Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 5, 2016)

His humble beginnings as a Karate teacher made him Bollywood's most revered action star, and Akshay Kumar's repertoire of films are testimony to his brilliance as a fighter on screen. Now, the actor has turned mentor for co-star Taapsee Pannu for her upcoming action flick, 'Naam Shabana', a prequel to Kumar's 2015 release, Baby.

Pannu, who will soon start shooting for the film's climax over a week-long schedule, says, "Akshay sir is personally overseeing my action scenes. In fact, when people are doubtful about my abilities in executing a sequence that the action master sets for me, he shushes them and says, 'kaise nahi kar payegi'."

Discussing the elaborate action sequences she had to execute during the film's Malaysia schedule last month, Taapsee says, "I had to perform a few tough jumps and he taught me the tricks to pull them off. Having him around is a big motivation for me."

Taapsee admits that while Kumar, who plays a cameo in the film, keeps from interfering with the stunt choreographer's work, his understanding of an actor's capability enables the shoot to proceed smoothly.

"He had once told me that action is not about how hard you hit but how effortless you look. I would watch him and learn the ropes of approaching difficult scenes. He communicates with the stunt director at length to enhance the scenes," says the actress.