Subhash K Jha (DNA; November 8, 2014)

It takes a brave man to make fun of himself. Akshay Kumar has gone to the other extreme at self-directed humours in his own production The Shaukeens which released yesterday. He has made fun of everything that he is usually panned for: The three A’s — action films, awards and ads!

Action star: Throughout the film, Akshay takes potshots at himself and his image of a ‘Khiladi’ star who has a reputation of not giving serious performances. There is a scene in the film where he tells his manager — played by Cryus Broacha — that he is fed up of only leaps from buildings, choppers and bridges.

Ad world: Another scene shows him endorsing products while on a break from his film shooting. And he tells his manager ‘cheque le lena.’ That is a dig at the many endorsements he does. And that he will live out his acting career jumping out of helicopters and from skyscrapers.

Awards: Akshay makes fun of his non-actor’s image by showing a ‘serious’ Bengali director mocking him and telling him he will never be taken seriously as an actor. Then he is shown wooing the award-winning director in the attempt to bag the National Award for Best Actor.

Says an industrywallah admiringly, “Which other A-lister star would dare to satirise himself so savagely and with so much pleasure?” Akshay has gone even further with the self-mockery by portraying himself as an alcoholic, in contrast to his teetotaller image.