Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2019)

He is a man on a mission, literally. He’s cracked the social drama space with success — whether he’s telling the story about building toilets, or breaking taboos around menstruation — Akshay Kumar has picked subjects that nudge you to think about the various levels at which our society and mindsets need to change. Or entirely evolve. And now, with his next Mission Mangal, which is based on India’s first interplanetary mission, he is moving into another space. In a chat with BT, the actor tells us how women are the heroes of this mission, how life has always taught him to get up and fight back, and that, doing a comedy and moving out of the social drama orbit for a bit, is a breather. Read on…

The social dramas that you have done in the past like Toilet — Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Pad Man (2018) were all driven by several moving and heart-wrenching stories that you had heard around these issues. What urged you to pick a subject like Mission Mangal,a story that revolves around the scientists, who led our country’s first interplanetary mission?
In our country, and this is something most of us must have seen or experienced, a certain section of people believes that there are some professions, which men are cut out for, not women. If a woman says that she wants to be a scientist, a lot of people will tell her that it’s an area better suited for men. The whole idea of this film is to break that stereotype. It shows the story of five strong women, who are part of this ambitious mission and their journey. When MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission), also known as Mangalyaan, was launched (on November 5, 2013), my wife (Twinkle) had posted a message on social media, saying that if the mission was called DAD, it would still have been circling around. Thank God, that it was called MOM, that’s why it went to Mars. I believe that, too, though it is not my quote, it is entirely hers. The prospects for students — women and men — in fields of science, technology, education and maths are growing in our country, and with this film, we also want to bring that into focus.

The film is based on a real mission, which is obviously dramatised for the big screen. But when you are dealing with a subject like that, it is always tricky to get the right balance between reality and fiction. And, of course, you have to also think about the entertainment value, the commercial prospects at the box office, et al...
I am happy that my production house is the first to make a film on such a subject here, along with my co-producer, of course. I told my five actresses (Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Nithya Menen, Taapsee Pannu and Kirti Kulhari) and Jagan (Shakti, director), ‘Please don’t worry about how much the film will make. I promise you that you will be proud of this film’. We are telling a true story and we are extremely proud of it. In 2014, New York Times had carried a cartoon, which had an illustration of an elite space club with a few men (scientists) sitting inside and reading a newspaper with a headline that read, ‘India’s Mars Mission’. Outside the space club, there is an Indian scientist knocking on the door with a cow standing next to him. (Following a huge number of complaints from readers, NYT later apologised for the cartoon and clarified that its intention was not to mock India). In 2017, Times of India carried a cartoon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created a record for sending 104 satellites into space on one rocket. A befitting reply to the NYT cartoon, this illustration showed an Indian scientist, along with a cow, sitting inside the elite space club. And the rest of the scientists were knocking on its door, holding rockets in their hands. I thought that was an amazing response. Can you imagine that this whole mission cost India only Rs 450 crore? The budget of my 2018-film 2.0, was more than this. When I heard the story, I said that I will make this film by hook or by crook.

During Pad Man, too,you had said that you were not bothered about how much the film rakes in at the box office, and what was of prime importance was the fact that this subject (menstrual hygiene) was being addressed through cinema…
Yes, I strongly believe that some subjects go beyond box-office collections, budgets and all those things. And that is the reason why these subjects excite me so much.

In an interview, Taapsee Pannu (one of the actors in Mission Mangal) had said that it is hard to get a male star to feature in a film with strong female characters. Would you agree?
At times, I fail to understand how things work in this industry. I have always said that it is good to be part of a great film in which you might not have a big role. You must think whether the film and the story are great or not, rather than wondering mera role kitna hai. If you think of the latter, then, you are being very small-minded. It is a mindset that some actors have. These women in Mission Mangal are leading the show. The stage is theirs. I am just standing behind them and applauding their achievements.

So, you wouldn’t mind playing a small part in a film, if you like the role?
Yes, I would do it and I have done it earlier, too. When Rajkumar Santoshi had offered me Khakee (2004), he told me, ‘Yeh chhota role hai, tu karega?’ I said, ‘Haan, main karunga!’ That role was initially offered to Paresh Rawal, but then, they approached me and tweaked it a bit. The film mostly belonged to Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn, and my character died at interval point. It was a small role, but I loved what Rajkumar Santoshi had made. Even today, when I interact with policemen, they often tell me, ‘Woh aapki Khakee dekhi thi, maza aaya hai. Woh film mein hai baat!’

Well, in the West, it is not rare to see the biggest of actors do brief roles in huge films, or be a part of an ensemble star cast. This mindset and the way they view their role in cinema are different, right?
They do that in Hollywood, but it is rare in our industry. I know of (Bollywood) actors, who, in recent times, have done a two-hero film (without taking names), and one of the actors told the filmmaker, ‘Main ek shart pe kaam karunga, ki aap mera solo poster pehle chapwao’. Such is the mindset. He wanted his solo poster to appear first, and then a combined poster, so that he is a step ahead.

Right, if that mindset and perspective changes, we will probably see some fine actors do more films and deliver fabulous performances...
Well, it is not just about doing more work, it is also about the content and being part of a great story. It is about bringing something new to the table. In the history of cinema, being remembered as an actor who was part of a great story, is what matters the most. I can do more full-on commercial films and earn three times more than what I will earn with this film. I can do more films like Rowdy Rathore (2012) and Singh Is Kinng (2015) and make more money. Of course, I am doing films like Sooryavanshi and Laxmmi Bomb, but movies like Pad Man and Mission Mangal mein kuch aur hi maza hai.

A debate sparked online when the first poster of Mission Mangal released, as it featured you more prominently than the five leading ladies. Taapsee was quick to point out that you can bring in the numbers with your star power. The women in this film are excellent actors, but what Taapsee stated is a harsh reality to a certain extent. Your take?
The women in Mission Mangal are the heroes of the film. They have taken it to another level. And what Taapsee is saying comes from her broad thinking. Look, things like how a poster is designed is planned by the studio that is backing the film. They want the film to have a wider reach, and I am no one to stop it. The promo, Yeh Sindoor Hai, which released just a few days ago, has me in only one frame. It is entirely picturised on the leading ladies and it has been done beautifully. The next poster shows us all on Mars, like one big team. Like I said before, these women are all superb actors, and they have taken centre stage in this story.

Today, you find yourself in a very secure place — whether you are doing action, comedy, social drama or anything else in the entertainment space. You don’t need to look over your shoulder or watch your back. Has that sense of security come with time, experience and success?
I think security comes from your childhood and family. Success is a part of it, but that only comes later. I believe that what makes your spine strong is your family. I have seen highs and lows through my journey. I still remember that day, when I was standing right outside this building (where we are sitting). Earlier, there was a sort of slum here, by the sea. I was working with photographer Jayesh Sheth, and I was keen to get a picture clicked against the stunning backdrop of the sea. But the chowkidaar pushed me away and asked me to leave. Well, it was not a Trishul kind of moment, where like Mr Bachchan, I said ki ek din mein yaha pe ghar leke rahoonga. The fact that the building that I live in is on the same spot, is sheer coincidence. I still have that picture with me, where I am standing on the wall (pointing towards it) and posing for the camera. During one phase of my career, I saw 16 flops and then made a comeback. I have been an actor who was gaya gaya gone many times over, and each time, I somehow made a comeback. It reminds me of my time in Bangkok when I was learning martial arts and fighting. I would lose so many games in Thai Boxing. Those fighters were so good, and they would beat me hollow. That did not mean that I wasn’t ready for another fight. Every time I was down, I knew that I had to get up and fight again. That’s the way my life has been. I didn’t come from a film family, there were many other actors who were rooted here. Their families have been a part of the industry for years, so they were familiar with the way it functions. Jab main pehli baar camera face karne gaya tha… that was the time main pehli baar aisa camera dekh raha tha. I didn’t know any better. Every phase of my life has been a learning experience and the learning has been endless. I had spoken about deconstructing myself in my previous interviews. I learnt this thing about deconstructing myself from a businessman. He was a successful man, who had various other businesses, but was starting a new business from ground zero. When I asked him why he was taking that risk, he told me that he wanted to start from scratch, as he felt that he had hit the glass ceiling. That was an eye-opener for me. It became my mantra for life.

Your film is clashing with Batla House (headlined by John Abraham) at the box office. You guys are known to be buddies, and when we asked John about the clash, he agreed that the viewership of films does get divided, but he also added that if you have faith in your content, you should go ahead and do it. Your take?
He is right. And these clashes will get worse in the coming days. Now, if there are two films releasing on big holiday weekends, going ahead, there will be more than two clashes on such weekends. What else do we do? In 52 weeks, there are hardly any dates, which has such holidays. Everyone will jump at those opportunities. About 200 Bollywood films are made every year, and on top of that, there are Hollywood and Tollywood releases, too. All the ‘woods’ are hitting the screens together. How can we help it? It will be a wooden furniture showroom soon (laughs!).

One social mission after another… after all those intense dramas, how does it feel shooting a comedy film like Housefull 4?
It feels like being on a vacation.

But comedy is not a mean feat, too, right?
After so many social dramas and action, doing a comedy film feels like I am finally exhaling. Yes, making people laugh is not easy, and comedy is tough, but well, not all the award nights recognize that (laughs!). They always find comedy frivolous, don’t they?

You are working with many new directors like Jagan Shakti and Raj Mehta ( Good News)...
I have worked with many new directors. What I love about them is their hunger to do good work, and they are full of passion. Look at Jagan, that guy has not slept in two months. Agar aur koi director hota jisne bahut kaam kiya hai, he would tell someone, ‘Baaki ka kar lena tu hi yaar.’ (laughs!) It is this greed to make a movie and this intense drive they have that makes them work so hard. A new director knows that this is their chance to make or break it, and so, they give it their all.