Akshay is like Mithun, signs films without discretion: Suneel Darshan
What's the story
Filmmaker Suneel Darshan recently opened up about his relationship with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The duo had a fallout in the past, which Darshan attributed to Kumar's rising stardom. In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, he spoke about Kumar's early career, his acting skills, and the ongoing rumors of him using a teleprompter for dialogues.
Early career
'Akshay...had some recognition...then came the crash'
Darshan said, "Akshay was a handsome boy when he came into the industry. During the first phase of his career, which lasted for eight years, he got some recognition and saw some progress as well." "Then came a crash, where 13-14 of his films flopped in a row, whether they were made by a big director or not."
Criticism
'He lost credibility... I think'
Darshan further said, "Akshay is like Mithun Chakraborty; he signs film after film without looking at the filmmaker." "During his second phase, because of this restlessness of signing films and doing work, he lost credibility, I think." He also added that despite many of his recent films failing to perform well at the box office, Kumar has "performed well on an individual level; it's just that he displays no discretion while choosing what projects to do."
Casting choice
Why Darshan cast Kumar in 'Jaanwar'
Darshan revealed why he cast Kumar in Jaanwar. "During Jaanwar, I didn't really need Akshay Kumar, because I had a lot of actors waiting on the side who wanted me to sign them." "There are two things that I think work for him and also why I signed him: one, that he is damn handsome, and two, that he is very disciplined." They also worked together in Talaash: The Hunt Begins... and Dosti: Friends Forever, among others.
Line memorization
Darshan confirms Kumar sometimes had trouble remembering his lines
Darshan also confirmed that Kumar sometimes had trouble remembering his lines, a common issue in the industry. "It's very good if an actor can memorize his lines, but for him, it was always difficult to remember complete pages of dialogues," he said. "We used to put placards for him to read from, and he is not the first person to do it."
Director's perspective
Ahmed Khan also spoke about the same issue
Director-choreographer Ahmed Khan also spoke about this in an interview with Bollywood Bubble. "Many actors do this. Everyone has their own method. What Akshay does is also a talent." "He does so many things physically. While many actors can remember dialogues but do not give much from their side physically, but Akshay tries to give a lot of things from his side to the film," he said.