Akshay Kumar says the only breaks he takes are to use the toilet, pushes back against criticism for working eight-hour shifts: ‘You can ask anyone’

Akshay Kumar said that though he might refuse to work for more than eight hours a day, in that time, he doesn't take any breaks and remains on set until the director calls for pack-up.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: July 14, 2024 08:05 AM IST

3 min read

Akshay Kumar on paid reviews and unnecessary criticism

Akshay Kumar spoke about his tight working hours. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab)

Actor Akshay Kumar addressed criticism that he devotes a limited amount of time per day to his films, and emphasised that even though he strictly limits work to eight hours every day, he makes sure that he gets as much done in those eight hours as possible. Describing himself as a ‘producer’s man’, Akshay said that he owes it to the people who finance his films to get them finished on time, and cited the example of Tom Cruise as someone who gets their job done quickly. He claimed that Cruise worked just 55 days on the latest Mission: Impossible movie.

Chatting with Baradwaj Rangan on Galatta Plus, “See, I work eight hours a day. I personally feel, you’re in front of the camera, the camera catches each and every pore. After eight hours, the body gets tired. There are only 24 hours; you need eight hours of sleep. I lead a very disciplined life. Your body requires eight hours of sleep, you need two hours to eat, you need two hours of workout, you need some hours to spend with your family.”

Also read – Akshay Kumar recalls Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘kaam karte rehna’ advice amid criticism for BMCM failure: ‘Gave 80 days to that film, kya ukhaad liya?’

Akshay said that in the eight hours that he works every day, he is fully dialled in. “You can ask Sudha (Kongara, director), or anybody. I don’t even go to my vanity van. Once I’m on set, I just want to be there till the director says pack-up, unless I want to go to the washroom.” Akshay said that as far as the speculation about him rushing projects is concerned, he doesn’t force anybody to hurry. To emphasise the point he was making, Akshay continued, “There is a film called Mission: Impossible. It’s one of the best action films, made by Tom Cruise. How many days do you think he shot for it?” When the interviewer said that it was ‘quite a long time,’ Akshay said, “55 days.” When the interviewer asked if Akshay was talking about the very first Mission: Impossible movie, which was released in 1996, Akshay said, “No, all of them. Even the latest one.”

He continued, “The shooting goes on with duplicates.” Akshay also addressed rumours that he isn’t fully committed to his projects, which is why they’ve been flopping in recent years. He said that certain forces in the film industry are working against him, and seem to celebrate when his failures. He also claimed to know who spread negative rumours about his work ethic and said that he gives each film the time that it requires.

His latest film, Sarfira, bombed upon release with just Rs 2.4 crore on its opening day. This is Akshay’s lowest opening collection since 2009.

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