Akshay Kumar’s spontaneous take on his upcoming film ‘Housefull 3’

Actor Akshay Kumar is all geared up for his new offering ‘Housefull 3’, from the hit franchise ‘Housefull’, which is slated to release on June 3. With just a few days left for the movie to hit the screens, we got candid with Akshay on his experiences while shooting for the film and how well he defines his 25-year-long journey in Bollywood.

Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

How do you feel returning to the genre of comedy with ‘Housefull 3’?
I feel very good, I feel relieved because it’s a stress buster. But at the same time, it was a bit exhausting because while shooting we were doing the scenes in one take. It was more of a give and take process, but to be honest there were many retakes in the film. But it feels nice to be back on the sets of ‘Housefull’ because it’s been two years and I haven’t cracked a joke also.

What’s your take on attaining a saturation point in clean comedy?
To be honest, I don’t think there is a saturation point because you can keep doing a lot of things, be it in a clean or a sex comedy.

How different is ‘Housefull 3’ from the previous ‘Housefull’ movies?
The characters are different but the genre is the same, like if you have loved watching the previous installments of ‘Housefull’ movie, you are sure to love this one.

Abhishek Bachchan is a new addition to the ‘Housefull’ franchise. How was the experience of working with him on this movie?
He is very good in comedy. He has done a lot of films in this genre like ‘Bol Bachchan’ and I have seen his timing in this film also. He is a brilliant actor when it comes to comedy. His humour in real life is more of an English humour, so yes it was amazing working with him.

You have worked with both the directors, Sajid-Farhad and Sajid Khan, so what was the difference?
Since the genre is the same, I would say that I had great fun working with Sajid-Farhad and Sajid Khan too. So there’s not much of a difference here.

You have given us one of the finest comedies, but last year the frequency was low, with just ‘Singh is Bling’. So was it because the genre was getting too repetitive for you?
See, I don’t want to have a particular image, like I don’t want to be called an action hero or a comic hero or a villain kind of a hero, I just want to keep on changing. I just want to keep on challenging myself because I am bored. That’s the reason I try to finish my movies in around 40 days and move on to the next movie.

Is it the same reason you do 3-4 films a year?
If I just do one film a year, that is just 40-50 days, so the rest of the days I’m free. So I try to maintain a balance and start on with the next movie.

You are a prankster on the sets and have been known to play pranks on all your co-stars. Did someone on the sets of ‘Housefull 3’ play a prank on you?
Yes of course, my co-stars also play pranks on me, so it’s nothing unusual.

Why is that actresses are not given equal amount of importance as male actors in comedy movies and are only perceived as mere showpieces?
No, nothing of that sort, the actresses in our movie also have meatier roles. So there is a scene in the movie where Boman Irani says that he doesn’t want to get his daughters married to us, so how the three actresses get us in the house and how the love story proceeds… so yes, they too have a strong role. It would be wrong on your part to comment on their roles without watching the movie.

Tell us about your character in the film.
So, in this movie, I play the character of a wannabe football player who wants to play for English Premier League, but the thing is that, I work as a water boy. At the same time, I also try to enter the league, but my coach is a racist. He keeps on calling me ‘Get out, you Indian!’, ‘Go out, get water’ and so on.

So the constantly nagging and pressing word ‘Indian’ gets me into split personality. So basically it’s a serious problem, but since this is a comedy, we have played fun around the character, so please don’t get so serious about split personality. The father of the actresses just doesn’t want the three girls to get married to anybody, probably the first father who doesn’t want his daughters to get married to anybody.

So then I come as a handicapped guy, the other guy comes as a blind guy and the third guy comes as a mute guy and the problems that occur in the house, and Boman Irani who plays the role of the father doesn’t believe us and tries to test us, so this entire situation forms the crux of the story.

You have been in this industry for 25 long years and have faced many highs and lows. How would you define these glorious years in the industry?
It’s luck! I feel lucky, yes I have worked hard to reach here, but there are many more talented people out there who equally deserve fame, but have been struggling since years. So yes, I feel really fortunate and lucky to reach this stage.

With the success of ‘Airlift’, do you think that the Indian audiences are open to this kind of content driven cinema?
Yes definitely. Movies like ‘Airlift’, ‘Neerja’ are paving the way for content driven cinema. Hollywood has been churning out films worth 200 million dollars, so we cannot really compete with them when it comes to money. But we can compete with them when it comes to content.

You have explored genres like comedy and action, but what about romance? Do you feel the need to further explore this genre?
I would love to do a romantic film if I get a really good offer.

What’s the secret to your fit lifestyle?
My fitness secret is all about being happy and being joyful. Eat your food on time and don’t skip your workouts.

Who do you think in the recent lot of actors has the potential to reach great heights?
There are many good actors, like Ranveer Singh. Their dedication and passion is unmatchable. They give so much to a film that I find them all to be really hardworking.

What is it about the ‘Housefull’ franchise that really struck a chord with you?
Well, I have a great rapport with the producer, who is a dear friend of mine, and this was a stress buster, so I went ahead with it.

Is there a possibility of a ‘Housefull 4’ movie?
I don’t have any idea about it as of now.

You haven’t been a part of a sex comedy until now? Are you against this kind of a comedy?
No it’s nothing of that sort. I am not against it and I enjoy watching it also!

Which genre of movie would you prefer to watch in a theatre?
I would prefer a family entertainer like ‘Housefull 3’.

This film solely relies on your shoulders, so what do you have to say about that?
No, it’s everybody else’s movie as much as mine. The name itself says ‘Housefull’ so it’s a combined effort.

Do you think it’s a tough road for outsiders to find a place in this industry?
No, I was an outsider, Ranveer Singh is an outsider, so this industry is welcoming to one and all.

What made you play a negative character in the upcoming movie, ‘Robot 2’?
I went for a villainous role because I found it really challenging and it was great being beaten up by Rajinikanth Sir.

You have been a major martial arts exponent, so any particular form of martial arts that you prefer?
I’m a fan of martial arts, be it Thai Boxing, Karate, Boxing. I like any kind of Martial Art and encourage women to learn martial arts as well.

Would you be comfortable playing a gay character?
Yes, of course. I wouldn’t mind playing a gay character if the script demands it.

One word that best describes your co-stars from ‘Housefull 3’.
Boman Irani is a great actor, Ritesh Deshmukh is funny, Abhishek Bachchan is subtle, Nargis Fakhri is beautiful, Jacqueline Fernandez is gorgeous, Lisa Haydon is ravishing.

Would you like to do a movie that would actually win you an Award or a National Award?
To win an award you have to perform at half the money at the awards show, that’s how you get an award. As far as National Awards are concerned, yes they are really credible.

Were you disappointed that last year your film ‘Baby’ didn’t earn much awards?
Yes, but then it’s okay. Maybe it wasn’t as deserving as the other movies, so it’s okay by me.

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