Akshay Kumar, who has spent over three decades in the industry, believes Indian cinema is undergoing a major shift—and he’s ready to be a part of it.In a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, Akshay spoke about collaborating with new-age filmmakers like Aditya Dhar and Sandeep Reddy Vanga, making it clear that he’s open to working with them—if the role fits.“If any of these directors think that I deserve to be in their films, they can approach me. But most importantly, they should find something suitable for me, and I should also feel okay with it. I want to do an action film.”
‘RRR, Baahubali showed how grand cinema can be’
Reflecting on how storytelling has evolved, Akshay pointed to films like RRR and Baahubali, praising director SS Rajamouli for pushing boundaries.“RRR, even Baahubali for that matter, had a very different kind of making. It was larger than life—where a man single-handedly controls ten elephants, with the director focusing on the man’s forearms. That is the conviction of the director, and it was beautifully done. Very well-made films.”“They showed us a different aspect of filmmaking—how grand and larger than life it can be.”
‘Animal brought back angry young man era—ten times more power’
Akshay also spoke about the impact of Animal and Kabir Singh, crediting Vanga for redefining on-screen rage.“Then came Animal with Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol. I can never forget Bobby Deol’s character. In Animal, the anger went out of limit.”“The film brought back the whole ‘angry young man’ era—with ten times more power than what Amitabh Bachchan brought back then; that was limited, Animal wasn’t. Sandeep Reddy Vanga brought it back in a very different way.”“It was a new cinema and a new way of looking at a hero. People saw that he too is a hero who doesn’t just bite but can stab ten times. Same with Kabir Singh—he is the most angry lover.”
‘Dhurandhar was very well-written, rooted in reality’
Speaking about Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, Akshay praised its writing and depth.“The way it explores the country—it was a very well-written film. Every question was answered. It was very clear that the makers knew a lot and had gathered information from multiple sources, which they turned into a film rooted in reality.”“It was very nuanced and beautifully done—taking something real and expanding it into a larger-than-life cinematic experience.”
‘Cinema is evolving’
Summing up his thoughts on the changing landscape, Akshay said he’s keen to explore such storytelling if the opportunity comes his way.“Cinema is evolving. If I ever get an opportunity to work in such films, I would be more than happy.”