Akshaye in Priyadarshan's Tiger?

A thriller revolving around the theme of preserving tigers is now ready to roll. Directed by Priyadarshan, and featuring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead, Tiger is going to champion the cause of India's national animal in a thriller format.

Also starring Akshaye Khanna, it will be shot in the Sundarbans, home to the Royal Bengal tiger.

Bachchan is said to be taking a keen interest in the research to ensure authenticity is preserved. Last week, he had a closed-door meeting with Priyadarshan and producer Shailendra Singh of Percept, where Bachchan is said to have made several suggestions for the script; something he hasn't done before.

"It's a dear project for him. He wants this film to not only be an entertainer but also spread awareness on the near-extinction of the tiger," says Priyadarshan. "Do your homework and come back with the final script so we can start shooting," Bachchan is said to have told the director.

Tiger is being described as "Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiya in the forest," but had been put on the backburner, thanks to its exorbitant budget.

But with ecological preservation back in the news, the project is being perceived as commercially viable.

"I've been trying to work out a project with Mr Bachchan for years. When I came up with Tiger, he was enthusiastic," the director says.

Akshaye seduces in drag

Whatever you say, our heroes can actually look pretty when they dress in drag. Well, at least some of them like Aamir for one. Now, it is the turn of Akshaye Khanna to dress like a girl,
After playing an intense CBI officer in Aakrosh, Akshaye has attempted to transform himself into a sexy girl for a scene in the movie No Problem.
The versatile actor, who is known to slip into various characters with utmost ease, will take this sexy girl act to the next level by attempting to seduce Anil Kapoor in the scene. Looking at the pictures, we think he may not succeed though.

Cast of No Problem celebrate Diwali

Sushmita Sen joined the cast and crew of 'No Problem' to ring in Diwali day trading at the Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) on the auspicious day of Lakshmi Puja on November 5.

Sushmita wore a white sleeveless anarkali suite with white patterned dupatta.

She accessorized with diamond drop earrings, matching cuffs on both arms, and a big rock on her ring finger that caught us by surprise.

Her palms were adorned with mehendi. Pink lipstick, pink eye shadow and sparkling glitter on nails rounded her serene looks.



As to the other No Problem stars: Anil Kapoor looked dapper in grey suit and navy silk tie, Akshaye Khanna casual and carefree in denims and aviators, Suniel Shetty suave in denims and white, and Neetu Chandra resplendent in a nude floral lace overlay suit that had red velvet accents.

Sanjay Dutt and Kangana Ranaut were no shows

The Muhurat Trading marks the start of the Hindu calendar year or, Samvat 2067. It is considered as an auspicious day by the country's broking and trading communities.


Sushmita Sen and Anil Kapoor strike the gong at the Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) on the auspicious day of Lakshmi Puja on November 5. Photo Credit: Sawf News
The event on Friday was one of a kind, with a listed company (Eros) having the cast of its upcoming film striking the Gong.

The event also marked the start of promotions for No Problem. The film is slated for release on December 10.

Tees Maar Khan Promo

No Problem song promo

Akshaye in Tees Maar Khan

I don't know whether Tees Maar Khan is a rip off of American Sweethearts or not but when I first heard about the role of Akshaye I was seriously concerned that his role might be based on Hank Azaria in that movie. My fears are coming true. I hope this debacle can be salavaged in some way but this is not how I imagine my favorite star to be.

No problem website

http://noproblemthefilm.com/

No Problem posters

Tees Maar Khan

WTF?

Akshaye and Ajay

Akshaye doesn't hanker for publicity

Akshaye Khanna is an exception to that rule. Even though he has an important role in Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan, he has asked her to leave him out of the film's promotion.

No fights here

Farah admits, "We wanted Akshaye to be a part of the publicity posters but he told us that the film's title is about Tees Maar Khan (Akshay Kumar) and it didn't make sense to have anyone besides him in the poster.

He categorically refused and didn't even come on the day we shot the publicity photos. This was a first for me as I am usually used to stars fighting over space in the posters."

However, Farah convinced Akshaye to shoot the promotional music video with Akshay and Katrina composed by her husband and producer Shirish Kunder.

FK sings the praises of her fellow part-Parsi, "He is a very professional actor and never troubled me. I always joke with him that I am half-Parsi and fully mad while he is half-Parsi and half-mad.

Akshaye is wonderful. He always came on time and did exactly what I asked him too.

Though Akshay and he are not friends, they bonded really well. When he saw the rushes of TMK, he told me that Akshaye was the highlight of the film. There's crackling chemistry between them both on and off screen!"

No problem poster

Aakrosh Open Thread

Aakrosh is out and is getting decent reviews. I was busy last week, so sorry for not posting the reviews. One good surprise is that apparently Akshaye has the bigger role in the movie and everybody is talking about the great chemistry of Ajay and Akshaye. This is wonderful to hear, since I am growing fond of Ajay too, I hope they get to do more movies together. This is one dynamic pair.

I haven't yet watched it but as soon as I do, I'll post my views. Meanwhile, consider this an open thread to post your views. Have you guys watched it yet?

Akshay Kumar on Akshaye Khanna

Thanks for the tip.

Akshaye and Ajay promote Aakrosh

Ajay and Akshaye talk about Aakrosh

Reclusive duo Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna talk about fighting honour killings in Aakrosh at the Screen preview

Neither of them is a talker but both Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna find themselves completing each other’s sentences at the Screen preview for their forthcoming film Aakrosh at the Screen office in Mumbai’s Express Towers along with producer Kumar Mangat Pathak. “The film uses the recent spate of controversial honour killings in North India as the background of a typical Bollywood action-drama,” says Devgn who, fresh out of the success of Raajneeti and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, is now hoping for a hat-trick. Khanna, who will be seen on the big screen after a year’s gap, is quick to add, “The story has been fictionalised and we have taken precautions to not name any town or caste in particular.”

The film sees Devgn play an army officer and Khanna, a CBI officer, both sent to a small town to investigate a missing person case which they eventually discover is a murder. Directed by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, the concept for the film was instantly approved by Mangat who has himself witnessed one such killing in his Punjab village. “A Brahmin girl married her lower caste lover on the sly. Upon knowledge, her parents kidnapped her and were marrying her off to someone else when the boy arrived at the wedding. He was set on fire and thrashed just to set an example. The memory of it alone gives me the chills,” he recounts.

Akshaye on Aakrosh

Akshaye Khanna the not so party sharty type of actor. He has established himself as the shy guy whom we see only during a release of his film. And this time it is Aakrosh.


Why we don’t see Akshaye often? "I love to keep a low profile. I don't like to be in the press all the time. There are some people who love to be everywhere and visible all the time. I don't like it. I like to be invisible," says Akshaye.

He believes, “My producer is paying me and promotion of the film comes under my work and I am very particular about my work. But when I am not shooting I have lots of things to do like I have a bunch of friends with whom I spend time and then I am an avid reader so on most days I pass my time by reading books. That’s how I spend my life."

Akshaye is sharing screen with Ajay in Aakrosh and he believes Ajay is one of the best actors in Bollywood, “ He is not only a wonderful actor, but also a great human being too. He is one of the rarest Bollywood people with whom I have a good relationship. Though I don’t attend many parties I know him personally and really respect him. We share a great bond in fact I was telling him that we should work together as the screen chemistry is really good between us,” says Akshaye.

“Working with Priyadarshan is always fun I have worked with him in different genres of films and we both understand each other. And Aakrosh is a different film which I am working on and I am sure you will like it,” says Akshaye.

"He's lost but brilliant"

Ajay speaks about Akshaye:

Akshaye Khanna and I did a film with Urmila called Deewangee. He is a fabulous actor. He is controlled and delivers whatever you tell him to. I don\'t know somewhere maybe he is lost but he is a brilliant actor we have in our industry.

Interesting stuff

He has inherited his father Vinod Khanna's debonair looks, which make the girls go weak in the knees.

From Border, to Dil Chahta Hai to Race, Akshaye Khanna has experimented with different genres and left an indelible mark on the viewers' psyche, but it's his stunning looks and elusive air that make him oh-so-attractive to his female fans. As he comes calling to TOI office to promote his film Aakrosh, Akshaye waxes eloquent on bachelorhood, bullying and hairy issues...

'Commitment phobic? Yeah!'
Start the conversation on a ragging note and grill him as to why most of the eligible bachelors of B'town happen to be commitment-phobic, and pat comes the reply: "Yes, I'm commitment phobic! Children generally steer clear of matrimony if their parents are divorced. In my case, it's a different story! See, people mostly marry to have children, but I'm not too fond of kids, so even that's not reason enough to settle down. Moreover, to marry, you need to meet the right kind of person. When that happens, I'll probably take the plunge!"

Dude of a dad!
This intense actor refuses to bite the bait when you goad him a little or compare him with his dad. Ask him with women still going gushy over his dad, does it ignite sparks of jealousy, and he flashes his cherubic smile. "How can I feel jealous if somebody showers love on a member of my family? I only envy dad because he still has a head full of hair," says he in jest, referring to his receding hairline.

'Farah's one of the boys!'
Akshaye, who has Anees Bazmee's film No Problem lined up, is also working in Farah Khan's film Tees Maar Khan. Ask him how did it feel being bullied by a lady boss, and he replies nonchalantly: "Oh, Farah's one of the boys! She's mad, just like her films; a complete fun person without any hang-ups! So, it's great working with her!"

I think this is the first time we've heard him speak about his reasons for his commitment phobia.

Akshaye's interview--second part

He says he won't tweet ever! Sad.

Akshaye's twitter.

Searching Twitter, I've found there is a new account for Akshaye KN Khanna. Dunno if it's our Akshaye or what KN stands for but he follows all his star pals.

Anyway, I've created my own account on twitter. It's a new thing for me, that's how technology-backward I am. I don't think I'll be active all that often but if you wanna join, search for akshayefan.

Aakrosh Dialog Promo

Watch here

Akshaye talks about Aakrosh 2

Video here.

No Problem first promo

Akshaye rocks in the promo!

Where is Akshaye?

They've release posters, many pics of Akshay Kumar and Katrina kaif, they've even released Salman Khan's pics who is doing just a song. But where is our Akshaye who is the second lead of Tees Maar Khan?

Aakrosh stills 2

Production blog

See Akshaye shooting for the movie and talking about it.

Akshaye talks about Aakrosh

Interview

Akshaye talks on Indiafm

Akshaye invites you to join facebook

Akshaye on Aakrosh

New Aakrosh Stills

Man kit Matt

Aakorsh first song

A new pic or an old one?

Akshaye back with a bang

The reclusive Akshaye Khanna has always been known for his acting skills. But after his last hit Race, over two years back, the actor has only been seen in box office duds like Short Kut and Mere Baap Pehle Baap. However, now it looks like the actor is all set to change that and was simply biding his time.

According to sources, before the end of this year, Akshay has three big banner releases lined up that will wow the audience. He will be seen in Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan, Priyadarsahn’s Aakrosh and finally in Anees Bazmee’s next titled No Problem.

While in Tees Maar Khan Akshaye will be working for the first time with Akshay Kumar and Farah Khan, his other releases will see him teaming up with old pals. Akshaye had earlier worked with Priyan in Doli Sajake Rakhna, Hungama, Hulchul and Mere Baap Pehle Aap.

He is also a favourite with director Aneez Bazmee (Deewangee), and producer Anil Kapoor (Gandhi My Father and Short Kut). Hope all these biggies will be able to put Akshaye back in the race. Only time can tell.

It was getting pretty unbearable and this is great but he doesn't have any movies after that. Hope I won't have to wait another two years for another AK movie.

Best Friends

Aamir Khan names Akshaye as his best friend in Bollywood.

Aakrosh first look

Like it!

Aakrosh website

Aakorsh official website.

Follow the links to Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Thanks for the links.

Akshaye on Priyan and Aakrosh

Priyadarshan couldn’t have timed it better. His hard-hitting action thriller about love across caste barriers and honour killings based on a Times of India report, releases worldwide on October 1.

A year ago, when Priyan joined hands with producer Kumar Mangat Pathak (Omkara), the makers hadn’t envisaged that parts of India would be under siege of the khap panchayats. Big Screen Entertainer’s Aakrosh has Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna playing CBI officers - one on special deputation to the village and the other, the local officer. The other cast members are Bipasha Basu, Paresh Rawal, Reema Sen and Amita Pathak in a stellar role.

Another USP of the film is the music by the current Bollywood craze Pritam and lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Mangat is very confident the film will hammer the right message as far as honour killings go. “This is a topic that has taken India by storm. Ours is a hard-hitting commercial film that is likely to drive home the message to the masses and the gentry,’’ he says. “Omkara got me awards. Aakrosh should get me awards and rewards.’’

Ajay, whose equity is bullish after three hits - All the Best, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, feels the film will work. Says the actor, “Bollywood is going through an interesting and important phase. Today a filmmaker has the liberty to address a topical issue within the mainstream format, combining entertainment and a social message. I revel in roles that have a very life-like quality. Here the cops are not cardboard cut-outs but people you can identify with. Aakrosh is a racy thriller that keeps you on the edge.’’

For Akshaye, his relationship with Priyan has a deep-rooted understanding. Says he, “I’ve probably the most number of films with Priyan. I’m well-versed with his style and his narrative. Aakrosh was a great experience. Ajay and I are coming together after our last successful outing Deewangee, so that’s another added incentive.’’ Bipasha says her role has very interesting shades. “You’ll get me as Seeta and Geeta,” she smiles.

The National Award-winner Priyadarshan, who has handled comedies and social dramas with equal ease, says Aakrosh will get him the accolades he got for Viraasat, Kala Paani, and his recent Kanjeevaram. “I’m sure it should also bring in the required box office numbers because I have been getting incessant messages after the theatrical trailer that played before Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai,” said the director.

Akshaye dropped from The Italian Job and added to Race 2?

The shy Bobby Deol will be seen in a multi-starrer that doesn’t include his dad and brother after a long time. He has been signed on for Abbas-Mustan’s remake of The Italian Job. The actor will be working with Abbas-Mustan again after a long time. The director duo and Bobby have delivered super hits like Soldier, Ajnabee and Humraaz in the past.

Our source said, “The director duo have made many films in the past with Bobby but their last film Naqaab did not work at the box office. This will also be the second film where we will see Bobby and Abhishek Bachchan together after Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Both of them will be playing lead roles in the film while Neil Nitin Mukesh will be playing the negative lead. There were reports that Akshaye Khanna would be acting in the film, but he will be doing Race 2 with the directors and not this film.”

As per reports the film will go on the floors in November.

We want confirmation that he's been added to Race 2 but why can't he be in both movies?

Aakrosh on Oct.1

In Bollywood, these days it's become quite common for filmmakers to use common sense and avoid a clash between two big films. Only recently, you had Karan Johar prepone the release of his home production We Are Family from Sept 10 to Sept 3 in order to avoid a clash with the eagerly awaited Salman Khan starrer Dabangg.

Now yet another clash has been averted between Sanjay Dutt starrer Knock Out and Ajay Devgn starrer Aakrosh. Both the above mentioned films were to release on Oct 1 but better sense prevailed among producers Sohail Maklai (of Knock Out) and Kumar Mangat (of Aakrosh) and eventually it has been decided that while Aakrosh will release as scheduled on Oct 1, Knock Out will come out on either Oct 8 or Oct 15.

Knock Out directed by Mani Shankar is an edge of the seat thriller starring Sanjay Dutt, Irrfan Khan and Kangna Ranaut while Aakrosh directed by Priyadarshan is a story about honour killing starring Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu in lead roles.

Considering that the lead actors of the two films Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn are also good friends, we are sure that taking such a mutually beneficial decision wouldn't have been too hard for the makers of the respective films.

Akshaye on facebook

Akshaye on facebook! Nah, it's just fans like us.

Why won't he take trouble to twitter at least like his brother?

Aakrosh First Promo

Wow. This looks like one of the best movies Akshaye has made in a while. Probably, the best after DCH and Gandhi--My Father.

Update: I have read speculation on net that this movie is based on Mississippi Burning. I haven't seen the movie but from the reviews it appears that the role Akshaye is playing is quite small compared to the other one. Sigh. Hoepfully, it gives him enough to make an impact.

Finally...............

I am hearing Aakrosh promos are out on Indian cable tv. Please somebody put them on youtube or at least post your reactions.

Eligible

WTF? Only no.9?

Akshaye is absolutely the best actor in Bollywood

Farah Khan's TEES MAAR KHAN is already under way big time and is all set to for a Christmas release. The director of the film, Farah Khan was all praises for Akshaye Khanna, who is playing a pivotal role in the film.

Said the filmmaker, "I have worked with Akshaye Khanna in his very first film, BORDER. He has changed a lot. He has matured a lot. I don't think we have a better actor than Akshaye Khanna in our industry. He's a superb actor."


Farah Khan also feels that Akshay Khanna is very underrated. "He's highly underrated. But only he is responsible for it because he never does his own publicity. He doesn't go to parties or does photo shoots. He is very low key. But in TEES MAAR KHAN he is absolutely the surprise package," said the director.


THis certainly represents a great change from Farah's previous stance towards Akshaye. The way she's building him up, I hope these two forge a constructive relationship like the one Akshaye has with Anil Kapoor, Priyadarshan and Abbas-Mustan
TEES MAAR KHAN, which releases on 24th December 2010, also stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif.

Akshjaye confirmed for The Italian Job remake

Finally the most talked about Bollywood remake of The Italian Job is underway. After a long delay, director duo Abbas-Mustan have managed to get together the cast for the remake of the Hollywood superhit. The film already had Abhishek Bachchan playing the lead role but there were question marks over who would play the leading lady as no actress has been finalised. Katrina Kaif had initially agreed to sign the film but backed out due to date problems. However, the film is now scheduled to go on the floors and the remaining cast has been finalised.

Our source said, “Abhishek Bachchan will play the lead role played by Mark Wahlberg in the original film while veteran actor Dharmendra has been signed on to play the role of Donald Sutherland. Akshaye Khanna, Kunal Khemu and Neil Nitin Mukesh have been finalised to play the rest of the characters. Neil will be playing a negative role in the film for the first time and the female leads are yet to be finalised. This will be the first time that Abhishek Bachchan will work with Dharmendra in a film. Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan have worked together in umpteen films including the classic Sholay and it will be interesting to watch them onscreen sharing the same frame

Whose role do you think he'' reprise?

Blogorama

Apparently, there's a blograma is going on and everybody and their moms are dumping on my poor Akshoo. I'll say in my best Chris Crocker imitation though: Leave Akshoo's hair alone!

Thanks Beth for the link.

Stag party

On Tuesday afternoon Anil Kapoor not known to throw open the doors for too many social occasions, hosted a very special small and intimate lunch for his co-stars of Anees Bazmi’s No Problem.

There was just one problem. The female co-stars Sushmita Sen, Kangna Ranaut and Neetu Chandra were not invited for the wrap-up lunch at Anil Kapoor’s office.

This was a bit odd considering wrap -up parties are meant for the entire crew.The ladies being a must since they add a glamour quotient.

Even the director was missing from what seems to be the most exclusive wrap-up party in the history of Indian cinema.

Says Anil stubbornly, “No no. Only Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna and I were there from the cast. There were a few other associates. But that’s it. We wanted it to be a stag party. Just so that Sanju, Akshaye and I could bond araam se, just have a boys’ afternoon.”

The “boys” spoke about things that are generally avoided when ladies are around.

So why was Anees left out?

Chuckles Anil, “How can Anees be left out? He has left for Canada to shoot with my daughter Sonam for Thank You. Anees is like family.

I’ve done three comedies No Entry, Welcome and now No Problem with him. And just when No Problem was complete he starts shooting with Sonam. So you see, there’s a family tie with Anees.”

Anil lets out that he was responsible for Anees turning director. “It happened during the shooting of Mr Azaad 16 years ago.

The director T Rama Rao was unavailable for a week. I suggested Anees who had scripted the film, take over for that one week. Even then I knew what Anees was capable of.”

Apparently Anees would also like to launch Anil’s son Harsh. Says Anil, “It’s too early to think of that. Harsh has not decided what he wants to do.”

The wrap-up party for No Problem was over-due. “We rushed back from South Africa after the shooting. We had no time for a party.

So I decided we boys should get together in Mumbai. I won’t call it a farewell party. Sanju, Akshaye and I are too close to disperse after a movie.”

So, No Problem shooting is complete. Great news.

Jaldi Five with Akshaye

Your best film till date? Why?

Dil Chahta Hai and Gandhi My Father. Dil Chahta Hai has established me in the industry in a new way. And Gandhi, My Father is something which I enjoyed doing.

What do you appreciate most in woman?

Kindness and silence. Beauty, of course, and cooking skills. The latter is very high on the list.

Do you have any OCDs?

I don’t like noise. I have no OCDs of the kind that will make you laugh.

What are the things that complete your days?

A good workout, especially in the outdoors. I am the one who doesn’t do a workout to lose weight, but because I love doing it, and that’s when I enjoy it.

What kind of a person were you in your childhood?

I used to be a stupid, little boy, not fully understanding the responsibility of being a professional. But now I am grown up. Films are something where you cant afford to be a pain in the ass.

Lola interviews Akshaye

Akshaye interviewed by Lola on Channel V. I don't have the video yet but go here for the transcript. It's a very amusing fun interview.

Nishaad is now Garam Hawa

Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak and Ajay Devgn had a title clash for their next, a Priyan film. On Friday night, after a heated discussion between the two, the film was finally christened Garam Hawa.
'Garam Hawa' was apparently Paresh Rawal's suggestion. Paresh says, "Amongst all the titles, Garam Hawa had the strongest impact."



Action time
Priyadarshan says, "Initially, I was a bit sceptical about calling it Garam Hawa. My film has lots of violence and action, and the title needed to carry a strong punch. None but GH suited it best!" Akshaye Khanna echoes the thought.

Kumar Mangat informs us that there were five titles in contention. "We had selected Ardh Satya, Nishaad, Man Maani, Garam Hawa and Isshaq. The film is an action-thriller with tongue-in-cheek humor. I felt people might connect to MS Sathyu's Garam Hawa and remember that film. I liked Man Maani and Isshaq as the film revolves around a love story upon which honour killing and other plots unfold."

Ajay Devgn argues, "How many of this generation would know about MS Sathyu's Garam Hawa and relate to it? Also the film is not a love story but around the honor killing in a village and the two guys, an army and CBI officer who come to investigate it, so Isshaq would give it a different connotation. It's an action-thriller.

Make an impact
'Man Maani' sounds too frivolous and would give the impression of being another emotional comedy. I thought with the right kind of action and visuals, Akshaye and I with guns would make a tremendous impact with the title of Garam Hawa. In fact, we could even have a song in the film based around it."
Akshaye, Paresh and Priyan silently supported Ajay until Mangat reluctantly conceded defeat.

I think Akshaye will rock this movie. I'm liking his look.

Cool guy

Nishaad still

Akshaye refuses to cancel shoot

Akshaye Khanna may be known to be moody but when it comes to work, he's one of the most professional actors around.

When he hurt his ankle while playing tennis on Monday, in stead of cancelling his shoot he flew down to Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu en route to Pollachi (also in Tamil Nadu) for the shooting for Priyadarshan's tentatively titled film Nishaad, which also stars Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu and Paresh Rawal.



Akshaye tries to play down the incident and says, "It was nothing major -- just an ankle sprain. There was no way I could cancel the shoot. The whole unit was waiting for me. I am better now than when I came. The pain is much less."

Producer Kumar Mangat says, "Akshaye hurt his ankle badly while playing tennis and was taken to Breach Candy Hospital. The doctor advised him complete rest for a few days but Akshaye ignored his doctor's warning and decided to come to Pollachi for the shoot. Akshaye understood it was a big combination shoot and that we had got permission to shoot at the dam in Pollachi for only three days. If he had cancelled, I would suffer major losses."

Akshaye landed at Mumbai airport on Tuesday night, went aboard his plane in a wheelchair and was taken to the shoot in a wheelchair to avoid pressure on his ankle as much as possible. Mangat says, "Hats off to Akshaye. He was in great pain but he shot on Wednesday till 5 pm and then drove down from Pollachi back to Karaikudi in five hours. He had to keep taking painkillers. Akshaye is a big star and could've cancelled his shoot. Smaller actors throw tantrums and cancel shoots but he knows it's an expensive film. We will shoot several action scenes in the next 20 days."

Kumar Mangat adds that he has a doctor on call from the local dispensary in case of any injuries on the sets. "There's always an ambulance and doctor on the set and fire control units."

Akshaye with Tees Maar Khan team

Mix up of Akshay(e)s

Akshay Kumar has been on the receiving end of smses meant for Akshaye Khanna; he is fed up of the mix-up.

Having a namesake does have a share of disadvantages, and Bollywood has weathered its fair share of mixups . Feroz Abbas Khan, the director of Gandhi My Father , often spoke about how he received messages meant for actor Feroz Khan. Director Sanjay Gupta and his namesake , a cinematographer, also went through that problem. Ditto jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali and director Farah Khan.

The latest to be involved in an identity goof up are actors Akshay Kumar and Akshaye Khanna. Akshay, who is shooting at Mehboob Studios for Patiala House, has been receiving messages from an assistant called Nikki all through last week. One message reads, Sir it is a 2pm shift at Film City tomorrow. Another says, Sir, what would you like to eat for lunch Initially, Akshay was puzzled by the messages until he finally realised that they were meant for Akshaye Khanna, who is shooting at Film City. Incidentally, Akshaye and Akshay are co-stars in Anees Bazmees Thank You, as well as Farah Khans Tees Maar Khan.

Confirming the news, Akshay Kumar says, I figured this particular assistant had fed my number against Akshaye Khannas name in his cell phone. The messages have been coming religiously, many times. However, Im now wondering that if Im getting all of Akshayes shooting alerts, how is he managing to reaching his shooting on time And I dont know how many of my messages are being delivered to him.

Anees Bazmee's Thank You? Is that a new film?

Tees Maar Khan to release on 24 December

Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder's maiden home production - Tees Maar Khan - is all set to go on floors from 1 March, 2010.

The film has been written by Kunder and will be directed by Khan. It stars Akshay Kumar, Akshay Khanna and Katrina Kaif in lead roles. According to a source close to the development, the three actors have already done a photo shoot for the film at Mehboob Studios on 20 January, 2010.

Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, Kunder says, "Tees Maar Khan will go on floor in March. The first schedule of the film will be shot on a set in Mumbai. Besides Mumbai, the film will also be shot in Malshej Ghat."

Kunder informs that the film is being readied for a Christmas 2010 release and will hit screens on 24 December.

Sardar song still in No Problem

Akshaye in another downmarket comedy?

After directing a host of films for his banner, Maruti Films, Indra Kumar is set to direct a film for an outside banner after a long gap. He is directing a film for Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. Apparently, the working title of the film is 3 Losers.

Confirming the news, Indra says, “What is wrong with that? Sometimes you should make a film with others too. Anyway, I am making Double Dhamaal for my banner. I just thought that making two films for our banner will be very difficult. Moreover, Ashtavinayak was keen to make the film with me and the subject was very interesting. So I said, ‘why not?’ I will be making both the films simultaneously once the dates work out. We will go on the floors sometime in the middle of this year.”

Commenting about the title of the film, Indra says, “My film has four heroes and one more actor remains to be cast, so how can the title of the film be

3 Losers? We are yet to find a title. The film will star Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Govinda and Akshaye Khanna. The heroines are yet to be finalised.”

When asked if his production partner Ashok Thackeria supported his decision to work outside their banner, he says, “Of course. I would not do anything without consulting him. My last film was Dhamaal (2007) which was made around two-and-a-half years ago.

After that, we have been trying to work on different subjects.”

Akshaye in The Italian Job remake?

The cast already has Abhishek Bachchan and Neil Nitin Mukesh, while Akshaye Khanna and Kunal Kapoor are being brought in to play the other male leads.

Rohit Jugraj, who’s writing the screenplay for the yet untitled film, says he has improvised on the original. “Though the producers, TV 18, and Abbas Mustan have bought the remake rights, we’ve changed the Hindi version of The Italian Job considerably. For one, the stakes for the heist are much higher. The situations, fights and adventures are all different - and so are the characters.”

A former Ram Gopal Varma associate who directed James and Superstar, Jugraj admitted that the desi version does have two major female characters. “The original only has Charlize Theron’s character. We’ve written in two female parts. As for Priyanka and Katrina playing the roles, right now I’m not authorised to confirm the cast.”

But reliable sources insist the two divas are indeed on board. When contacted, all Abbas (of Abbas Mustan) was willing to say was, “There are a lot of changes in the script. But in spirit our The Italian Job will remain the same. So far, we’ve not locked in the entire cast. But we’re definitely in serious talks with all the names (Katrina, Priyanka) you’ve mentioned. It’s a very big project and we need to get the biggest names in place before we start.”

The film, which will also be shot in Russia and England, goes on the floors in mid-2010.

Wow. This is a dream come true. I wanted Akshaye to star in a remake from the moment I saw the movie. I bet he'll be playing Edward Norton's villain character. But I'd prefer to be surprised and want to see him in the lead roles, not as a villain. Hope this also means there is a patch up between him and Abbas-Mastan.

Kal nau Baje

Akshaye's legacy

Nishaad

Priyadarshan is a disappointed man. No, his films are doing alright at the box office, but it's just that the filmmaker couldn't get the title of his choice for his upcoming film, as a film by that name has already been made.

Priyan wanted to title the film about caste wars and forbidden inter-caste marriages in Bihar "Ganga Jal", not knowing that this has already been taken for another fable.

Says Priyan: "I thought something like 'Ganga Jal' was the best title for this film because it allowed audiences to know exactly where the plot and characters were going."

In his mind he had settled for the title as the best one for his film, until he shared it with his leading man Ajay Devgn. To his horror Priyan was told by Ajay that Prakash Jha had already used the title. Ajay knew about Jha's "Ganga Jal" because he had played the lead in it. Bipasha Basu who was also part of "Ganga Jal" also laughed when she heard of Priyan's title.

Then began the search for another title. Now, Priyan's drama is called "Nishaad".

Priyadarshan's Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu, Akshaye Khanna starrer had been shot without a title mainly because Priyan wanted the film to have a hard-hitting title.

Priyan's script and dialogue writer came up with "Nishaad" because the director barely knows any Hindi.

Alibaug home

Akshaye Khanna has bought a four acre plot in Alibaug and is in the process of constructing a huge bungalow there. The plot is situated near one of the costliest places in Alibaug, Mandwa. The actor will now be neighbours with industrialists Vijay Mallya and Ratan Tata, who already own homes there.

A source says, “Akshaye bought the plot around six months ago and has already begun the process of building his dream house. It’s been seven years since the actor has been looking for a property. The plot is very close to Mandwa and measures about four acres. A major portion of the bungalow is ready. He has built a huge swimming pool and a squash court as he is very fond of playing the game. He stays there regularly and he travels by speed boat to Alibaug. In fact, Akshaye celebrated this New Year at his house in Alibaug with a couple of friends. It will take six more months to get the place completely ready. Meanwhile, Akshaye has been buying speedboats as he prefers to travel by sea than by roads.”

Anil helps Farah to get Akshaye to star in his film

Farah Khan believes three is her lucky charm. She has triplets, her production house is called 3's Company and now she has three namesakes in her project Tees Maar Khan.

After casting Akshay Kumar for TMK, she has just pencilled in Akshaye Khanna for a parallel role in her film. To avoid confusion in names, she will refer to them as Akki and Akshu. The unit hands will have to refer to them as Mr Kumar and Mr Khanna. But then, stylist Aki Narula is also on board her project!

"There is bound to be some gadbad at some time when the film goes on floors in March," laughs Farah. "I can well imagine if I am calling Akki and Aki lands up or when I say Akshaye and Akshay arrives."

When her hubby Shirish Kunder and she were looking at options for another hero for Tees Maar Khan, Akshaye was on the top of the list. "I am glad he was convinced and said yes. Akshaye is half-Parsi like me and he calls me dikri! We get along superbly."

Anil Kapoor played a major role in the casting too. He is close to both Farah and Akshaye and put in a word on Farah's behalf.

Adds Farah, "Shirish went to meet Akshaye on the sets of No Problem at Mehboob Studios last week. Now everything is signed and sealed."

Akshaye will have to shed weight for the film and has already started preparing for the role..
Says Farah, "It's the first time that the two Akshays are working together in the same film. Though both have worked in many Priyadarshan films they haven't done a project together with him either. I am glad they are doing it with me first!"

Tees Maar Khan will have one actress, who will be announced by the second week of January.

Boys will be boys

The reason is because Sanju who has a fleet of cars brings a new car to work each day. Just yesterday, he was in the studios with his red sports model fancy car. And, in between shots all the others ‘boys’ — Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna and Paresh Rawal were apparently just hanging around Sanju’s car, touching it, feeling it... and wanting to take it out for a ride. What’s it with men and machines yaar? “I find them more irresistible than even women,” said one of the actors.

Farah signs Akshaye for Tees Maar Khan

Farah confirms the news. She says, “Akshaye Khanna is playing a pivotal role. We needed a big name and an established actor, who had a good comic timing. Khanna fitted the bill perfectly. Moreover, Kumar and Khanna have never worked together so this is a fresh combination of co-stars. It is a very unique role and the second most important character in the film. Kumar is playing the title role, while Khanna is playing Atish Kapoor.”

Ask her if there is any actress opposite Khanna, she says, “There is just one actress opposite both the Akshay(e)s. It is a strange script and I cannot divulge details about it.”

Glad to know Farah considers Akshaye as a big name for she kept dissing him in the past. I am relieved Akshaye will be seen in a new movie after all.

Akshaye on speed

If you are ferrying your way to Alibaug this weekend, do not be surprised to see Akshaye Khanna zooming ahead in his own speed boat. The actor has the unique hobby of collecting speed boats, and recently put it to good use. While shooting for Anil Kapoor’s No Problem, Akshaye offered the use of his speed boats.

The cast and crew of No Problem were to shoot 2 kms off the sea shore. So Akshaye suggested that they should use his speed boats to travel for the shoot. And that’s exactly what they did, use ‘Freedom’ and ‘Freedom II’, for the shoot. Freedom is a white and yellow boat, while Freedom II is white and blue.

Rajat Rawail, one of the producers confirmed, “Akshaye owns two huge speed boats. One of the boats is 27 feet long, while the other is easily 32. In fact, he just bought the larger one two months ago. I was discussing the two-day shoot scheduled at the Yellow Gate, Fort with my team. Akshaye happened to come and sit next to me, and he figured that I was planning to book speed boats for our travel. He promptly said that we could use his boats and that he has two of them.”

“The boats, I must say, are lovely and we have been using them for the last two days. Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kangna Ranaut and Anees Bazmee, all traveled in the boats. I believe Akshaye uses them to travel to Alibaug, which is one of his favourite spots,” Rajat added.

Akshaye attends Anil's b'day

It was a quiet birthday night for the actor who celebrated his big day with Bollywood pals. Kapoor, who was last seen in the worldwide super-hit, Slumdog Millionaire, was dressed casually and spent the evening interacting and celebrating. Attending the event were his Mr India co-star, Sreedevi, Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna, who chose to stay away from the cameras for most of the evening.

Old candids

No Problem first still

Akshoo loves vadapav

Yeh Kehne Se Pehle Tumhari Zaban Kyon Nahi Jal Gayi

No one can take a 'vada pav' away from Akshaye Khanna. He loves it so much that you cannot even call it junk food without getting into an argument with him, "Vada Pav is not junk food. It's got this aalo patties which is placed between the bread. How can it be junk food?" Go for it Khanna! Anyways 'junk food' is nothing but silly 'gora' concept!

Sush hugs Akshoo

Both women dressed in designer saris (costing the producer a few lakhs) were in perfect tandem. What is notable is that Kangna who seems petite could actually measure up quite well to the tall Sushmita. Both women wore flat slippers, exposed their flat bellies and shook their hips so seductively that the men who were watching — Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna had their tongues hanging loose.

Akshaye Khanna the youngest guy of the lot also got rewarded by a nice bear hug from sexy Sush... and after she finished, the actor was strutting around looking very pleased. Well, not everyone gets such benevolence from the ex Miss Universe after all.

Akshaye gets best villain award

Apsara Award for Race.

And the next flick is.....

ChaiGaram?

On Location of No Problem

Akshaye's Hungama

Hopefully, more such Akshaye TV spots will turn up soon.

Akshaye's astrological forecast

Akshaye will remain in the limelight because of his performance in the films in 2009. This year will also see him work hard on honing his skills as an actor.

Akshaye heads to gym

For his role in Priyadarshan’s hard-hitting tale of honour killing in Bihar Ajay Devgan needs to have a specially toned-up physique.

Priyan tells us why. “I’ve turned the horrific tale of an actual incident in Bihar of an inter-caste romance into a full-on actioner. See, I wanted to keep it real. At the same time I wanted to make it riveting for the audience. So while shooting on an authentic location (Karaikudi is like a small town in Bihar) I’ve made my two heroes Ajay and Akshaye Khanna into full-on action heroes. This film has the kind of real stunts never seen in Hindi cinema.”
Priyan has roped in his old action director B Thyagarajan and a stunt director from South Africa , Frances to devise action scenes which would take the director’s Bihari drama into the region of riveting realism.

Says Priyan, “When I say real action I mean fight scenes that are the opposite of cable-wired flips somersaults, jumps and leaps. This time Ajay has gone as raw as it can get.”
The action sequences have both Devgan and Khanna locked in hand-to-hand combats, and other very basic forms of physical aggression that went out of vogue with the old Kung Fu films.

For this Devgan needed to get into a different shape. And so did Akshaye.
In fact, Akshaye is a new convert to the gym . Till this schedule in Karaikudi started. And Ajay persuaded Akshaye to head for the gym.

“Yes, we’ve a set up a terrific gym in this wilderness. It’s been set up in an under-construction building. It has all the equipment,” says Bipasha. “We all work out in it. Ajay and I, of course. Paresh Rawal also works out. Akshaye Khanna only used to play squash for exercise. Now he’s started going to the gym. They need to get into a specific shape for this film.”

Before producer Arbaaz Khan can shift Bihar to Vai near Mumbai for the shooting of Abhinav Kashyap’s Dabangg, Priyadrashan has relocated a village of Bihar in Karaikudi, a Tamilian small-town 80 kilometers away from Madurai to shoot for his very real headline-derived intercaste love story that shook rural Bihar some time ago.

Doesn’t the film take Priyan into a space completely different from his award-winning Kanchivaram?

“Not at all. That was a different kind of reality. This is different,” says Priyan.

A substantial movie for Akshaye after a long time. Can't wait.

Best Villain Award

Akshaye wins a best Villain award for Race

Akshaye out of Basra?

Akshaye not in Basra anymore.

Priyadarshan's movie's shooting on

Every director has a favorite heroine and most often, for inexplicable reasons, like David Dhawan's casting of Rambha or Priyadarshan of Rimi Sen. Well, now Priyadarshan has changed loyalties and his current favorite is Rituparna Sengupta, another Bong sensation.

Sengupta said, "I was first cast for Priyan sir's film with Percept Picture Company, Bum Bum Bole with Atul Kulkarni and Darsheel Saffary. After that film was complete, I got a call from his office offering me a role in his latest political thriller, which is yet to be titled."

Priyan is currently shooting his film on the Kerala Karnataka border with Ajay Devgan, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu. Rituparna added, "The film is based on the caste war of North India and I play an integral part of the film, whose character is helped by Akshaye Khanna."

Priyan had first cast Sen in Hungama. He was impressed with her commitment to work and therefore cast her in his other films like Garam Masala and Kyon Ki. But it now appears that his loyalties have shifted to Sengupta, who also has a National Award for Best Actress to her name. Additionally, Priyan has also cast another Bengali beauty - Bipasha Basu - in the main lead.

Akshaye to be a judge in beauty contest

In South Africa

Akshaye dances in live concert

Found it on youtube. Is it recent or is it old? Either way its nice.

Akshaye at Sanju's bday

Akshaye at Sanjay Dutt's 50th bday.

Akshaye, Ajay n bipasha in Priyan's next

Just as filmmaker Priyadarshan seemed obsessed with mindless comedy, he decided to get serious after all. He is all set to embark upon a project that quite falls in the genre of his Sazaa-e-Kaala Paani, Gardish... Priyan will direct a movie based on caste-wars set in India. When we got in touch with the director, he told us, “In Northern India there are many cases of inter-caste marriages, and sometimes children are even killed for daring to opt for inter-caste marriages. There have been many articles from the Times of India that gives a base to our story and script. In fact, the movie, a thriller, is based on an enquiry commission.”

This film will see Akshay Khanna play a CBI officer, Ajay Devgan as a Major deputed for the case and Bipasha Basu plays Akshaye Khanna’s ex-girlfriend. However Priyadarshan says that the icing on the cake is Paresh Rawal who will play the villain this time round. “Paresh always complaints that I make him the laughing stock, so he is all geared up to resurrect his career of playing a serious, horrible villain in this film,” says Priyan.

The yet-to-be-titled movie will be shot in two schedules - September and January and will release sometime in 2010.

Akshaye enjoying S.Africa

Bollywood celebrities Sushmita Sen and Akshaye Khanna have been taking in the sights of KwaZulu Natal during the filming of the romantic comedy No Problem,set at various locations including the Camelot Golf Club in Hillcrest and La Mercy Beach.

The movie, directed by Anees Bazmee, will be filmed in the province for two weeks, before the cast and crew head for Cape Town for a further two to three weeks. POST has learnt that Kangana Ranaut and Paresh Rawal are also in Durban.


Acting heavyweight Sanjay Dutt was expected to arrive last night (Tuesday) and Sunil Shetty is heading our way on Friday.

Production started on Saturday and several locals have been used as extras.

Akshaye's interview

With its hilarious plot and surprisingly good cast, Short Kut: The Con Is On is a million laughs a minute. Mathures Paul speaks to the main
protagonist

One of the most underrated actors of our times, Akshaye Khanna has been giving us hit after hit ~ Gandhi, My Father, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love, Hulchul, and many more. A few weeks back he received the IIFA Best Villain Award for his role in Race. Khanna is very much in the news as his new film ~ Short Kut: The Con Is On ~ has succeeded in making box-office cash registers ring.
First, the plot of the film in brief. Short Kut is a comedy about the trials and tribulations of two con artistes ~ a struggling director and an actor in pursuit of their tinsel town dreams. Shekhar (Akshaye Khanna), an aspiring assistant director, and Raju (Arshad Warsi), a wannabe junior artiste, meet and strike-up a friendship. While Shekhar is extremely talented and confident, Raju is a buffoon and thinks he is God’s gift to Bollywood! As luck would have it, Raju manages to steal Shekhar’s prized script and is catapulted towards stardom. Soon Shekhar plunges into a phase of self pity and dejection, which results in his wife Mansi (Amrita Rao) leaving him. Shattered, Shekhar looks for that golden opportunity to get even with Raju.
What was it about Short Kut that appealed to you ~ Anil Kapoor or the script?
It’s always the script. Always. I respond, or react, to scripts spontaneously. We have a great personal relationship, a friendship that’s not easy to break. I cherish it and value it.

Anil Kapoor, the producer and the actor…
Actor-producer relationship is more at a professional level. A bit formal. We are careful of not upsetting each other; not to make the other feel uncomfortable. Anil is a friend and a producer. He brings commitment and passion to any project. The same goes for anything he does in life. That indeed is a great asset.

Are you satisfied with the new Hindi film scripts?
Difficult question. Generally things are getting better but not at a pace most of us would want. I think the level of writing that we see in the television or film industry in the West is higher than in India. We have a long way to go before we achieve that level of originality and diversity. (Thinks) Not only in the area of writing but every aspect of film-making ~ acting, designing, production, etc. The drama audiences watch on television or films in the West cannot be found that frequently in India.

The need for casting directors…
In the Hindi film industry there is almost nothing called casting directors. It doesn’t exist and it never has. It’s sad. But one of the reasons for that profession not being able find its place is because we have only a few actors. You have 20-odd leading men in the industry. Maximum 25. Girls even less. There are so few people that the industry doesn’t require a casting director. If there were hundreds of actors, their (casting directors) roles would have been important.

But new actors are coming our way…
But we need many more.

Maybe viewers don’t want to accept new faces…
That’s also true. Viewers need to accept them. At times our audiences don’t accept new faces. If someone new comes, he or she is either accepted or not accepted. An actor like Imran (Khan) has been accepted. It’s not a matter of coming from an established family of actors. A person is accepted because he is accepted! As simple as that. Sonam (Kapoor) was also simply accepted. Now look at Deepika Padukone. She doesn’t have any background in acting. But she was accepted. In south India Asin is already accepted. But to the Hindi film industry she is new.

Your next film with Anil Kapoor…
We haven’t started shooting. When we start, it begins in South Africa and then moves to Mumbai.

Classy guy

This is one classy lad. No lewd jokes, humour or tasteless jibes for Akshaye

And it was obvious at a recent interview that he was doing to promote his new film. While others referred to some of the SMS jokes doing the rounds about Shiney Ahuja, Akshaye rigidly snapped, “Cut it out guys. It’s not in good taste.

Just leave this sensitive issue alone.” A moment’s silence followed before Akshaye resumed talk about every other topic, with a smile, all over again. Now, that’s sheer class.

Akshaye to work with a new director?

One is he wouldn’t want to share screen space with his father. The other is, he doesn’t want to get married. Says Akshaye, “I don’t believe in the institution of marriage. Yes, the other day a pundit predicted I’d definitely get married in 2009. He said he can write it in his blood, ‘Iss saal teri shaadi pakki.’ I was horrified. Now I keep asking everyone around me to assure me it won’t come true. The fact is, marriage is just a legal piece of paper. I don’t see why the government needs to get involved in what two people do with their lives. It’s none of their business.”

As for working with his charismatic dad, that’s also a no-no. “Even today I’d think 10 times before facing the camera with him. In terms of physicality alone he’s so powerful. No point in sharing space with him until I feel confident of matching him by at least 10 percent. As a star-son it’s a constant struggle to move away from being known as Vinod Khanna’s son and create my own space.”

Otherwise nothing has changed about Akshaye over the years. He remains as reclusive as ever. “I like it that way. I see no point in talking about myself unnecessarily. I’m not a high-profile person. I like being as low-profile as humanly possible. So I’ve no interest in reaping the benefits of a film by talking about its success. In the long run it’s the film that matters. Talking about yourself is of no consequence. It doesn’t come naturally to me.Yes, Race was a hit. If people want to remember me in Race, they will without my selling myself.”

Akshaye refuses to admit he does too little work. “It’s not conscious. In fact next year I’ve three films. If I had my way I’d work 365 days a year. As for being picky, who isn’t? Aren’t Abhishek, John and Hrithik picky? Hrithik’s last release was Jodhaa-Akbar more than a year ago. I’m starting a new comedy in South Africa with Anees Bazmi No Problem. It’s got me, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut.”

Akshaye Khanna, who has done comedies in the past with the prolific Priyadarshan will start shooting for a serious film on a caste–based marriage in Bihar with the prolific director.

“Yes, I’m doing a non-comedy film based on a caste issue with Priyadarshan. It’s got Ajay Devgan and me. Priyan has been making a whole lot of comedies. After that I’m starting another film with a new director. I don’t recall doing a film with a new director except Lateef Binny with whom I did Dehak many years ago.”

He blames someone from within the unit of his latest film Shortkut for planting stories of his differences with his co-star Arshad Warsi.
“I haven’t done it for sure. Whoever spread these stories did it for no reason than to create a stupid silly hype about the film. People enjoy reading about such battles between two actors. Even I do. Arshad and I get along quite well. I really enjoy spending time with my co-stars specially if they’re good actors. Arshad and I are at loggerheads as characters in Shortkut. But to create that antagonism on screen you’ve to be compatible with your co-star.

A screen partnership is almost like a marriage, a short-term but strong commitment. If you don’t get along with your unit the film suffers. I don’t work towards it. But I just get along with my co-stars. I’m a very blunt person. If I don’t like someone, he is sure to know.”

Akshaye is full of praise for Arshad. “Shortkut is Arshad’s best performance to date. He’s better here than he was in the Munnabhai movies. I play a writer and assistant director who hopes to make his own film. I’m the only normal character surrounded by these zany people. And by the way Shortkut has the distinction of being written by two of our finest writer-director of comedies Neeraj Vora and Anees Bazmi.”

It was even said that Akshaye refused to promote his new film at a recent international event. “Nothing could be sillier. Because all of us from the film had gone with the express purpose of promoting the film. It was an insane charge.”

His last film Mere Baap Pehle Aap he says did decently enough to make money for everyone. “It’s just that the film wasn’t hyped up as a hit. No matter how nominal, the film did make profits. I can name so many films that have been declared super hits but haven’t made money. I don’t want to name them because they involve friends.”

Akshaye is satisfied with the roles he‘s doing. “I don’t see too many other actors doing the variety of roles I am doing.”

Akshaye has no plans of turning director. “I don’t think about it. It’s something that may happen. But not right now.”