"I’ve not got any big banners.” Akshay Kumar revealed how he was typecast into only commercial movies in Bollywood, in this old video from Karan Johar’s show.
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00:00They've called me just a furniture.
00:02They've not given me any kind of break.
00:05Whether it's Chopra's or Johar's, nobody has.
00:08Johar's is only me.
00:09So, I'm your big director.
00:10I don't believe in competition.
00:12We're not Mahalaxmi's horses
00:14that we'll compete who'll be number one
00:16and who'll be number two.
00:26Has that ever bothered you
00:27that the perception of you as being a big movie star
00:29you make blockbusters,
00:31but you're still combating the perception of
00:34is Akshay Kumar the actor or is he just a superstar?
00:37You're still fighting that.
00:38Does that ever bother you?
00:40Or you don't get bothered?
00:42I'm happy with whatever I've got.
00:44I'm happy with whatever I've got.
00:46And I'm not fighting anything.
00:49But yes, I want to keep on every day
00:52when I listen to a script,
00:54I'm looking for that script if I can get something to prove it.
00:57Like a special 26 when I got it.
01:00I was very happy with it.
01:01Like, even a script like Oh My God.
01:06But a lot of times people come with a commercial film
01:09only to give it to me.
01:10They don't come with a lot of acting,
01:13or a lot of thinking,
01:15or a lot of study, homework.
01:17They just don't come.
01:18And what about critics in India?
01:20I mean, have they been kind to you?
01:21Have you kind of had an opinion on them?
01:23And things they've said.
01:24They've been very kind.
01:25They've called me just a furniture.
01:28And when I'm actually a showroom.
01:30So, they've been very kind to me.
01:32That's...
01:33They called you... Who called you furniture?
01:36A long back, someone had written to me.
01:38That they called you a piece of furniture?
01:40Yeah.
01:40But I mean...
01:41My acting is like a piece of furniture.
01:42Like you're basically wooden.
01:44Easy.
01:45Just sitting there.
01:46And how have you reacted when you read things like this?
01:47Nothing. It's funny.
01:49It's nice.
01:49Yeah.
01:50It's funny to read something like that about you.
01:52What can you react?
01:53Where do you see yourself in the scheme of things today as a movie star?
01:57You know, we have like Desha, Rukta, Salman, Aamir, you,
02:00Akshay, you know, you, Hrithik, Ranbir.
02:03Everyone has a place.
02:04Do you see yourself competing ever for box office numbers?
02:08Do you see yourself in this number game?
02:10I've always maintained it and I've said it from the beginning of my career
02:14till now also that I don't believe in competition.
02:16I have...
02:18There are 180 movies made every year.
02:20Right.
02:21And there are around 10-12 actors.
02:23And they all, out of that, about five, six only do one film a year.
02:27Right.
02:27And there are one, two who just do one film in three years.
02:30Right.
02:30So, there are so many movies for all of us.
02:33Right.
02:33What are we competing about?
02:34I have so many movies. I have so many scripts to hear.
02:37I have so many things.
02:38So, I don't believe in competition.
02:41We're not like Mahalakshmi's horses
02:43who will compete for the number one or two.
02:46So, it's... I don't believe in that.
02:49I just do my work because there's so much work.
02:51Yeah.
02:52There's plenty of work.
02:54To be done.
02:54Yeah.
02:55From the beginning of my career, no big people have given me a film.
03:00Right.
03:00From maximum, I've done one or two films with Chopras.
03:05Right.
03:05And that's it. I've not got any big banners.
03:09I've always given hits with newcomers.
03:11Right.
03:12I've done about 13-14 films with newcomers.
03:17You're saying the bigger filmmakers have always stayed here?
03:20They've not given me any kind of break.
03:24Whether it's Chopras or Johars, nobody has.
03:27Yeah.
03:27Yeah.
03:28Johars is only me.
03:30It's only me.
03:31So, I meant you only.
03:32Yeah.
03:33You mean like the bigger directors like...
03:35So, I'm your big director?
03:36No, no, no. I know. I'm just talking about the others also.
03:39Like, say the leading filmmakers of the country.
03:41Actually, you've maintained your stardom
03:43and created it without any kind of big name.
03:46I had no choice.
03:48Yeah.
03:48I had no choice. I had to do it like that.
03:50Right.
03:51If a new, big name wants to take it, you have to start...
03:55You have to do something on your own.
03:57Correct.
03:57You have to start a small industry on your own.
04:00Right.
04:00Which is no small industry. You created a brand for yourself.
04:03That I was lucky enough.