Akshay at 41; the new king post 'Singh Is Kinng', 'Fear factor'

Till now, he has had to remain content with title of an 'also ran' in the industry, with the three Khans-Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh - being ranked above him in the power stakes in the Mumbai film industry.

However, as he crosses the threshhold of 40s, Bollywood Khiladi Akshay Kumar today seems to have put to rest reservations and misgivings of critics about his huge appeal among the cinegoers.

As he turns 41 today, Akshay, thanks to the huge popularity of his adventure reality show 'Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi', stands at par with, if not above, Shahrukh, Aamir and Salman Khan in popularity rankings in Bollywood.

Infact, the unprecedented box office showing worldwide for the Akshay, Katrina-starrer 'Singh Is King' put to rest all reservations and misgivings of critics about the huge appeal that Akshay today commands among the cinegoers, something which put him in league with, if not above, Shahrukh, Aamir and Salman Khan.

Released worldwide on August 8, 'Singh Is Kinng' has earned nearly Rs 150 crore in just the first four weeks of its release, breaking all box office records.

Coming close on the heels of the smashing success of 'Fear factor Khatron Ke Khiladi', the adventure reality show on the new general entertainment channel Colours, that was hosted by Akshay. The stupendous success of 'Singh Is King' is the latest evidence of the huge fan following that Akshay commands in India as well as abroad.

Trade analysts say the stupendous response for 'Singh Is Kinng' has only reiterated the fact that Akshay today remains the most bankable star on the Bollywood firmament.

This is evident from the fact that five out of six films he featured in over the last six years have been either hits or superhits, an achievement that others like Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan have not been able to match.

Akki today is at the pinnacle of his career and said to be the highest paid actor in the industry.

''From a marketers point of view Akshay is the most bankable star today with the 'Bollywood are' commanding a huge fan following cutting across all the regions of the country.

Dubbed as an actor who could only make a success of action films a decade ago, Akshay has in the past few years displayed his finesse at doing intense, romantic and comedy roles in films like 'Dhadkan', 'Namastey London', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', 'Hey baby' and 'Welcome'.

With 'Singh Is Kinng' turning out to be another blockbuster in his kitty and other much awaited films like 'Kambakth Ishq', 'Chandni Chowk To China', 'Blue' and 'Aashayen' to follow, it could well be another momentous year for the 'Bollywood Khiladi', one which could witness him further strengthen his standing in the film industry.

-- (UNI) -- 09DI24.xml

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