Akshay Kumar is one of Bollywood’s biggest superstars. Unlike his contemporaries, he is known for his prolific filmography, with multiple, back-to-back releases lined up year after year. But this very strategy might be playing against the Khiladi star’s favour.
Call it overexposure or poor script selection, Akshay Kumar’s films are failing in the box office. The actor has seen so many flops recently that people have been questioning whether Akshay has any business charging the fees he is currently charging. Akshay’s films Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Sarfira, which came out in the last few months, sank without a trace. The audience is not interested in going to the theatres to watch an Akshay Kumar film anymore. The last decent hit he had was OMG 2, and in that film Akshay just had a cameo role.
This independence week brings a unique dilemma for Akshay Kumar. Three Hindi films have come out this weekend, namely Stree 2, Vedaa and Khel Khel Mein. Stree 2 is the sequel of the 2018 successful horror-comedy film Stree, while Vedaa is headlined by John Abraham and Sharvari Wagh. Khel Khel Mein, the Hindi adaptation of the Italian film Perfect Strangers, has Akshay Kumar in an ensemble cast that also features the likes of Vaani Kapoor, Taapsee and Aditya Seal.
Stree 2 has emerged as the box office winner this weekend, while Vedaa is a strong contender standing in second place. Khel Khel Mein, much like Akshay’s previous films, has been met with sheer indifference by the general audience. Many people are not even aware that a movie like Khel Khel Mein is releasing this weekend.
But what is interesting is Akshay Kumar is also a part of Stree 2. He features in a cameo role, with potential for character expansion in future films of the Maddock film franchise. Though it does not make sense to attribute the success of Stree 2 to Akshay Kumar, he technically has a successful film in his kitty now. This is a really weird place where most actors don’t find themselves in, and god only knows whether Akshay Kumar should laugh or cry at the situation he is in right now.
