Success comes with 5 minutes of relief followed by months of anxiety: Akshay Kumar

Bollywood's Khiladi has completed over 25 years in the industry with his debut way back in 1991 with Saugandh. After having tasted quite the success, Akshay Kumar admits that now he "can have a flop and not worry about where my next meal is coming from". In an interview with HT Café, Akshay spoke about what success means to him and the effect it has on him...

"Success is a very bittersweet symphony. It comes with five minutes of relief followed by months of anxiety of maintaining one’s success in the hope that one can improve personally as well as professionally; and rise rather than fall by the next big Friday. But I will admit that now, the outcome of my movies have a different effect on me," he was quoted saying.

The action hero further explains, "Maybe, about a decade ago, my family as well as my welfare was dependent on every movie. Now, I don’t have that kind of pressure. My family will survive even if I stopped making movies tomorrow. Now, it’s about making films from a different perspective, and to grow in the industry rather than proving my worth every time my face is seen."

He adds, "Today, I can have a flop and not worry about where my next meal is coming from, which is why I can enjoy my work a lot more. But I must clarify that I am absolutely not hinting that I’m okay with failure (laughs). We all strive to be successful but now, I’m in a much happier, less earnest space at this stage of my career."