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The millennial Akki might not believe this, but during the 90s, Akshay Kumar was called a non-actor, a 'wooden' hero. The superstar himself has said it quite a few times in his interviews about how critics used to write him off as a performer. Despite the fact that he was quite a popular hero then thanks to his Khiladi series, no one associated him with an actor label. It was also another matter, that Akshay struggled to find a hit in a movie that doesn't have a Khiladi in its title. This Young Fan of Akshay Kumar Walks 900kms From Dwarka to Mumbai Just to Meet the Superstar (View Pics).
That's not the case nowadays. Akshay Kumar is a National Award winner. He is one of the highest-paid actors in the industry. He had got the opportunity to interview the most important person in the country, PM Narendra Modi himself. And he has been delivering hits consistently since 2016, most of them entering the Rs 100 crore club, including his recent Mission Mangal. Akshay Kumar has truly become the Khiladi Kumar of Bollywood box office.
On the superstar's 52nd birthday, we look at 15 movies of the superstar that defined his career in one way or the other. Please feel free to add or differ with us in the comments section below.
Khiladi
Saugandh might be Akshay Kumar's debut as a lead, but this Abbas-Mastan suspense thriller turned him into a star, while earning him the epithet that he is most associated with.
Yeh Dillagi
While Akshay was usually associated with mostly action roles then, Yeh Dillagi also showed the world that he isn't bad as a romantic hero too. The movie, also starring Kajol and Saif Ali Khan, earned him his first nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
Mohra
A blockbuster all the way, we still remember this multi-starrer for the two evergreen chartbusters, "Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast" and "Tip Tip Barsa Paani".
Sangharsh
Sangharsh may have flopped at the box office, but this movie gave a hint to his detractors that Akshay can be an incredible performer if in the right hands.
Hera Pheri
Directed by Priyadarshan, Hera Pheri is considered as one of the best comedies ever made in Bollywood and came at a time when Akshay was struggling for hits. The sequel made bigger money but didn't have the charm of the first.
Ajnabee
Akshay Kumar may have played a negative role before in Aflatoon, but it was a double role, where the other character was the hero. In Ajnabee, he was THE villain and a scene-stealer at that, earning him his first Filmfare Award (Best Actor in a Negative Role).
Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
Akshay Kumar always had this comic streak, but it was in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi where it was utilised to quite a scene-stealing effect, It was a movie that also reinforced his stardom in his industry, right when his career was stuck in a rut.
Namastey London
If Mujhse Shaadi Karogi reinvented his career, then Namastey London reestablished his status as a star to reckon with. His India-praising monologue scene is considered an iconic one, and is a hint of how his career could turn in the future.
Rowdy Rathore
Since 2006, Akshay Kumar was doing mostly comic entertainers that were working for him at the box office. Rowdy Rathore got him back into the action hero groove, and also gave him his first Rs 100 crore hit.
OMG – Oh My God!
So how many of Akshay Kumar's peers have played a mythological character, considered a career-killing move? Not only did Akshay take that risk, but his role of Shree Krishna is also one of most memorable and likeable characters.
Baby
The movie that made him into a nationalist hero, something he is proud to wear on his sleeve. And also got him typecast in the process.
Rustom
Rustom may not be a very memorable movie, but it gave Akshay Kumar a National Award for the Best Actor. So it is definitely significant to all his die-hard fans.
Pad Man
Well, if I had to consider his socially conscious films, I could have put Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, which came earlier and was abigger hit. But Pad Man put Akshay the actor in a riskier capacity that he pulls off with ease, and is also a better movie.
2.0
Akshay Kumar's South debut is also the costliest film made in India, and also his biggest hit, if we consider collections in all the languages.
Mission Mangal
Mission Mangal is Akshay Kumar's latest hit, where he is happy to take a backseat and let the ladies (Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu and co) rule the narrative. It has also become his highest-grossing Bollywood movie.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2019 04:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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