Be a producer's actor: Akshay Kumar

One of the most reliable and bankable Bollywood actors, Akshay Kumar, has a lot to say to us.

He goes back 22 years, when director/producer Pramod Chakraborty, introduced him to the world of Hindi cinema. Reminiscing about the learnings from Pramod at that time, Akshay says, “Pramod sir had given me a tip — to pay off my own hotel bills always and be the producer’s actor always. I remember those days when we did not have mobile phones, whenever we would check into a hotel during shooting schedules, the first thing we would do, as soon as we settled in, was to call our kith and kin from our rooms. The poor producer invariably had to pay for the phone calls, when he cleared the hotel bills. I would like to pass on his tip to all youngsters in the industry now — all your food and beverage bills, and whatever else, they should always be paid by you. So, always be a producers’ actor and you will go a long way.”

Addressing new comers, Mustafa and Kiara, who have reprised Akshay and Raveena in the Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast song, he says, “You guys had at least a week’s time to learn the steps. But, we had to learn them right there, bit by bit, as the song was being picturised. For this song, the producer brought in all his cameras — it was a nine-camera set up.”

He recalls, “I remember we did not have vanity vans then. We were given small make up rooms.”

Showering praises for director/producer duo Abbas-Mustan, Akshay says, “Today, being invited to the launch of the song, Tu cheese badi hai mast, which they recreated in Machine, makes me very happy.”