How is Akshay Kumar Worth A Whopping $240m?

Akshay Kumar is a prolific Indian actor who has appeared in several high-budget Bollywood films. His $240 million net worth speaks for itself, just like his illustrious career.

Kumar is a prolific Bollywood actor. He has been working in the entertainment industry for over three decades. He is a household name and his talents on-screen have won him an impressive number of fans over the years. The actor’s work spans several different genres and he has even dabbled in presenting on television.

He is primarily a comedian and a well-respected one at that amongst his peers. He has played a variety of interesting roles in the past, some even winning him awards for his work. Kumar is also a philanthropist and isn’t afraid of stating his views or collaborating with controversial projects that align with his thinking.

Before the Spotlight

Akshay Kumar was born in Amritsar, Punjab, and moved to Mumbai soon after his father left his army job and became an accountant for UNICEF. The family moved around a bit after but they eventually settled down in Koliwada. The actor was a huge fan of sports during his youth, and while living near Chandni Chowk, his passion for his interest started to take shape. He was raised in Delhi and went on to study at Don Bosco High School, Matunga. 

The Journey to Success

Martial Arts Career

Kumar was a big fan of karate and was studying it during his time at school. Eventually, his hobby became a big part of his life and the actor wanted to learn more complex Martial Arts. So, his family pitched in and financed his flight to Bangkok so he could learn how Thai Boxing works. The star spent five years of his life learning the sport while taking up a number of different jobs to sustain his lifestyle. He took a risk when he dropped out of college, and made his dad aware of his intentions to become an actor. 

His time in Thailand was a struggle, to say the least, with the celebrity occupying all sorts of roles like a waiter or chef, He became a Muay Thai expert by the time he found himself planting his feet in the ground and actually making a decent living. He started working as a model eventually but not before becoming a Kundan jeweler and a martial arts teacher himself. It was one of his students who recommended him a modeling career path, and soon after some additional struggle the actor finally got his chance at working as a photographer’s assistant for free. 

Start Of His Acting Career

After a grueling year and a half of building up his portfolio with experience (he also began working as a background actor and dancer), Kumar got his big break when he joined Pramod Films. He was teaching the director Pramod Chakravorty’s grandson martial arts at the time and was the perfect fit for a lead role in Chakravorty’s poorly-received film Deedar. He returned to India some time ago and was struggling to get his name on a list of shortlisted candidates for any movie project.

Acting Career

Although Deedar (1992) was technically Kumar’s debut as an actor on the big screen, his first foray into acting began with Saugandh in 1991. Followed up by a flop Dancer, the budding actor didn’t let the bad reviews bring him down. The following year in 1992, he saw huge critical success for his breakthrough role in the Khiladi films series, a suspense thriller made by director Abbas Mustan. By this time, Kumar established himself as a successful stunt actor as well. The role was a starting point for his action movies career.

His roles in Yeh Dillagi, Suhaag, and Elaan showered him with attention, and the actor was even nominated for a couple of awards for his on-screen talent. Box Office India even considered him one of the most successful celebrities in Bollywood at the time. Since Khiladi was such a big success for the actor, he got the chance to act in the sequels too.

Kumar proved he could perform well as a co-star alongside other big names as well like Sharukh Khan and Karishma Kapoor in Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997. The role won him a Best Supporting Actor award nomination at the Filmfare Awards. His next big hit would be his work on the movie Janwar, a refreshing change of pace from his Khiladi sequels. The actor was extremely prolific in 2007 after releasing 4 back-to-back box-office hits.

The Best Moments

• Became one of the most successful actors in Bollywood after becoming a prolific stunt actor.

• Broadened his horizons and started working on comedy roles, like his work on cult-classic beloved movies like Hera Pheri, Housefull, Phir Hera Pheri, and Garam Masala.

• Did not shy away from exploring roles like being a villain in 2001’s mystery thriller Ajnabee. He got nominated for his roles as an antagonist and won both the 2002 IIFA award for Best Performance in a Negative Role and Filmfare’s Best Villain Award. 

• He released controversial movies that encouraged progressive thinking like Patiala House, OMG Oh My God, and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha to gain a ton of traction for his efforts.

The Private Side

Kumar is an outspoken down-to-earth guy who is humble and spends his time working out and stays with his career. The actor is fond of his singing talents and is also married to a former actress, Twinkle Khanna. He has two kids, and they are both kept away from the media and paparazzi. Kumar also has a sister who he grew up with before moving to Thailand and coming back to India for his eventual acting career. 

He used to be a devout Hindu worshiper who frequently visited all the Holy sites and temples but eventually fell off from religion entirely and publicly stated his opinions on his Twitter in 2020. According to him, he doesn’t believe in any religion, he only believes he is an Indian.

Kapil Sharma with Akshay Kumar | 4 AM Workouts | Prithviraj

If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out this article about Kapil Sharma’s career.

Famous Quotes

“Youth is a lifestyle; it’s not a blessing from God. If we treat our bodies as if they are not the most precious things we possess, then obviously we will show wear and tear. We’re like a good pair of jeans. If we take care of them, they’ll remain classic forever, but if we batter and abuse them they’ll look like tattered old rags.”

“Always think twice before you decide to do anything for a film. It may seem like a career-changing idea, but think of your family and your future before doing anything risky. Train properly, because looking strong and being strong are two different things.”

“Superstars come and go. I want to make sure I am always a producer’s actor. I may be refused to be called a great actor but I have never troubled any of my producers in my life. Honesty always catches the camera, and that is what my strength is.”

Social World

Akshay Kumar is actor known to several generations, thanks to his illustrious three-decades-long career. He enjoys a massive following on multiple social media platforms. Be sure to follow him using these handles.

Instagram: @akshaykumar

Twitter: @akshaykumar

Facebook: Akshay Kumar

Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Start Learning New Skills: Don’t hesitate from learning important additional skills that can complement or aid your goals. Kumar’s training as a Muay Thai fighter and professional stuntman got him several opportunities that eventually led to his rise in fame.

Experiment: Branching off and introducing diversity into your career can be scary but this experimentation can lead to some great results. The way Kumar blended his acting talents into a cocktail of all sorts of genres and roles helped him nab some very opportune roles during his tenure as an actor.

Be Yourself: Don’t be afraid of speaking your truth and being real with yourself and your intended audience. Kumar’s personal views may be controversial to his audience but they come across as genuine and are often well-received.

The Unusual Stuff

• He is very good at cooking since he worked as a waiter and chef at a couple of restaurants before getting famous.

• Kumar’s real name is Rajiv Hari Om Bhatya.

• He has a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do from Bangkok, Thailand.

Frequent Questions

Does Akshay Kumar perform his own stunts?

Yes, Kumar prefers performing his own stunts and believes them to make his performance feel more authentic on-screen. The actor seldom uses body doubles and has also put his life at risk in the past before during his shoot for Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi.

Why is Akshay Kumar known as Mr. Khiladi?

It’s because Kumar has acted in eight different movies with Khiladi in the title, thus he was awarded the nickname, Mr.Khiladi.

How long does Akshay Kumar spend on a shoot?

For a movie shoot, the actor admittedly tries to wrap up the film within 2-3 months. He usually keeps himself busy with several projects throughout the year.

Closing Remarks

Kumar is an Indian actor who made his mark on Bollywood box office history by becoming a major celebrity after being discovered so unconventionally. The actor struggled hard to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. He has been and continues to be a part of several projects that dominate and shape the Indian pop-culture landscape. The actor is prolific in his work and is also internationally recognized for it.

Cheers! 🙂