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Akshay Kumar reflects on being stuck with the action hero image for decades: ‘I felt like slapping myself’
Akshay Kumar admitted that just doing action movies for decades was a major career mistake he did in his early days. His comedy film, Welcome to the Jungle, is arriving this week.
Bollywood’s quintessential Khiladi, Akshay Kumar, has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. Known for his incredible work ethic and an illustrious career spanning over 35 years, the actor recently dropped a confession about his early days in the industry. He admitted there was a phase when he literally “felt like slapping myself” for being stuck with the action hero image. Read on!
Akshay Kumar on only doing action movies in the 90s
Akshay Kumar and his fans are gearing up for his highly anticipated multi-starrer comedy Welcome to the Jungle. However, in an interview with PTI, the actor opened up about his biggest career regret, admitting there was a phase when he literally "felt like slapping myself".
When the Sky Force actor entered the Hindi film industry in the early 1990s, he admittedly had one straightforward goal; to make money. Known for his expertise in martial arts and his impressive physique, he quickly established himself as Bollywood's premier action hero, getting a breakthrough in 1992 with Khiladi.
However, that initial success confined him to only one genre. Reflecting on the first 10 years of his career, Akshay revealed that he allowed himself to get completely stuck in the action hero image.
“Initially, when I came to the industry, I only wanted to make money. But after that decade, when I saw my films, I felt like slapping myself,” Akshay confessed.
He added, “I had only done action roles, and nobody thought I was capable of anything else. I realised that I needed to transform myself, and I wanted to do different characters.”
The realization that he was stuck in a box sparked an urgent craving to break out. Akshay changed his career approach to a building, stating that he constantly wants to keep "dismantling" and rebuilding himself.
To shatter the action-hero stereotype, he deliberately moved on to doing romance, intense drama, social message-driven cinema, and horror comedies. This shift brought some of his most iconic performances across genres like Hera Pheri, Dhadkan, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Toilet...Ek Prem Katha and Padman.
The 58-year-old actor is often asked ‘What's the need to do four films in a year, why not one movie?’ Responding to them, he expressed, “I say I want to work every day. It is my duty to do at least four films so that there is more work and business in the industry. Hits and flops are part of the business, but I have to deliver, I have to go to work, and that's what I have been doing,” he explained.
With Welcome to the Jungle on the horizon, Akshay Kumar is once again stepping into the comic arena. The film hits cinemas on June 26, 2026.
For more updates, stay tuned to Pinkvilla!
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