Chunky Panday says Akshay Kumar was his acting student in 1980s: ‘What he did in the first five years was because of me, those films never worked’

“He was younger than me. It was a tradition that the seniors would teach the juniors, not the teachers! So, I taught him dialoguebaazi, good dance steps. I knew 100 percent that this boy would become a star. You just know it when you look at someone. He had something about him. He had that X-Factor. Of course, no one thought he would become this big a star.”

Chunky, however, also quipped that Akshay’s initial film career didn’t take off as perhaps he was still following the ‘Chunky Panday’ school of acting. “But till today Akshay Kumar tells people that the acting he did in the first five years was because of me and those films never worked! Then he decided that he will forget ‘Chunky Panday acting’ and start a new acting, he then became Akshay Kumar!”

Aksay started his career in 1991 with Saugandh and found his breakthrough success with the action thriller Khiladi. Akshay and Chunky eventually went on to work in the comedy franchise Housefull.