Bollywood’s very own “Khiladi” Akshay Kumar, who has built an unparalleled reputation for performing jaw-dropping action sequences, recently made an appearance on the finale episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 3. While the episode was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and candid revelations, one of the most memorable moments came when filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt surprised Akshay with a heartfelt video message.
In his message, Bhatt recounted a terrifying yet unforgettable stunt from their 1998 action thriller Angaaray. Comparing Akshay to Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, the director said, “If Hollywood has Tom Cruise, who does his own deadly stunts, we have Akshay Kumar. I have seen him perform a daring stunt with my own eyes. A mere mention of
the stunt will scare you. However, I actually didn’t watch it because I closed my eyes and ran towards the corner.”
Bhatt revealed that the stunt required Akshay to leap from one building to another—a feat that could have gone terribly wrong. “The fight master came to me and said if the hero jumps from this building to the next one, the scene will come alive. I said yes, but there’s also the risk of losing a life. But Akshay said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it.’ I told him, ‘You are my responsibility. What if something goes wrong?’ He assured me that nothing will go wrong,” Bhatt recalled.
Overcome with fear, the filmmaker admitted that he couldn’t bear to watch the stunt unfold. “I shut my eyes and moved away. Then, after that deafening silence, something electrifying happened and people started clapping. When I heard the applause, I turned to see he had landed safely. His expression was as if nothing had happened. I think that was the foundation on which he has come this far,” Bhatt said.
When asked on the show if he worries about directors who sign him for action-heavy projects, Akshay responded with his trademark humility. “I consider myself a stuntman first and then an actor. I would like to give credit to all the fight masters, who look after their actors and stuntmen. To answer your question, it’s a feeling, a high—it feels amazing, the desire to give it a shot,” the actor shared.
A trained martial artist, Akshay Kumar has continued to push boundaries with high-risk stunts throughout his career, earning both respect and admiration from peers and fans alike. On the finale of The Great Indian Kapil Show, he also paid tribute to stuntmen, acknowledging their invaluable contribution to Indian cinema.
Meanwhile, on the professional front, Akshay’s much-anticipated courtroom drama Jolly LLB 3 is currently running in theatres. Directed by Subhash Kapoor, the film also stars Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla.
