Unlike his peers who took it slow during the pandemic, Akshay Kumar doled out films. While Sooryavanshi (2021) was fairly successful in luring the audience back to cinemas, his next, Bachchhan Paandey, has generated much interest. Director Farhad Samji’s masala offering — which has a mix of action, comedy and crime — might just set the cash registers ringing.

Though Kumar’s hot streak may have you believe that he has cracked the formula to box-office success, the actor disagrees. “There is no formula; everything is a combination of hard work and luck. I have been lucky. Sometimes, a film works, and at other times, it bombs. I have seen 14 to 16 flops in a row. You have to keep on working. My thinking is still the same — budget hit toh film hit. Everybody’s time deserves to be respected, so I don’t waste anybody’s time,” he says.

Over the past few years, he has attempted different genres — from a spy thriller in Bell Bottom (2020), to a love story in Atrangi Re (2021). Kumar says he stays relevant by attempting different subjects and embracing new perspectives. “I listen to young people. I talk to my son [Aarav]. I listen to what he has to say, and how he views life.”