Akshay Kumar opens up about retirement at trailer launch
Bollywood’s khiladi Akshay Kumar had the audience emotional at the Welcome To The Jungle trailer launch in Mumbai on Thursday. The star didn’t hold back when addressing a topic that haunts many actors — retirement.
“I do feel like retiring sometimes; this thought comes to me at 4 am when I wake up. But in five seconds, I remember I have to be on a shoot, where 300 people are waiting for me. Then I tell myself I will think about retirement the next day; 36 years have passed doing this,” Akshay revealed at the event.
The actor added a dose of his trademark humour to the serious topic. “If I retire, what will happen. I will become an electrician, dog walker, gardener, etc. So I feel it’s better if I go to work and not retire.”
In typical Akshay style, he even joked about his family not being able to handle him at home. “I try to spend time with family. After one day, they asked me when will I return to work. I find the word retire very wrong. A person should retire five seconds before dying. If you want a long life, keep working.”
Dismisses Welcome To The Jungle salary rumours
The superstar also took a moment to shut down reports about his fee for the upcoming comedy. Gossip mills had been buzzing that Akshay charged just Rs 1.7 crore for the film, but the actor set the record straight with a punchline.
“Whoever told you I charged Rs 1.7 crore for this film, I didn’t even charge that much,” Akshay said, leaving the audience in splits. He then turned emotional as he spoke about the film’s personal significance.
The story of Welcome To The Jungle was penned by the late Neeraj Vora, a filmmaker Akshay deeply respects. “This film for me was important because its story is written by Neeraj Vohra. I have always said in my interviews that I have learnt a lot in comedy from Priyadarshan, Rajkumar Santoshi, and Neeraj Vohra. Neeraj taught me a lot.”
Akshay also shared his long-standing bond with producer Firoz Nadiadwala. “I have known Firoz Nadiadwala for 36 years. I would go to him in my struggling days.”
Welcome To The Jungle: Cast, release date and more
Welcome To The Jungle is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated comedies of the year. The film boasts a massive ensemble cast including Shreyas Talpade, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, and Jacqueline Fernandez, among others.
Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film is all set to hit cinemas on June 26. If Akshay’s trailer launch speech is anything to go by, fans can expect a comedy packed with heart and nostalgia.