It's fake when an actor says that a character depressed him: Akshay Kumar

I have known Akshay Kumar for two decades now. And I have never heard him complain once. About anything. His rivals, the weather, busy schedule backache, headache, or life in general. Worse, he won't let you complain about anything or gossip about anyone.

He makes light of most things and laughs off everything from rumours to speculation. He is the most disciplined man I have ever met. A star who works four times as hard as his contemporaries, and still finds time for everything he wants. From his fitness regime, to his endorsements and social commitments. From live performances to annual month-long family holiday. I often marvel at how he makes time for everything but then he does wake up at 4 am! And is notorious for having 6 am meetings. Luckily, my appointment is at his office, one floor above his home, at 3.30 in the afternoon. But on my way there, I am directed to his home, where he is having his lunch. He informs me that it is his dinner. His wife Twinkle is sitting by his side in a pink kaftan, with son Aarav walking in and out of the room, seconds later his mother-in-law Dimple Kapadia walks in. I begin to feel like an intruder in this family scene and we soon head to another room (his kids' play room, where he proudly points to a beautiful wall painted by his 11-year-old) and we settle down to chat about his latest release Baby, how he is now veering towards meaningful films and why he thinks actors are faking with method acting.

You are the man of the moment. Baby is holding steady even in the second week. How does it feel?

It feels good. First of all, it was a honour to work with Neeraj Panday again. He makes very good movies. He extracts stories from reality and puts them together. He is not the kind of director who watches Hollywood DVDs and makes films. He is one of the very few original writers who pens a script from his mind and makes the film. He doesn't believe in taking inspiration from other films. His films always have a message. He is a very honest director and I feel lucky that I got a chance to work with him.

As Ajay Singh Rathore, you didn't step out of the character even once. Knowing that you love to improvise on the sets, was this tough? Did you have to work hard on that or did you just follow Neeraj's vision?

I just followed him. There are some movies which need improvisation like a Housefull. Even a Hera Pheri, it needs improvisation. There are some films like these where it happens... Or like when I played a cop's role in Rowdy Rathore, then I get to improvise. But not in a film like Baby, which revolves around a sensitive and a real incident. You cannot go out of your character. I am lucky enough to work with different kinds of directors.

You have suddenly started being part of what is considered good cinema. Apart from still being part of hardcore commercial films. What's the thought behind that?

That's what I have done all my life. I did Special 26, 8X10 Tasveer, OMG! Oh My God...What happens is with my career, I always try to do different kinds of subjects. I don't want to be having just one image, like after this I am doing Housefull.

I think it started with Sangharsh. I used to do commercial films before because I didn't have the mindset to do any other kind of cinema. I couldn't relate to that, plus at that time, I just wanted to earn money and that would come only with commercial cinema. But now I am in a position where I can take risks. I can cut my price into half and do a small film with the subject of my liking, which will give me critical acclaim because it all depends on me. I am doing a film called Airlift. It's a very serious film and I can do it now. To me nothing else matters if I like a script, I just do it. I experiment a lot with myself.

You have never had a Diwali or a Eid release. Deliberate?

I have three to four releases in a year. I am not going to wait for a Diwali release, have those big releases... I want to release my films whenever they are ready. It does matter with those kind of dates. There are too many people aiming for those festival dates, so I don't hanker after them.

But big festival holidays ensure big bucks. Why would you not want your films to release then?

They should. But it all depends on my producers, when my films are ready and what date they want to release it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I finish my films very fast and it doesn't make sense for my producers to wait till the festival season at the end of the year to release their films. Like, I just started Brothers and it's almost done. I am exactly 10 days away to finishing it. I finished Gabbar in August, 2014. Finshed means there is no shooting left. We decided to make Brothers somewhere around September last year and we are through with it.

Was Baby the most physcially exhausting film you have done?

No, Baby was not exhausting. Brothers is exhausting. It has been the most physically exhausting film I have ever worked on. The action was tough and I reharsed a lot because it was a different kind of action. Also, I had to lose a lot of weight for this role. It's a very physical part, not emotionally draining.

Which role left you emotionally drained?

No, I am not that kind of an actor who gets into the character so much. I just don't get too deep into a role to affect me once I leave the set. I personally feel that actors fake it when they say that they got depressed after doing a role. I don't know what actors mean when they say 'Arey yaar, main character ke andar itna ghoos gaya hoon that I cannot come out. It's taken me three months to come out of the character.' I can understand if they say they were affected for a day or two perhaps...

I remember reading about this scene between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. They had a scene together where Pacino had to pant as if he had come running and deliver his lines to De Niro. So, Pacino went a long distance, ran and came running but when he reached his spot, he forgot his lines. Again he went back and ran a kilometre and he messed up his line. So then he was about to go behind and De Niro caught his hand, and said "Listen now can you try acting?'' My approach is the same. Act like you have run and come. You don't have to actually run. So don't get into the part to the point it spills into your life. It's called acting. So just act!

So you are saying no role has ever affected you that much?

I have played many disturbing characters whether it's Sangharsh or Janwaar... and nothing affected me more than a day. If you see Marlon Brando, all these big actors, the so-called kings of acting, you will never hear them talking like this. It's okay I can understand if you say that I am still feeling that character for a day... but after that, chal na, abhi khatam ho gaya.

You've spent over 20 years and done over 130 films — does the release of a new film still bring the butterflies?

Yes it does. And if it doesn't work, then I am sad but only till Monday night. After that I have to carry on. I remember talking to Mr. Bachchan about this long back, I don't know whether he would remember it. But I said to him, 'Sir, kabhi kabhi films nahi chalti, how does one deal with that?' He said 'Akshay, no problem, look straight, carry on ahead, work for your next film. Don't take it too seriously." When an actor of that caliber says: Don't take it to your heart, otherwise you won't be able to work for your next movie. You'll destroy the next person's film and points out that there is nothing you can do. It didn't work, it didn't work; you have to go ahead.

You're the only actor from your generation to sport a salt-and-pepper look on and offscreen.

Why should I hide it? I have been working for the last 25 years. I am in my 40s. I have salt and pepper hair and stubble. Why should I hide it? I am even ready to age on screen. People should stop asking actors these questions. Why is this thinking only here? Why is it a problem? Everyone follows the west, so why not when it comes to this? Tom Cruise plays a old man in Tropic Thunder, he plays a old, fat, bald Jewish guy. I loved that.

Why can't we have that here?

Also, while most other actors of your generation shy away from working with younger heroes, you're the first one to take the plunge with Brothers, where you share screen with Sidharth Malhotra.

Again, look in Hollywood, no one questions this aspect. You see the biggest of actors does one-minute roles in films. If a guy is making a film and if there is a small three-minute role also, the biggest of actors do it. I want to change that thought. And I can try and change it with my actions. So I am doing Brothers and am open to doing more such films. The role has to be good. Who else is in the film, how big is his role should not matter.

Over the last few years, you've had three-four releases a year. Are you planning to continue doing that?

I will continue to do all kinds of films. So I will balance serious films with a Housefull 3. Because if all I do are serious films, I will become a very depressed person. I can't do that. I need my Sajid-Farhad and I need to laugh, I need my Riteish Deshmukh... But yes, to answer your question, I will continue making three-four releases a year. I have been doing that from the beginning of my career. It's not a new thing.

Even SRK, Aamir and Salman did that at the beginning of their careers, but not once they became superstars.

Yes, that's changing now. And it will change more.

You think they'll do more films every year now?

Let's not get into that.

Everyone knows that Akshay Kumar leads a very different lifestyle. Let's analyse the quirks one by one.

You have 6 am meetings!

Everybody comes for a 6am meeting grumbling. I can see it on their faces, but trust me after the meeting, story-sitting or photo shoot, they feel good because half the job has been done and they have all day for themselves.

Your gym doesn't have a single piece of equipment.

I believe more in martial arts and boxing. I am not saying weights is wrong but I have always trained myself without weights. I believe in picking up my own weight. It's more effective and more practical. I cannot travel with weights all the time.

You don't have dinner after sunset.

After sunset, your body slows down. It doesn't burn calories. You should not load your system after 7 pm. Also, I wake up early so my whole routine is like that.

You travel in a Honda CRV — a modest SUV compared to the other luxury cars that most actors drive in.

We don't have good roads to travel in big huge cars which will get ruined very fast. I find Honda is one of the best and very good cars, it's perfect for Indian roads.

Your car has the biggest collection of CDs and songs from new and upcoming music directors.

Yes, I buy music from upcoming singers and composers. I have a huge collection. I love music, so whenever new music directors come, I hear them and I buy their music. If any of my producers wants a song for his film, I say, 'pay for it and take it.'

You don't believe in allopathic medicines — whenever you're down with something, you let your body's immune system fight it instead of any drugs.

Yes, mostly. Or so I thought. When I was a child, whenever I was unwell, my mom would give me a glass of milk with haldi and I felt better. So all my life I believed I didn't need medicines. Recently my mom told me that she used to put half crocin also in the milk. (laughs).

Your personal spend does not exceed `10000 per month. True?

My personal expense on myself, it doesn't include the food I eat, right? It doesn't exceed more than `3000 or `5000 because the producer supplies the food when I am on the shoot.

For a long time, you sent Aarav to school in a small car because you wanted him to be grounded.

Which car do you give your child to go to school? Aarav also travels in economy. If he has been a good boy, then he travels business and Tina and I sit in first class. When he was a child he used to travel with us in first, like Nitara does now.

You chase people with a stick in your hand when you see them defecating on the beach outside your house.

Not with a stick, I just hit them. You will be happy to know from my house both sides side 100 meters nobody comes to dirty the beach in the morning. It's my own Swacha Bharat Abhiyan.

You are the first to read and comment on Twinkle's much popular column in DNA After Hrs, correct?

I really love her columns not because she is my wife but she is really funny. Lately, people I meet don't ask me about my movies but about her writing and that makes me happy. She is more famous than me and that makes me proud.