Birthday Special: 10 Unforgettable Roles Of Bollywood's Bankable Superstar Akshay Kumar

Born as Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, he picked the nom de plume Akshay Kumar when he stepped into showbiz. With over 150 films under his belt, Akshay has slowly but steadily grown to become one of the most bankable superstars of Bollywood. In an industry ruled by the Khans, he has got to the top by breaking the mould.

Akshay followed his own rules and it has paid off- he has been in the list of 10 highest paid actors in the world consistently for the past few years. Besides the National Film Award and the Padma Shri, he has another special recognition to his name- Akshay Kumar has been one of the highest tax payers in the country consecutively for the last few years.

His acting style and choice of films may have been questioned time and again, but he has managed to shut up his detractors and come out victorious with hits, the latest being the unusual love story Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Today, on his 50th birthday, we bring you some of his most memorable performances which earned big bucks and won over the audience.

Rustom (2016)

Akshay Kumar In Rustom

This Tinu Suresh Desai-directed movie saw Akshay as Indian Naval Officer, Rustom Pavri. The film was loosely based on the 1959 KM Nanavati Case. Though the film received mixed reviews, Akki shone in his role of a spurned husband who murders his wife’s lover.

Airlift (2016)

Akshay Kumar In Airlift

Airlift saw Akshay attempting a hard-hitting subject. The Raja Krishna Menon directorial saw the actor playing the role of Ranjit Katiyal, an Indian origin Kuwaiti billionaire, who spearheads the mission of evacuating Indians from Kuwait during the Iraq invasion on the Middle Eastern country in 1990. The film showcased many incidences which were inspired from real-life events.

Baby (2015)

Akshay Kumar In Baby

Akshay and Neeraj Pandey have always worked wonders and Baby was yet another example of that. Akshay played the role of Ajay, an Indian  Secret Service Agent, who is on a mission after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. The film was one of the most gripping thrillers to have been made in Bollywood and was lauded as India’s answer to the Oscar winner Argo (2012).

Special 26 (2013)

Akshay Kumar In Special 26

Another winner from Akshay and Neeraj Pandey. The crime thriller saw Akshay playing a con artiste, Ajay Singh. The crime drama was inspired by the 1987 Opera House heist where a group of people posed as CBI officers on an income tax raid and looted all the valuables from the jewellery store. This was one of the best heist films made in Bollywood.

OMG - Oh My God! (2012)

Akshay Kumar In OMG - Oh My God

Religion is always a tricky issue to navigate while making a film. But director Umesh Shukla aced it in the satirical comedy OMG – Oh my God! The film saw Akshay play Krishna Vasudev Yadav, a character who was the amalgamation of all the various godly forms of Lord Krishna. Despite having brief screen time, Akshay managed to wow the audience in his godly avatar.

Namastey London (2007)

Akshay Kumar And Katrina Kaif In Namastey London

This Vipul Shah directorial saw Akshay play a Punjabi guy, Arjun Singh, who gets married to a London-born desi girl, Jazz. However, Jazz annuls the marriage soon after as she thinks that the ‘desi’ Arjun is not good enough for her. How he manages to win her heart forms the crux of the plot and it’s one of the cutest love stories of Bollywood.

Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005)
Akshay Kumar And Priyanka Chopra In Waqt

This Vipul Shah directorial saw Akshay play the irresponsible son to Amitabh Bachchan. The story deals with how the dying father manages to get his son on to the correct path in life. Akshay delivered a power-packed emotional performance in the film.

Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004)

Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra And Salman Khan In Mujhse Shaadi Karoge

David Dhawan’s laugh riot saw Akshay at his comic best. Even though Salman Khan was the main lead in the movie, Akki managed to steal the show with his antics and superb comic timing.

Dhadkan (2000)

Akshay Kumar And Shilpa Shetty In Dhadkan

The love triangle was a big hit at the box-office and Akki became the husband every woman dreamed about. Akshay played the role of a doting husband who is initially spurned by his wife, but eventually finds a place in her heart thanks to his undying love for her.

Hera Pheri (2000)

Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty And Paresh Rawal In Hera Pheri

We bet you love this comic caper that saw him with Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. It was one of the first films where the audience got a glimpse of Akshay’s funny streak and the actor proved that he can ace any genre, action, romance or comedy.

SpotboyE.com wishes Akshay Kumar a very Happy Birthday!

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