadiadwala, who has worked with Akshay in films like Heyy Bay and Housefull franchise, recalled his relationship with the actor.Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
“He’s been with me since 4th standard. He was my senior. Then he became a part of my class and then he became my junior. We are in the same fraternity now. And for him to be here, 30 years, what I feel personally is, there is a Telugu film industry, there is a Tamil industry, there’s the Hindi industry and there is something called the AK industry. He’s got his industry on his own. He is very magnanimous with his producers. He is very professional. What I saw in him in 1989, when he joined this industry, till date, there’s never been one incomplete film of his. I feel he needs immense applause for the work he has done in this industry and I wish him a lot of luck for all the future films he is doing,” Sajid Nadiadwala added.
Aanand L Rai heaped praise on the Atrangi Re actor for choosing out-of-the-box scripts, “Who could have imagined that an actor who got a tag of ‘Khiladi’ Kumar will do a film like Toilet Ek Prem Katha, will do a film like PadMan and now, Samrat Prithviraj. He has shown such a versatile range and along with that, he is a sheer combination of discipline and guts.”
R Balki, who has worked with Akshay in films like PadMan and Mission Mangal, called Akshay Kumar “a genre himself.”
Balki said Akshay treats cinema like sports. “The way he plays it, the way he acts, the way he treats cinema, is like a game, a sport that he loves. Every film is like a new game for him. Of course, consency is a key feature to stay in a sport for a long time, and that of course, he has. He doesn’t just rest on his talent. He works at it. He is one of the most lateral minds that I have actually seen in cinema. One of the key features in sport is consency and Akshay demonstrates it. He is to me possibly the only legendary sportsman in Bollywood, of a very different kind,” Balki said in praise of Akshay.
Jolly LLB 2 director Subhash Kapoor spoke about Akshay Kumar’s dedication; “Having worked with him in past, I have seen that from very close quarters. In my opinion, it is this legacy that he leaves behind. Those who want to come and make acting a profession, they can learn a lot from that legacy.”
At present, Akshay Kumar is looking forward to the release of Samrat Prithviraj, which has been directed Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi. The film marks Manushi Chhillar’s Bollywood debut. It is set to release on June 3 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.