With as many as 8 big releases to look forward to, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has over Rs 1,500 crore riding on him at the Box Office!
Akshay Kumar who celebrates his 53rd birthday today (September 9) is doing what he loves doing the most on his special day – shooting! The Bollywood superstar is currently in Scotland filming for his period spy-thriller Bell Bottom. Also starring Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta, it is the first Hindi film to be shot abroad, post the lockdown. And to mark Akshay’s special day, director Ranjit M Tewari unveiled a new look of the actor from the movie in which he plays a RAW agent.
However, not missing out on the family time on his birthday, the actor’s family – wife Twinkle and children Aarav and Nitara – too have accompanied him to UK for the shoot. Time and again Akshay has shared his mantra of having a working birthday! “What better way to spend the day than doing what you enjoy the most, apart from celebrating it with family,” he’s always said. And in his case it’s clearly his love for his screen outings that sees him not only work on his birthdays, but also do as many as four films in a year!
Having reigned hearts and box-office with utter ease over close to three decades now (one year short of 30 years since his debut in 1991), the star continues to rule Bollywood as one of the most bankable stars and the numbers only go on to cement his credibility. With several money-churning blockbusters to his credit, Akshay’s name spells Star-Power at the ticket-windows.
Renowned trade analyst Amod Mehra estimates that with as many as 8 projects in hand at present, there’s more than Rs 1,000 crore riding on the star at present pegged on his movies alone, besides all his other commercial commitments and ventures. Industry insiders agree pegging the numbers to be around Rs 1,500 crore.
But interestingly, it’s not just the number-crunching at the Box-Office that his films have been doing in recent times. The actor has been churning out more substance, than just entertaining fare. Balancing out the massy entertainers with meaningful cinema that either carry a deep-rooted sense of a social responsibility or celebrate India’s greats or reflect a patriotic fervour, that the actor has been increasingly opting for, Akshay has carved a niche not just as top-billed actor but also as a socially-conscientious star.
Also with as many as four releases a year, Akshay’s known to be one of the busiest stars in showbiz. In fact, he’s not letting the global pandemic slow him down at all. Even as the lockdown was lifted, Akshay Kumar was among the first ones in B-Town to resume shooting. And the actor at present has as many as eight films on his platter. Here’s taking a look at his forthcoming releases:
Laxmmi Bomb
Starring Kiara Advani opposite Akshay, the Raghava Lawrence-directed horror-comedy has been announced to have a digital release on Disney+ Hotstar amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While the makers and fans were hoping for a theatrical release, the OTT seemed a more practical option. The remake of a hit Tamil horror movie, the film has Akshay being possessed by a vengeful spirit.
There’s buzz that the film’s release will clash online with that of Varun Dhawan’s Coolie No 1 remake that is also slated for a Diwali release on the OTT.
Sooryavanshi
Ever since the star made a dhamaakedar cameo entry in Ranveer Singh starrer Simmba, Akshay’s cop-action movie is being much-awaited in the industry. Helmed by Ro‘super’hit Shetty, the fourth film in the cop-drama franchise, also sees Katrina Kaif pair up with the Khiladi after a decade. The action-entertainer was slated for a theatrical release on March 24, however the release got delayed with the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. The makers recently pushed the date to later this year (December, 2020) after much contemplation and over-riding the temptation to release it on the OTT. After all, seeing a swash-buckling super-cop Akshay in action on the big screen is a treat in itself, no? What’s more, the film – a part of Rohit Shetty’s cop-universe – is expected to have special cameos by Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham and Ranveer as Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba.
Prithviraj
The YRF production will have Akshay essay the role of the Rajput warrior-king Prithviraj Chauhan. The film also marks the debut of former Miss World Manushi Chillar. The shooting for YRF’s first-ever historical magnum opus had to be stalled due to the Corona pandemic. Check out the announcement teaser:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2LMnc2iNoz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Atrangi Re
The Aanand L Rai film stars South star Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan and will see Akshay in a special appearance.
Bachchan Pandey
A true-blue action thriller, the film will see Akshay reunite with producer Sajid Nadiadwala and Houseful 4 director Farhad Samji. The film also stars Kriti Sanon.
Bell Bottom
Akshay stars as a RAW agent in this spy thriller set in the 1980s.
Raksha Bandhan
This is one film that was announced during the lockdown. Directed by Aanand L Rai, this emotional drama is slated for a 2021 release.
The End
Besides his film releasing on the OTT platform, the action king is slated to make his digital debut with The End on Amazon Prime.