Background

Akshay Kumar was born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia on September 9, 1967, in Amritsar, Punjab, India. His father, Hari Om Bhatia, was an army officer. His mother's name is Aruna Bhatia. From a young age, Kumar was very interested in sports. His father too enjoyed wrestling. He lived and grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and later he moved to Mumbai when his father left Army to become an accountant with UNICEF. Soon, his sister was born and the family lived in Koliwada, a Punjabi dominated area of Central Mumbai. When Kumar was a teenager, his father asked him what he aspired to be. Kumar expressed his desire to become an actor.

Education

Kumar received his school education from Don Bosco School, simultaneously learning Karate. He enrolled in Mumbai's Guru Nanak Khalsa College for higher education but dropped out as he was not much interested in studies. He requested his father that he wanted to learn martial arts further, and his father somehow saved money to send him to Thailand. Kumar went to Bangkok to learn martial arts and lived in Thailand for five years learning Thai Boxing. After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India, he studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand, where he learned Muay Thai.

Career

At Thailand Kumar worked as a chef and waiter. After Thailand, he went to work in Kolkata in a travel agency, in Dhaka in a hotel and Delhi where he sold Kundan jewelry. Upon his return to Mumbai, he commenced the teaching of martial arts. During this time, the father of one of his students, himself a model co-ordinator, recommended Kumar into modeling which ultimately led to a modeling assignment for a furniture showroom. Kumar effectively made more money within the first two days of shooting than in his entire month's salary and therefore chose a modeling career path. He worked as an assistant for photographer Jayesh Sheth for 18 months without payment to shoot his first portfolio. He also worked as a background dancer in various films. One morning, he missed his flight for an ad-shoot in Bangalore. Disappointed with himself, he visited a film studio along with his portfolio. That evening, Kumar was signed for a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.

Kumar made his first appearance as the lead actor opposite Raakhee and Shantipriya in Saugandh (1991). In the same year, he acted in Kishore Vyas-directed Dancer, which received poor reviews. The following year he starred in Abbas Mustan-directed suspense thriller, Khiladi, widely considered his breakthrough role. His next release was the Raj Sippy-directed detective film Mr. Bond, based on James Bond. His last release of 1992 was Deedar. It failed to perform well at the box office. In 1993, he acted in the Keshu Ramsay-directed bilingual film Ashaant and starring Dr. Vishnuvardhan, Ashwini Bhave and Ashutosh Rana. All of his films released during 1993, including Dil Ki Baazi, Kayda Kanoon, Waqt Hamara Hai, and Sainik did not perform well commercially. In 1994, he played a police inspector in two films: Sameer Malkan-directed remake of Hollywood film The Hard Way, Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Rajiv Rai-directed Mohra which were among the highest-grossing films of the year. Later that year, he starred in Yash Chopra-produced romance, Yeh Dillagi opposite Kajol. During the same year, Kumar also had success with films like Suhaag and the low budget action film Elaan. All these achievements promoted Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year. In 1994, he appeared in 11 feature films.

The following year, Kumar played dual role in Umesh Mehra-directed action thriller, Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was a commercial success. He proved to have success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourth film of the Khiladi series, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekha and Raveena Tandon. The film was a commercial success. Kumar played a supporting role in Yash Chopra-directed romance, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Karisma Kapoor. In the same year, he starred opposite Juhi Chawla in David Dhawan-directed comedy Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, fifth installment of the Khiladi series. Unlike his previous films of the series, it failed commercially. His following releases failed commercial and this caused a setback to his film career. In 1999, Kumar played opposite Twinkle Khanna in International Khiladi. The film turned out to be an average grosser at the box office.

In 2000, Kumar starred in the Priyadarshan-directed comedy Hera Pheri alongside Paresh Rawal and Sunil Shetty. The film which was a remake of Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking became a commercial success and proved to be a turning point in Kumar's career. He also starred in the Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Dhadkan later that same year. That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Neeraj Vora-directed action thriller Khiladi 420. His character in the film had two names and his role received mixed reviews. His first release in 2001 was Suneel Darshan-directed drama Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love. Kumar was praised for his performance in the film. Next, he played a negative role in the Abbas Mustan-directed film Ajnabee.

His first release in 2002 was Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya. He played the role as a blind man in Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Shaarang Dev Pandit-directed heist film Aankhen, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Aditya Pancholi, Sushmita Sen, and Paresh Rawal. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed. Next, he starred in the Vikram Bhatt-directed comedy Awara Paagal Deewana. His last film of the year was Rajkumar Kohli-directed supernatural horror film Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani alongside Manisha Koirala, Sunil Shetty, Sunny Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Arshad Warsi, Aditya Pancholi, and Armaan Kohli. The film was a remake of Kohli's former film Naagin and received mostly negative reviews from critics. Next, he starred in Raj Kanwar-directed romantic drama Andaaz alongside Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta. The film received mixed reviews from critics but turned out to be a commercial success at the box office and the first universal hit of 2003.

In 2004 Kumar starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's action drama thriller Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, and Aishwarya Rai. Kumar played the role of Inspector Shekhar Verma, a corrupt, morally bankrupt cop who changes himself during a mission to transfer an accused Pakistani spy Dr. Iqbal Ansari from a remote town in Maharashtra to Mumbai. The film and Kumar's acting were positively reviewed by critics. His other releases included Dileep Shukla's crime film Police Force: An Inside Story. He starred alongside Raveena Tandon, Amrish Puri, and Raj Babbar. The film's production was delayed following the break-up of the lead actors Tandon and Kumar. Upon release, it received negative reviews from critics. Next, Kumar played Hari Om Patnaik, an IPS officer in Madhur Bhandarkar-directed Aan: Men at Work. He starred in David Dhawan-directed romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi alongside Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. The film received positive reviews. His other films included Abbas-Mustan directed Aitraaz and S M Iqbal's Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin. The film was shot in 1994 but was released in 2004 after a delay of 10 years.

The next year Kumar starred in Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama musical film Bewafaa opposite Kareena Kapoor. He played the role of Raja, an aspiring musician who pursues his love interest Anjali even after she is married to Aditya Sahai. The film received mixed reviews from film critic but Kumar was praised for his acting. Later that year he acted in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's family drama Waqt: The Race Against Time alongside Amitabh Bachchan, another Priyadarshan-directed comedy Garam Masala alongside John Abraham. Waqt: The Race Against Time was a family drama film. The film and Kumar's acting received mixed reviews. His other films included Vikram Bhatt-directed action comedy romance film Deewane Huye Paagal and Suneel Darshan directed romantic drama Dosti: Friends Forever. In the former, he starred alongside Shahid Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Rimi Sen while in the latter he starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Bobby Deol. Both of these films received positive reviews.

Kumar's first release of 2006 was Rajkumar Santoshi-directed drama Family - Ties of Blood followed by Suneel Darshan's Mere Jeevan Saathi and Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Next, he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box office. Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan and Preity Zinta in the Shirish Kunder-directed romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well-anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, it did not do as well as expected at the box office. The film received mostly negatively reviews. He ended the year with Priyadarshan's comedy murder mystery film Bhagam Bhag. He starred alongside Lara Dutta, Govinda, and Paresh Rawal and played the character of a theatre actor. The film was commercially successful. The same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen, and Celina Jaitley.

2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry. His first release, Vipul Amrutlal Shah-directed Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. His next two releases, Sajid Khan-directed Heyy Babyy and Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well. In both of these films, he starred opposite Vidya Balan. Kumar's last release of the year, the Anees Bazmee-directed Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit. All of Kumar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well. Kumar appeared in a cameo role in Farah Khan directed Om Shanti Om.

Kumar's first film of 2008, Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed action-thriller Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner after 11 years. Although a poll named it the most anticipated release of the year, the film underperformed at the box office grossing $4 million in India. His second film, Bazmee-directed Singh Is Kinng in which he starred opposite Kaif was a huge success at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om, the previous highest figure. His next film was the animated film Jumbo, directed by Kompin Kemgumnird. The year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successful show Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's second season in 2009.

In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros. and Rohan Sippy production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a critical and commercial failure at the box office. Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film was a commercial failure however Akshay Kumar won the Stardust Best Actor Award for his controlled and restrained performance. His next release was Sabbir Khan's battle-of-the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors. The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over $12 million worldwide. Kumar's film Blue was released on October 16, 2009. His last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan. Kumar played a servant who plans to kidnap his owner's dog. The film received mixed reviews.

He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which garnered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time. Kumar's next release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average grosser. The film received negative reviews. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN called it a schizophrenic film. He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office failure. The film received mostly negative reviews. His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. Directed by Farah Khan, the film received poor critical reviews and turned out to be a commercial failure.

In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You. His last film of 2011 was Rohit Dhawan-directed Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh, and Deepika Padukone. He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hindi as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House. Breakaway became the highest-grossing cross-cultural movie of 2011 in Canada. Kumar dubbed for the role of Optimus Prime in the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free.

His first release of 2012 was Housefull 2, a sequel of his earlier comedy film Housefull. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was very successful at the box office. Kumar's next film was the Prabhudeva-directed action drama Rowdy Rathore in which he played a double role opposite Sonakshi Sinha. In 2012, he founded another production company called Grazing Goat Pictures Pvt Ltd. Joker was reportedly promoted as Kumar's 100th film, but later Kumar clarified that the 100th film landmark had been crossed long before he even signed up for Joker. His later release Oh My God which he produced and starred along with Paresh Rawal. It had a slow opening but because of word of mouth, it picked up and then was declared a super hit.

His last release in 2012 was Khiladi 786, the eighth installment in his famous Khiladi series as well as the comeback of the series after 12 years. Although the film was panned by critics it was a Semihit at the box office grossing 700 million at the domestic box office. His first release in 2013 was Special Chabbis which earned a positive critical reception and was moderately successful at the box office. Although the movie earned him positive reviews and commercial success, trade analysts noted that the movie could have done much better business due to its good content and Kumar's high-profile. Milan Luthria chose Kumar to play the character of Shoaib Khan in the gangster film Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!, sequel to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. It proved to be a below-average at the box office. The film was declared a "flop" by Box Office India. It received mixed reviews however Kumar's acting was praised by a majority of critics. After the film's mainly negative reviews, Kumar lashed out at critics, accusing them of lacking an understanding of the audience and the basic ideas of filmmaking.

His next release was Anthony D Souza's Boss alongside Shiv Panditt and Aditi Rao Hydari. The movie received average to good reviews, however, it turned out to be a failure at Box office. Kumar came back strongly with Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, the Hindi remake of the 2012 Tamil film Thuppakki. This action drama earned both critical and commercial success entering the 1 billion elite club and became the highest grosser of 2014. Kumar sang a song for the film It's Entertainment. His last film of 2014 was The Shaukeens. He appeared as himself and produced it. He played the lead role in the thriller Baby and Gabbar is Back. Kumar's first collaboration with Karan Johar, Brothers was released on August 14, 2015. His next release was Singh is Bling was released on October 2, 2015, and is produced by Grazing Goats Pictures.

His first release was Airlift, released on January 22, 2016, was critically and commercially successful, and the second film, Housefull 3, was released on June 3, 2016. Namastey England, sequel to Namastey London has been announced. Rustom which was produced by Neeraj Pandey and marked his third release of 2016. His only film release in 2017 was Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. This film depicted the serious of issue of Toilets in certain regions of the country. In 2018, Kumar starred in the social drama film Pad Man alongside Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. He later made his Tamil cinema debut in the science fiction thriller 2.0, co-starring Rajinikanth, in which he played an evil ornithologist named Pakshirajan.

In 2019, Kumar appeared in Karan Johar's film Kesari opposite Parineeti Chopra. He was also featured in Mission Mangal with an ensemble cast of Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi, and Sonakshi Sinha. His next release in December 2019 is Karan Johar's and his own production Good News, a romantic comedy about surrogacy, opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan. Kumar has one more film to be released, Housefull 4, directed by Farhad Samji. In 2020 he will appear in Laxmi Bomb, directed by Raghava Lawrence, a remake of the Tamil horror comedy film Kanchana 2, and Sooryavanshi, directed by Rohit Shetty.

Achievements

• 

  Akshay Kumar has been one of the most successful Bollywood actors since the 1990s, having starred in 111 films, 52 of which were commercially successful. He was the first Bollywood actor whose films' domestic net lifetime collections crossed $290 million by 2013, $430 million by 2016. Having done so, he has established himself as one of the prominent actors of Hindi cinema.
  
  In 2004, he was honored with the Rajiv Gandhi Award for his outstanding achievements in Bollywood. The following year Kumar was awarded the highest Japanese honor of "Katana" and a sixth degree black belt in Kuyukai Goju-ryu karate. Kumar has close ties to Canada, where he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Windsor, and has taken Canadian citizenship. He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada.
  
  Kumar received of two Filmfare Awards from 13 nominations: Best Villain for Ajnabee (2002) and Best Comedian for Garam Masala (2006), and a National Film Award for Best Actor for the films Rustom and Airlift. In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an honorary Doctorate of Law on Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. Also in 2008, he was named Asia's Sexiest Man Alive. The following year, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011, The Asian Awards honored Kumar for his outstanding achievement in Cinema. In 2012, he inaugurated the 43rd International Film festival of India in Goa. In 2017, he won the title of the biggest satyromaniac in Bollywood.
  
  Kumar has been presented in numerous magazines, including Entrepreneur, Filmfare, Bazaar, and Forbes. In 2019, he took the 4th spot in Forbes highest-paid actors list. He collected $65 million between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • Special 26

    (Based on a real life group of con artists who pulled off ...)

    2013
  • Kambakkht Ishq

    (When Hollywood stuntman Viraj Shergill and medical studen...)

    2009
  • Ikke Pe Ikka

    (Three brothers announce their engagement to three sisters...)

    1994
  • Singh Is Bliing

    (Raftaar Singh, a loving son who is always up to no good a...)

    2015
  • Namastey London

    (Indian-born Manmohan Malhotra re-located to London, Engla...)

    2007
  • Chandni Chowk to China

    (An action-comedy about a simple cook from Chandni Chowk m...)

    2009
  • Aflatoon

    (Raja, a good-for-nothing loafer trying to get rich quick,...)

    1997
  • Jaan-E-Mann

    (Agastya is an astronaut with NASA, and when he finds out ...)

    2006
  • Saugandh

    (Chowdry Sarang is a proud man and an arrogant and powerfu...)

    1991
  • Entertainment

    (The film starts with Akhil Lokande getting paid for doing...)

    2014
  • Aankhen

    (After he is unceremoniously stripped of his duties as a b...)

    2002
  • Rowdy Rathore

    (A con man uncovers a deadly secret and must save his lady...)

    2012
  • Police Force: An Inside Story

    (Police Academy trainer, Pandey, has been assigned to trai...)

    2004
  • Blue

    (An opening scene shows a famous ship, Lady in Blue, sinki...)

    2009
  • 2.0

    (Vaseegaran and his android assistant Nila are called in f...)

    2018
  • Khakee

    (Just as he is preparing for his daughter's wedding, a vet...)

    2004
  • Dosti: Friends Forever

    (Karan Thapar lives a wealthy yet very lonesome lifestyle ...)

    2005
  • Khatta Meetha

    (A struggling road construction contractor has no chance i...)

    2010
  • Dil To Pagal Hai

    (A musical romance drama about close friends Nisha and Rah...)

    1997
  • Kayda Kanoon

    (A former freedom fighter very firmly believes in the law ...)

    1993
  • Mohra

    (Vishal Agnihotri, a convict, is imprisoned for the murder...)

    1994
  • Tees Maar Khan

    (Tees Maar Khan centers on a half robin hood who's after t...)

    2010
  • Kesari

    (Based on an incredible true story of the Battle of Saraga...)

    2019
  • Dishoom

    (When a top Indian cricketer goes missing, two officers, K...)

    2016
  • Mr & Mrs Khiladi

    (When Raja's astrologer uncle predicts a favourable future...)

    1997
  • Dhadkan

    (Dhadkan tells the story of a woman who leaves her boyfrie...)

    2000
  • Khiladi 786

    (Mansukh accepts an unusual challenge to prove his worth h...)

    2012
  • Ek Rishtaa

    (The film is a family drama where a big family encounters ...)

    2001
  • Zulmi

    (Balraj Dutt is a bodyguard of Babaji, who, while dying, m...)

    1999
  • Khiladi 420

    (Owing debts in million to local gangsters, Dev Malhotra c...)

    2000
  • Aarzoo

    (Dayashankar is a wealthy NRI living in London with his wi...)

    1999
  • Tu Chor Main Sipahi

    (A police officer and a master thief join forces in order ...)

    1996
  • The Shaukeens

    (Bored of their mundane lifestyles, three sexagenarian fri...)

    2014
  • Jolly LLB 2

    (Story of a successful lawyer who swears to set things rig...)

    2017
  • Awara Paagal Deewana

    (The story centers on the legacy of a dead Indian underwor...)

    2002
  • Hum Hain Bemisaal

    (Tuti Shah murders Kishan to defend his anti-social busine...)

    1994
  • Maidan-E-Jung

    (Villagers turn against the tyrant leader of their town in...)

    1995
  • Sangharsh

    (A series of child abductions and murders have left the po...)

    1999
  • Hera Pheri

    (Three unemployed men find the answer to all their money p...)

    2000
  • Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin

    (This is a story of a beautiful village girl called Durga,...)

    2004
  • De Dana Dan

    (Nitin and Ram have been given an ultimatum by their rich ...)

    2009
  • Insaaf: The Final Justice

    (A gangster named Shah, owing allegiance to the Janardhan ...)

    1997
  • Bewafaa

    (Anjali is the younger daughter of her Canadian-born mothe...)

    2005
  • Bhool Bhulaiyaa

    (A young couple moves into their ancestral mansion, when u...)

    2007
  • Housefull 3

    (Go crazy laughing as three men try to convince a father t...)

    2016
  • Jaanwar

    (Orphaned when his mother dies of hunger, Bapu is corrupte...)

    1999
  • Amaanat

    (In a small village having mostly aged people, there has n...)

    1994
  • Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani

    (A shape-shifting snake exacts vengeance on a group of fri...)

    2002
  • Rustom

    (A decorated naval officer is accused of murdering his wif...)

    2016
  • Hatya: The Murder

    (Ravi Lal lives a wealthy lifestyle with his father Ratanl...)

    2004
  • Gabbar is Back

    (The police get information that 10 tehsildars across Maha...)

    2015
  • Andaaz

    (Young Raj Malhotra lives with his elder brother, Rohit, h...)

    2003
  • Housefull 2

    (Four son-in-laws marry four brides whose four father-in l...)

    2012
  • Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi

    (Akshay is an army commando who finds out that his younger...)

    1996
  • Joker

    (Joker is the story of Agastya, a researcher probing the e...)

    2012
  • Zakhmi Dil

    (Just before getting married to Jai, Vandana learns that J...)

    1994
  • Waqt: The Race Against Time

    (Ishwarchand Thakur and Sumitra Thakur are a married coupl...)

    2005
  • Gold

    (Set in 1948, the historical story of India's first Olympi...)

    2018
  • Ajnabee

    (Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor play a new couple who get m...)

    2001
  • Aitraaz

    (Aitraaz is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller...)

    2004
  • Action Replayy

    (The story focuses on Kishen, a well-to-do businessman, wh...)

    2010
  • Patiala House

    (A victim of British racial violence and profiling prevent...)

    2011
  • Yeh Dillagi

    (Vicky falls in love with Sapna, the family chauffeur's da...)

    1994
  • Sainik

    (This movie is about an army officer named Suraj Dutt, who...)

    1993
  • Suhaag

    (College pals Ajay and Raj always play pranks on each othe...)

    1994
  • Tashan

    (Tashan is the story between the four leads, Bhaiyyaji, Ba...)

    2008
  • Jai Kishen

    (Jai Kishen is a 1994 Bollywood action drama film directed...)

    1994
  • Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya

    (Pooja and Shiv, a young couple from Delhi meet when both ...)

    2002
  • Heyy Babyy

    (A baby appears suddenly one morning on the doorstep of th...)

    2007
  • Housefull

    (Arush gets caught up in crazy situations because he secre...)

    2010
  • Watch OMG: Oh My God!

    (A shopkeeper takes God to court when his shop is destroye...)

    2012
  • Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo

    (Major General Amarjeet Singh is a dedicated officer for t...)

    2004
  • Desi Boyz

    (Two friends lose their jobs and become male escorts to ma...)

    2011
  • 8 X 10 Tasveer

    (Jai has the ability to see into the past by looking at ph...)

    2009
  • Elaan

    (Elaan is a 1994 Indian Hindi action film directed by Gudd...)

    1994
  • Sabse Bada Khiladi

    (Lallu comes to Bombay for work & comes to the rescue of J...)

    1995
  • Dil Ki Baazi

    (Dil Ki Baazi is a 1993 Indian film directed by Anil Gangu...)

    1993
  • Waqt Hamara Hai

    (Waqt Hamara Hai is a1993 Indian romantic action comedy fi...)

    1993
  • Barood

    (Honest and diligent Police Inspector Jai Sharma suspects ...)

    1998
  • Sapoot

    (Singhania is a powerful Underworld don, who has two sons....)

    1996
  • Daava

    (Inspector Arjun is an honest and diligent police officer....)

    1997
  • Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara

    (A sequel to Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. Mafia Don, Shoaib...)

    2013
  • Deedar

    (Anand and Sapna fall in love. In the past, Anand's father...)

    1992
  • Talaash: The Hunt Begins...

    (Talaash: The Hunt Begins... is a 2003 Indian Hindi action...)

    2003
  • Humko Deewana Kar Gaye

    (Ravishing Jia A. Yashvardhan lives a very wealthy, though...)

    2006
  • Singh Is Kinng

    (Lakhan Singh, a.k.a. Lucky, is the king of the Australian...)

    2008
  • Mr. Bond

    (Mr. Bond is an honest, dedicated and capable police offic...)

    1992

Religion

Akshay Kumar is a religious, devout Sikh, and is dedicated to the Sikh community. He has also regularly visited shrines and temples across India, including the famed Vaishno Devi Mandir. Later he said the following: "My equation with God is one of respect. Making "Oh My God!" changed my perception. For me, if God is everywhere, then why spend lakhs to visit religious places in hope that God will acknowledge your devotion more? Why am I paying to worship him when I can give feed helpless children? Remember what mandir means: 'mann' means heart, 'andar' means inside, God is inside me; my temple is where my heart is."

He also said: "For me, it’s all about faith rather than religion. I visit temples, churches, mosques, gurdwaras, caves and cliffs in search of enlightenment. At these places, I feel pure as I know I’m surrounded by people who have come to pray. But my favorite place is my garden where I look out at God’s gracious sea, with my family sleeping peacefully behind me. I’ve never lost faith in God, not even when my father died. That would be my weakness. That’s what I love about India. Even the starving will feed God before feeding themselves in India, no one gives up his or her faith because of circumstances."

When he was asked about religion and his son, he stated the following: "When it comes to my son Aarav, I believe in letting him learn things on his own. I was born to Punjabi parents, am married to a spiritual wife, I studied at a Catholic school, trained in martial arts in a Buddhist country; some of my best friends are Muslim; my day is organized by a Parsi; I’m fed by a Marathi cook. Now tell me, what exactly should I teach my son? It is up to Aarav what he believes in, as long as he believes in me."

Politics

Kumar stays out of the mainstream political debate. Still, his clear interest in using his fame to lend a hand or a voice to those who need it most could be an indication of a liberal worldview.

One time, Kumar wrote in his official Twitter account that he was getting into "unknown and uncharted territory" with something he had not done before, sparking furious speculation on social media that he is about to plunge into politics. He followed up his first tweet with another tweet several hours later, saying he is not contesting elections. Several people on social media said he will enter politics even if he doesn't contest. Also, many in the industry believe that the film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was a shout out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

Views

Kumar is closely connected with charity. He donated $72,000 to Salman Khan's Being Human Foundation. He donated a sum of $130,000 to drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra in 2015. He also donated $70,000 to aid drought-affected people through the Maharashtra government's Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan. On April 9, 2017, Kumar and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh promoted a mobile phone app, Bharat Ke Veer, which allows users to donate money to families of people who sacrificed their lives for India. Again on January 20, 2018, he participated in the launch of an Anthem for the initiative. In an event in Delhi he appealed for people to donate to the Bharat Ke Veer cause, and $180,000 was collected.

Kumar recorded a promotional video to raise funds for the people whose lives were shattered in Mumbai train bombing victims. He also helped many girls learn self-defense for free in his school of martial arts. He, alongside Tapsee Pannu, recorded a video as well to spread the awareness.

Kumar said that it is not mentally draining for him to do three to four films a year since he enjoys the numerous perks associated with stardom. He added that only fake actors claim about getting completely drained after doing a film.

Appealing to youths to stay away from drugs, Kumar asked them to contribute to the progress of the nation and to lead a disciplined life. He was speaking at the premises of Lovely Professional University at Jalandhar where he was promoting his film Brothers, with co-stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Sidharth Malhotra. "The biggest hindrance to the nation's progress is drugs. Youths should always stay away from them. They can become slaves to addiction which will deter the development of the country," he said. The actor also said that he had never used any intoxicants and does not even drink tea or coffee.

Kumar is an A-list actor and has some of the biggest films of Bollywood to his credit. However, at some point, he has done C-grade films like Mr Bond. He revealed that he considered those films also as a part of his work and was not embarrassed about acting in them. The actor was also quoted saying that none of his films are in the cans and that at times, he has paid money from his own pocket just to complete a film and release it.

He is of the belief that gym can help you strengthen your stamina but in order to maintain physical fitness, it’s best to build your body naturally. His motto is simple, "Health matters most." "If you smoke or drink, you will not have the stamina to workout," he said in his interview for Bombay Times. He believes in having a balanced diet and eating the way our ancestors ate. "Whatever your mother makes at home, is the best. I eat anything my mother gives me, whether it is haldi doodh for immunity or warm water with honey for a bad throat," he said. He starts his day with a heavy meal of parathas and a glass of milk followed by fresh fruits and nuts for snacks. Lunch is a balanced meal of lentils, brown rice, wholesome veggies or lean meat and yogurt. The one thing that he has followed throughout his life and has really made a difference is eating before sunset. The last meal of the day is a light combination of soup and sautéed vegetables. If he feels hungry after 7 p.m., he would probably have an egg white omelette or soup or something that is easy to digest. And when he has to head out for dinner, he only eats proteins and tries to avoid carbs. He believes that "nobody should be to be obsessed with exercising or dieting, because the most important thing is to maintain a balanced and active lifestyle."

Quotations: "I grew up in a large family in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk and though I excelled in sports in school, I always wanted to be an actor. I am lucky to have been able to convert some of my dreams to reality. It was difficult."

"For a guy who used to steal watches on the streets of Chandni Chowk for kicks, I surely think my success at the age of 22 was pretty early."

"I have saved myself of lots of things from just being silent."

"Controversies are a package deal in this industry. You just have to understand that and accept it."

"I see the friends I made over the years who have become family today, people I became acquainted with who have achieved so much in their lives. They taught me something with each meeting."

"I like to keep fit, I am a very positive person, and I am humble. I know that my success is as much because of God’s grace as it is because of my hard work. I guess it is these positive attitudes that people recognize."

"My love for sports will never die. I love martial arts and I want to promote it in whichever way I can. I am a fighter first, then an actor."

"I don’t drink or smoke. I go to bed early, I’m an early riser. And I swim a lot. I exercise every day. If you take care of yourself, you will be healthy and happy."

"I think too much competition and negativity lead to a lot of stress, which gets your energy levels down. I believe in positive energy."

"Agility and athleticism are more important than building huge muscles. Any obsession with muscle-building is really unhealthy - it may lead to a lot of physical wear and tear. And unless you want to be a wrestler, all that bulk does not look too great either. Being lean and fit, I believe, is more graceful."

"I train for fun, I train to play. The scarier, the more dangerous, the more challenging I make my sessions, the greater the achievement I feel. I don’t train because I have to. I train because I want to. I love pushing my body to lengths every morning. It makes me feel alive."

"I'd never do a film that would hurt anyone's sentiments, be it Indian or not."

"When baseless rumors circulate, it bothers and angers me. My wife and I laugh over these controversies but at some level they irritate too."

"I never get into fights. I don’t like fights. I try to avoid it."

"No one has got close enough to use or abuse me, and even if they did, I wouldn't get too emotional about it. The only thing I ever get emotional about is my family. I am kind to everyone but I trust no one. That keeps me from getting hurt."

"It is always great to know that the audience has put both its money and its faith on a film I have chosen to work in. As I have never wearied of repeating - hits and misses always matter and a good Friday keeps the home fires going."

"I am a human being and there’s a limit to my patience. One day, I will react. I am not reacting yet. I can take names and point fingers at people, but that is not me. I want to go back to the kind of person I was. And ignore stuff."

"I just do my work. I don’t get involved in any politics or games. I have achieved whatever I have, due to my own hard work and no one can take that away from me."

"I am a man who wants to work as much as I can, who wants to employ as many hard-working members of our industry as possible. The more I work, the more people earn from my multiple movies. I don’t want to look back ever and say ‘I could have done more in my career.’ We only have so much time to accomplish our goals. I’m barely halfway through achieving mine."

"I am a workaholic but I have done enough work, and I am financially secure enough to stop working when I feel like it."

"I like working with south Indian directors because they are very disciplined. They visualize their entire story and screenplay in their heads even before they start shooting, which I respect. They finish their work on time. Being a disciplinarian myself, this suits my style."

"When I am standing on the edge, just before I jump, that’s the scariest moment, but then I go ahead and jump. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s thrilling."

"The day I take either my body or my work for granted will be the day you hear that I've smashed every inch of myself to pieces."

"I’m a confident man because I believe in people."

"I always check my harness before I do a stunt; I test-drive the cars I have to race or explode; I'm present at all pyrotechnical rehearsals; and I walk through everything step-by-step. No man should put their life in someone else's hands unless they have covered their own safety from all angles."

"I have no worries because at the end of the day, once you’ve put all your effort in, destiny has far greater power than even your own willpower."

"I wake up in the morning thinking about films and sleep with films on my mind."

"If a film does well, it’s great. But if it doesn’t then you try again. Failure doesn’t mean that you should stop going through the tests."

"I'm not hungry for success. I am only hungry for good work, and that is how it is with most superstars. Every day I tell myself how fortunate I am to be where I am."

"No man can live without his family. You’ve never felt love until you’ve had a family. Also, you’ve never felt fear or pain until you’ve had a family."

"Why bother with Google when I have a wife who knows everything about everything?"

"Work is not a chore for me, it’s my calling. I would be nothing without it. I live to keep it alive. I love being at home, I adore my family more than anything in the world. But I haven’t learned to take it easy yet. As long as I have fuel in my tank, I can work day and night."

"You can be the funniest man on paper but unless you have got the timing right, your joke will be lost."

"A touch of appreciation is always held dearly in an actor's arms, even if it's from the simplest of people like our beloved spot boys. But to have your work spoken of so kindly by the world's most admired gangster Al Pacino himself - I had goose-bumps thinking about him watching the promo! I was so humbled, not only as an actor but as a fan of his legendary work."

"It is the biggest joy for any father to see their kids growing up. Earlier, when I used to finish my shoot, I wasn't really interested in going home. But after my kids were born, I would wait to finish work so that I could rush back home and spend time with them. I want to hear them calling me daddy, dad, dada. It is something, which I can never measure... I can't put these feelings in words."

"I believe all good men wear a uniform with ease. We all know how our mothers and our wives like a man in uniform. It’s something all men aspire to wear at some point in their lives, even if it’s just for a costume party."

"I hate partying. If I'm forced to go to a party or a social gathering, I go in at 9:30 and leave at 10 p.m."

Membership

Kumar joined the United Nations in its effort to curb human trafficking in India.

• 

  Member

  United Nations India , United States

Personality

Kumar is often called Khiladi Kumar, Akki, Raju, Mac, and Indian Jackie Chan by the fans. When he was asked why he changed his name, he said the following: "No one has ever asked me this question. My first film was Aaj, which was directed by Mahesh Bhatt and starred Kumar Gaurav. The name of Gaurav’s character was Akshay. I had a 4.5-second role in it and I would only observe Gaurav and his acting. I don’t know what happened but one day I just went to the court and got my name changed."

Amongst his favorite actors, Kumar likes the work of Jackie Chan, Al Pacino, Amitabh Bachchan and Danny Denzongpa, and his favorite films are said to be Life is Beautiful and Rocky.

In an episode of Koffee With Karan, his co-star Lara Dutta revealed that he is very much terrible at dialogues. To assist him in his dialogues, the crew members use different tactics including holding a piece of paper in front of him, sometimes on the costumes of the heroine, and many others.

For his role as a Kuwait-based businessman in Airlift, he learned Arabic.

Kumar is an early morning person and starts his work at 6 a.m. He never works on Sundays. A true family man, he takes holidays 6-7 times in a year and each holiday lasts for 6-7 days. The actor also takes an annual holiday of a month-long period.

He is a fitness enthusiast. He stays in shape with a combination of kickboxing, basketball, swimming and parkour as well as working out. He is also a big fan of Ayurvedic medicine and treatments. He avoids alcohol, smoking, nicotine and caffeine in any form, even in coffee or tea. He doesn't follow any diet and just eats everything "in right time."

Kumar doesn't read books, but his wife, who reads a lot, says that he is still a very smart person and has an excellent understanding of people. Though he doesn't have time to read, he still supports his wife when she releases her own books.

He is pretty emotional about the "firsts" in his life, as he still keeps his first car, motorcycle, and house.

Kumar is a passionate collector of shoes, and has more pairs of shoes than his wife Twinkle.

Kumar is known as a protective father and keeps his children away from the media. He stated that he wants to "give them a normal childhood." He also likes to be called "Super Dad."

He is a bit superstitious and has never written anything on a page unless he writes an "Om" on it. His house number and car numbers always sum up to 9.

Physical Characteristics: Kumar's height is 5' 11'' (180 cm), and he weighs around 176 lbs (80 kg). His hair colour is black, and his eye colour is dark brown.

He likes tattoos, and has his wife's nickname "Tina" on his left shoulder, and his son's name "Aarav" on his back.

While his shoot for the film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, he lifted Brian Lee who weighed 350 lbs (158 kg), which resulted in back pain, following which he was even hospitalized for some time.

Interests

• cooking, theater, movies

• Politicians

  Rajnath Singh

• Writers

  Twinkle Khanna

• Artists

  Manish Malhotra

• Sport & Clubs

  kickboxing, cricket, martial arts, basketball, swimming, parkour, workout

• Athletes

  Kapil Dev, Madan Lal, Gundappa Vishwanath

• Music & Bands

  pop, rock

Connections

Kumar had a Casanova image in Bollywood and allegedly dated most of his co-stars, including Ayesha Jhulka, Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tandon and Twinkle Khanna. After being engaged twice to Twinkle Khanna, Kumar married her on January 17, 2001. Together they have a son, Aarav, and a daughter, Nitara.

His best friends are said to be Vicky Oberoi and Ajay Virmani.

Father:

Hari Om Bhatia

Mother:

Aruna Bhatia

Spouse:

Twinkle Khanna

Sister:

Alka Bhatia

Son:

Aarav Kumar

Daughter:

Nitara Kumar

ex-girlfriend:

Ayesha Jhulka

ex-girlfriend:

Shilpa Shetty

ex-girlfriend:

Raveena Tandon

colleague:

Tabu

colleague:

Prabhu Deva

colleague:

Priyanka Chopra

colleague:

John Abraham

colleague:

Sanjay Dutt

colleague:

Prabhu Deva

colleague:

Sonu Sood

colleague:

Vivek Oberoi

colleague:

Sunny Deol

colleague:

Kriti Sanon

Friend:

Vicky Oberoi

Friend:

Ajay Virmani

References

• Akshay Kumar's official site
• Akshay Kumar: Mr. Dependable Of Bollywood
  2017
• Akshay Kumar's official Instagram
• Akshay Kumar's official Twitter