Anyone who signs Akshay Kumar today gets a free goodwill ambassador for his film. Unlike the two low-key Deol siblings (a polite way of saying boring brothers who never make interesting copy), or the unpredictable Salman Khan (who has his list of favourite dailies) and the duh-do-I-have-to Abhishek Bachchan (who reluctantly makes himself available for interviews only on the eve of a new release), Akshay Kumar pulls out the stops to promote every one of his starrers.

Right now, he’s in Venice shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakht Ishk but the long distance promotion of Chandni Chowk To China (CCTC)has already begun. He does interviews over e-mail, coordinates photographs between producer Rohan Sippy and the press and adds his personal touch by picking up the phone and calling a journalist to, say, check your email, ma’am, my answers to your questionnaire have been sent. It works big time and there will soon be a CCTC blitzkrieg in the media. His competitors will go green with envy but high- decibel promotion requires disciplined hard work —twin qualities that have constantly accompanied Akshay, twin qualities that’ve brought him to the position he is in today. For instance, he’ll call at 9 am our time. You can work out what the time will be in Venice then but the man is up and about before the sun has risen.

That single-minded sense of discipline and revelling in hard work were what Akshay came armed with to Hindi cinema. There is one new addition to Akshay’s armour today —confidence. It shows in the humour he brings to most of his answers, cleverly deflecting from giving a full-fledged answer.
Sample one:
Q) Do you feel you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Khans today?
A) Shoulder to shoulder? Are you blind? I’ve always been taller than all of them!
Sample two:
Q) Were you disappointed with the flopping of Tashan? |
A) Disappointment? Hell no, I still got paid for it!
Sample three:
Q) Do you feel like a veteran in front of (a young newcomer like) Deepika Padukone?
A) My dear friend, you are only as old as the girl you’re starring with. So in this case, I have never felt younger!
Sample four:
Q) You seem to have a special equation with Vipul Shah not only as film-maker-actor but also as business partners. True?
A) Yes, and we go for walks in the park.
Blimey, you make it sound like we’re having an affair!

Akshay Kumar’s confidence also came through in Fear Factor, the TV show he hosted for Colors. Most hosts (even the venerable AB) diplomatically keep their personal faith and religious beliefs away from the camera, by saying, Goodnight, Shabba Khair, Shubh Ratri, Sat Sri Akal et al. But Akshay Kumar unabashedly wore his religion on his sleeve... oops, he was in sleeveless vests most of the time, but you get the drift. He, very inoffensively, had all the contestants chanting the Gayatri Mantra quite sportingly or saying a fervent ‘Jai Mata Di’ before taking an adventurous leap. And Akshay always signed off with just a simple, Indian ‘Namastey’. Sheer confidence!