From taking a 200-member crew to the United Kingdom to shoot a film from start to finish amid the Coronavirus pandemic last year, to wrapping up five films since then, Akshay Kumar has been leading by example. In a chat with us, the actor divulges what led to the decision of releasing Bellbottom in theatres at a time when they aren’t operating in full capacity, and how he drew inspiration from frontline workers. Excerpts:

I still remember that flight, being on the tarmac with a crew of 200 plus members. Everyone was quiet while we were about to take off, as there was so much uncertainty and apprehension, the underlying fear that anytime, we’d get a call about a change in rules and regulations, and we won’t be able to fly. But, as soon as we were airborne, the entire crew screamed in jubilation, almost deafening. That was such a special, liberating moment... maybe my most memorable flight till date!

I can’t comment about others, but I am going about doing business as usual. I’ve already completed five films during the pandemic. And, I’m onto the next one, Cinderella, with the same team as BellBottom, directed by Ranjit Tewari. But then, this has always been the way I’ve worked — doing an average of four films a year. Yes, the avenues to showcase our films may change a little. I know even before shoot begins, that some films are being planned for an OTT release only. Also, another term I have recently learnt is hybrid release — when a film releases in theatres and on an OTT platform, simultaneously. One way or another, the show must and will go on.

Some of the memes are really funny. The recent one, which was a still from my film Saugandh (1991), of me with a stick, read ‘Akshay Kumar preparing for Neeraj Chopra biopic’. Jokes aside, it actually feels good. The worst thing for an actor is to be missing from public memory. I guess this whole experiment of juggling different genres seems to be working.

I pick subjects which I find entertaining. If they help convey a message to the audience, it’s the icing on the cake. As far as jingoism is concerned, it’s a conscious choice. If you overdo something, audiences can see through it. I prefer to keep it to a degree which is believable. The idea is to make audiences aware of stories of India’s unsung heroes, honour them and instil a sense of pride for their achievements. If we manage to do that much, mission accomplished!

We have so many interesting, untapped stories in our country. For instance, when I did Airlift, I didn’t know something like this had happened, and to this day, it’s the biggest civilian evacuation in aviation history. Many people weren’t aware of this fascinating story. Same was the case with Gold, Kesari, Mission Mangal (2019), etc. I love real-life stories, and when I hear of an extraordinary incident, I get all the more fascinated. I feel more people should know about it, and there begins the process of filmmaking. BellBottom is no different, it’s a story based on events of India’s first covert operation.

When Ranjit narrated the story to me, we knew it would be tricky to cast for the character of Indira Gandhi, but we had to get it right. Mrs Gandhi had a certain body language and gravitas, which I felt Lara could bring to the character, and look what an amazing job she has done. Congratulations to the makeup artist, Vikram Gaikwad, and his team for pulling off the look.

It did earlier, but with time, I’ve learnt that the lesser time you spend mulling over things which aren’t in your control, the happier you’ll be. We had two choices — sulk and postpone again, or go ahead and let the film decide its fate. Taking control of what’s in our hands, we chose the latter.

I’ll have to redirect this question to two people, God and Rohit Shetty (laughs). In case you have an update, let me also know! On a serious note, with BellBottom, we’ve taken a step ahead of returning to the big screen. Hopefully, the results will give others confidence to follow suit.

Last year, most of us had the privilege to stay safe and work from home. But doctors, policemen and essential service providers didn’t have that choice. They continued doing their jobs, despite the looming fear. I took inspiration from them. The only job I know is to act, so I decided to get back to work. I have been fortunate to have cooperative producers and directors who agreed to resume shooting amid the pandemic. And, I’m glad if one decision, in turn, helped people who are associated with me to get back to their normal livelihood as well.

I have been very fortunate that such diverse roles have come my way. Earlier in my career, I’d gotten too comfortable as an action hero. It was sheer luck that Priyan (director Priyadarshan) sir offered and convinced me to do Hera Pheri, which helped me step out of my comfort zone. The reward of that one risk of trying to do something totally new, taught me to keep an open mind and play different roles, be it a transgender character, a homosexual or Pad Man. In a way, I’m still reaping the benefits of Hera Pheri.