Akshay Kumar plans to pursue hobbies this year alongside shoots; happy with his producer-wife Twinkle and adventurous kids
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 2, 2018)

Akshay Kumar, with wife Twinkle and children Aarav and Nitara, has taken off to South Africa to ring in the New Year and are expected to return later this week. “Festive times call for festive measures. We kicked off celebrations in Cape Town with Christmas which is all about family and loved ones. This year, my family and friends came together to join Tina and me in our paradise away from home. There was fun and games, food and festive cheer. We have done nothing but eat and chase all the kids around the mountains. People think I’m lucky because I’m famous, but there’s nothing more fulfilling than being an average dad doing average things but still bringing the biggest smiles to the ones I love,” the actor told Mirror from the Rainbow Nation, adding that he brought in 2018 celebrating his better half’s birthday with the same passion that they do every year, with madness and laughter, with friends and lots of good will.

However, the fun and frolic will end soon as the actor has a busy schedule ahead with his home production Pad Man, the Rajinikanth starrer sci-fi 2.0 and the sports drama Gold gearing up for release. He is also set to kick off the fourth instalment of Housefull, Kesari that recreates the Battle of Saragarhi and the Gulshan Kumar biopic. But Khiladi Kumar is determined to also make time for some hobbies. “Sword fighting and paragliding are on the cards for sure. One is for pain and the other for pleasure, both to be enjoyed equally as my passion for them is off the charts,” he maintains.

The Housefull franchise returns after a year with original director Sajid Khan. Akshay is gung-ho about doing a comedy after a string of socials with a message. “There’s no excitement like working on one of my favourite franchises with our nutty Housefull family. It’s like a kid made to work in a sweet shop as punishment. It will be so good for me because I need to laugh in order to survive. Knowing that every day I come to work I will be cracking ribs laughing is the biggest pleasure anyone can get from their work place. I’m looking forward to finding out who will be the new team to join us in our memorable antics,” he exults from miles away.

Twinkle turns producer with Pad Man based on a short story from her bestselling novel The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad. The film is inspired by Tamil Nadu activist Arunachalam Muruganantham whose mission was to make sanitary napkins available to poor women in rural areas. The actor jokes that he did not dare give any tips to his first-time producer-wife. “I’m a clever man or at least a clever husband so I didn’t dare give my opinion. Never underestimate the power of your producer. The best thing about this venture is that I genuinely feel it has brought us even closer. To understand and fulfill each other’s wants and visions on such a professional level has been one of the greatest experiences I’ve had with my wife.”

Twinkle is known to voice her opinion unabashedly while Akshay is more measured. Has the opposite’s theory worked for them? “It has worked like a blessing in disguise. We may be chalk and cheese, but we complement each other off screen in a way you couldn’t imagine,” he reveals.

The proud father then goes on to talk about daughter Nitara who though just five, loves adventure just like him. “My kids, they can be doing anything they wish, but as long as I’m in their vicinity, I’m happy. Aarav loves adventure and even my little princess likes to get mucky just as long as she’s wearing pink or purple when she’s doing it,” he chuckles, admitting that he’s always tried to give his kids a normal upbringing. “I’m not a star at home, I’m a son, husband, brother and father first. And my kids have been brought up knowing I’m just like every other man trying his best, the only thing they witness out of the ordinary are the paparazzi. They come to see all my films with humble hearts and never with an attitude of supremacy. That comes from teaching them that everyone is equal and only opportunities changes the outcome of people’s lives not momentary status.”

On the professional front, he’s happy with his choice of films over the years, admitting that he has more say in what he does now, rather than taking up everything sent his way. “I really get to sink my teeth into subjects I can’t wait to be a part of,” he says, reveling in the fact that last year’s risks, Jolly LLB 2 and Toilet-Ek Prem Katha, worked well for him. “Meaningful films have definitely become a part of my life now, there is so much that needs to be said and done, and these films can bring a lot of awareness. Last year was humbling as I was honoured with my first National Award after 26 years in the industry. I’d say it’s been one of the best years ever, and I can’t wait to give my audience even more.”

What’s the biggest challenge he faced with Pad Man, you wonder, and he says that it was thinking about how he was going to make others, specially men, come to terms with the fact that sanitary pads and menstruation are not taboo subjects but topics that not only need to be addressed but bettered for all the women in our lives. “I prepped by spending time with the true Pad Man, Aruchnachalam Muruganantham, the most devoted husband I have ever come across. His story is so intriguing I can’t wait to show you his journey,” he says, signing off with some advice for new colleagues. “Be a producer’s actor and a good human being. No job is too small and no person too little to be nice to. And hits don’t make a star, fans do, so treat them with the same love and respect that they give you.”