Ranvir is Bollywood's best actor: Akshay Kumar

MIDAS TOUCH: In 2007, Akshay delivered four back to back monstrous hits.

          

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You break into a laugh the moment he appears on the screen, but he’s the one laughing all the way to the bank. In 2007, he delivered four monstrous hits, and the truth is that some of those films weren’t even that good.

But these days, every film he touches, seems to turn into box office gold. CNN-IBN’s Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand talked all things Bollywood with the unstoppable Akshay Kumar.

Rajeev Masand: Akshay, you’ve had four back to back hits — Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhul Bhulaiyya and of course Welcome. Do you have a favourite out of the four?

Akshay Kumar: Do I have a favourite out of the four? Om Shanti Om! But honestly, I really enjoyed Namastey London because it is very much my kind of a film. Bhul Bhulaiyya was also very exciting because it was a different kind of a role. I had never attempted to do something like that.

Rajeev Masand: Blockbuster after blockbuster. What’s the secret success formula?

Akshay Kumar: If you want, I can write down my secret formula so that people remember it all their lives. Okay, first you write Om. That’s what I always do. Then comes dedication, which is followed by talent. Subtract arrogance. Divide it by luck. That is equal to hit machine. But, tell you what, prayers work much better than this formula or maths.

Rajeev Masand: Out of the films that you did last year, most of them didn’t even get great reviews, yet they were blockbusters. Is there a part of you that still wants to win over critics, or is it not important because the films are working anyway?

Akshay Kumar: Honestly, tell me something. Shouldn’t I go for something which people enjoy? I don’t care what critics have to say about it. One or two times, you have also written something bad about me, but I don’t care about that. I really like my people and want my audience to be entertained. I want to make them laugh. They come and spend 150 rupees on a ticket. What do they want? Koi ro ke nahi jaana chahta yaar. (Nobody wants to leave the movie hall feeling sad.) Everybody wants to laugh.

Rajeev Masand: You’re the only actor in 2007 who gave four back to back hits...

Akshay Kumar: Four and a half.

Rajeev Masand: Four and a half, yes. You were in Om Shanti Om as well. Tell me, why no awards?

Akshay Kumar: Now that’s a really tricky question. To me awards don’t matter. For me it’s more about rewards. I go, perform, get paid, and I am very happy about it. Beyond that, I don’t care.