Sridevi grew impatient with Akshay Kumar after he took 36 takes for a single shot: ‘Make him rehearse yaar’

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“He was a simple and nice person. There was humour in him since then. He would get up at 5 in the morning and wake me up too. Then he would take me to hilltops and do yoga. He would show me positions (asanas), encouraging me as well to do them. He had so much energy,” Pankaj said during a chat with Siddharth Kannan.

Although Akshay is now a household name and celebrated for his comic timing, during Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin, there was no doubt about who the bigger star was. The filmmaker also revealed that Akshay often felt nervous working alongside Sridevi. “He used to panic a lot,” Pankaj said laughing. “She came and told me, ‘Make him (Akshay) rehearse yaar. He’s already on his 36th take.’ That happened because I refused to call it a shot. It was a courtroom scene and had a long dialogue. If I split it, that would break an actor’s confidence. I told him to do it as long as it becomes ok. Sridevi was sitting right there. When he finally did it, everyone clapped. That gives an actor a sense of confidence.” He also shared that Sridevi recognised Akshay’s potential from the outset and was impressed by his talent.