‘I only know how to work hard’

Mona

We have seen superstar Akshay Kumar play myriad roles; Kesari will be his 136th, to be precise. As he briefly touched down in City Beautiful at PVR, Elante, on Monday, ‘Oh My God he looks like a teenager’ was the general sentiment! Kesari is about the famous battle of Saragarhi, for which Akshay once again dons a turban. In fact, he first shared the look with his mother, who couldn’t but exclaim, “Kihna sohna sardar’. 

“Wearing a turban is a kind of responsibility; one’s spine is erect and mood that of courage and justice,” says the actor-producer, who by no means is a spotlight-hogger, and ensures that his director Anurag Singh and co-star Parineeti Chopra, along with singer B Praak, get to share the stage too.

Tough call

This story came to Akshay through Karan Johar and together they wanted this proud piece of history to be made into a film. Anurag Singh was roped-in for this mega war film... about two years on, it is ready for release. The most challenging part of the film was the action sequences. Couple it with being shot in high altitude of Spiti, it was a tough call even for the super-fit Akshay. “If one doesn’t take a break every few minutes, one could die,” he says, as the director Anurag adds, “But look at the visuals, they are spectacular.” He can kill people for great visuals, Akshay interjects, a charge Anurag totally owns up, “I can totally do that.” 

High spirits

Akshay’s own real story makes for an interesting narrative. Sixteen flops back-to-back, he still goes on, “With no one from my family in the industry, it was huge for us to just see me on screen. Even after those 16 flops, I had four more films that I was working in. All I know is how to work hard and not give any thought about hits or flops.”

Many social causes that Akshay has lent a hand in; does he intend ever to play an active role in politics? “I am not getting into politics, main khush rahna chahta hoon,” he says. “A political film may be,” he adds as an after-thought.

How about a biography? “Nope, not even a five-page book. All I have done is play hero on screen; there is nothing great in that.” If there was a Rs 500-crore offer? “May be if it’s a Rs 600-crore deal,” he says in pure jest!

Teri Mitti Me Mil Jawan by B Praak is the 700th song filmed on Akshay and he insists it is his best ever. “Punjab gives such fabulous singers that it fills my heart with huge pride.” What Akshay is pepped-up about is that the actual place where the Battle of Saragarhi was fought — Pakistan Afghanistan border — is going to have a gurdwara soon. 

mona@tribunemail.com

Memory bank

Ask team Kesari the most memorable moments of their journey and they say playing ludo in between the shots. While Parineeti Chopra has ‘paid’ Akshay Kumar Rs 2,000, which the actor carries with him everywhere; Anurag Singh is yet to pay, as it is Akshay sir who always wins! Meanwhile, the Airlift actor puts the burning down of the Kesari set right in front of their eyes as the most painful memory of this shoot.

Learning curve 

Parineeti Chopra plays Akshay’s love interest in Kesari, “I am proud to be part of the film that has for a theme an ultimate act of valour.” A learning curve is how she labels this film and is happy that finally the time has come when she is getting to do the kind of films she wanted to. “A sports film was on my to-do list; finally its happening.” Comedy is also something she would love to do. As for her jiju Nick Jonas being considered country’s ‘national jiju’, she smiles, “I am glad he gets the love that he gets for he deserves every bit of it. Not only is he a very genuine person, but an exceptional husband for my sister (Priyanka Chopra).”

Epic association

As Kesari gets ready for release, Gurinderpal Singh Josan feels vindicated. Chairperson of Saragarhi Foundation, he got interested in the subject when as a school student he would pass the Gurdwara Saragarhi Sahib, Amritsar, each morning. As association grew, so did his interest and decades later, he released the book A Saga Of Valor: The Epic Battle of Saragarhi. “For it, I did research in India and England, and successfully managed to trace 19 out of the 21 families of the martyrs,” he shares. On Monday, as he briefly met Akshay Kumar in Chandigarh, he was ecstatic, for now this epic story would be heard and seen the world over due to the mass appeal of a Hindi film.