Akshay Kumar on back-to-back theatrical releases: ‘I work because I am passionate about my craft’

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Wednesday attended the press meet of his upcoming gangster comedy Bachchhan Paandey in Mumbai.
Bachchhan Paandey is Akshay’s third film to hit theatres post the pandemic, and there is no stopping the actor. During the press meet, Akshay said that he has completed five films so far and will begin shoot for his next film after the release of Bachchhan Paandey, which will arrive in cinema halls on March 18.
Talking about shooting back-to-back films, Akshay Kumar said, “I choose to go to work in the morning and take a break on Sundays. If you continue to do work, then you easily have many films in the pipeline. Everyone was working during the pandemic including policemen, press photographers and others. Everyone has to earn money, so every opportunity they got, they were working. Same is the case with me.”

The actor also said that he is always surprised when people ask him how he shoots so many films in a year.
He said, “Today I have everything in life. I lead a good life. I can easily sit at home and not earn but what about others who want to work and earn money. I no longer work for money. I work because I am passionate about my craft. I will stop working the day I feel disinterested to go to shoot or the day I don’t feel like waking up in the morning to go to shoot.”

Akshay Kumar was then asked about the threat posed south Indian films to Bollywood in the Hindi belt.
Akshay said, “But that isn’t the case. See how Gangubai Kathiawadi released and it is working. All kinds of films work, be it content cinema, massy cinema and if there is a combination of massy films with content, then it is like sone pe suhaga. So, all films are working.”
He added, “We should pray that everyone’s films work. The most important thing is that the auditorium remains packed like this. I’m not one of those who will sit down and think, ‘This is working. This isn’t’. I feel everything should work because it is important. The industry has suffered terribly in the last two and a half years because of the pandemic. Films of so many people are stuck and the interest is mounting. My own film Sooryavanshi was ready but could release only after one and a half years. So let’s not analyse too much. I hope that people go out and watch films. It is important for us.”