Akshay Kumar talks about ‘Holiday’ and his dream role

Opening to positive reviews over the weekend, actor Akshay Kumar is finally silencing his critics who wrote him off as a torchbearer for Bollywood kitsch with his latest venture, ‘Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty’.

In a candid mood, Kumar explains what was it about this slick action-thriller that appealed to his patriotic spirit, while recalling his own army upbringing courtesy his father.

While family man Kumar credits his father for his early years and discipline, the actor is all praises for wife Twinkle as his most ardent supporter and his most brutal critic.

In a freewheeling chat with Emirates 24|7, this is Kumar unplugged.

What is the movie ‘Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’ all about?

Akshay: ‘Holiday’ is an intelligent thriller, based on the deadly notion of sleeper cells, which have plagued several nations and caused heinous terrorist crimes.

I work as a DIA, Defense Intelligent Agent for the Indian Army, who comes across a deadly terrorist plot to attack Mumbai.

I’ve been protecting the borders of India, but unfortunately when I return home on holiday, I get sucked into defeating the ring leader of the terror ‘sleeper cell’ to save the city I was born in.

Do you think the relevance of the story hits home with the threat of terrorism looming in today’s climate?

It is a very relevant film and it deals with an issue which very few people are aware of.

With the terror issues going on left right and centre, the screenplay to this film and its overall treatment has literally never been touched before in India.

I am a soldier as well as a secret Army Intelligence Officer. I arrive in Mumbai on holiday, but suddenly things get out of control and I’m drawn into this deadly terror attack.

Basically, a soldier is ‘never off duty’. This is a very different type of film not only for me but for my audience, which has not really been seen in Indian cinema before.

It is a thriller that draws the audience in with a very strong screenplay.

I was shocked at my own response to this film, for it really throws you, from fear to emotional turmoil.

For someone who is know for his Bollywood kitsch and slapstick humour, what appealed to you about ‘Holiday’?

I said yes when I heard just the first half of the script from Vipul [Amrutlal Shah, film producer].

I was so captivated, I couldn’t wait to find out what happens in the second half.

This is real cinema, not fictional; this is what makes this role very exciting for me.

I’ve heard stories surrounding the notion of sleeper cells, the role they have played in terrorist attacks and the importance of cleaning them up to safeguard populations.

This script is raw, gritty and real, and I became addicted to the plot.

What was it like working with director AR Murugadoss?

I was extremely honoured to work with him. He is a very talented and skilled director. He very quickly learnt my acting style and guided me on how to give the best performance possible.

I always joke that even though his height is quite short, his imagination and power is through the roof. He is a man of brains.

This is a very special role for me to play as it has challenged me and has allowed me to portray a role I was very keen to get my teeth into.

Was it a challenge to transition from the romantic parts to the more serious aspects that the role demanded?

Not really. I have been acting for a very long time, and it has become easy to transition from character to character, and from scene to scene.

When you have great co-stars like Sonakshi Sinha you can bounce of each other’s onscreen emotions in seconds.

One of the best things about this job is creating an atmosphere that draws everyone’s attention and sucks them into the film, rather than leaving them bored in their seats.

Greg Powell and his team of stuntmen were, in my eyes, absolutely brilliant.

One of my favourite sequences in the whole film is the gun fight that we shot in the old abandoned kitchens in Mumbai.

There’s no fancy trickery, no special effects; it’s just me and the fighters, hand-to-hand combat in an enclosed environment.

It was a fight like I’ve never shot before… it was made to make you go ‘wow’ that had to hurt, it’s raw, it’s real, it’s how it would have been done back in the real days.

We understand your dad was in the army, Do you have memories of him in the army at all?

I don't really have many memories of my dad being in the army, as he gave up the army by the time I was born. However, I would say he definitely brought me up with military discipline; he would wake me up at 5am and take me jogging with him, after that I was always early to bed and early to rise.

When you eventually get to take a break from your busy schedule, what is your favourite holiday destination?

I love Goa. It's very chilled out. Everyone knows me there without being intrusive. It's the only place in the country where I can roam around and enjoy myself. My family and I travel the world, but there's no place like our little Portuguese cottage in Goa, we spend every Christmas there and have the best family memories.

How supportive is your wife, Twinkle of your career?

Tina is a breath of fresh air when it comes to working in this industry. She has the sharpest, wittiest tongue, but I always know where I stand and what she truly thinks of my films. Her taste is very different to most, but her love and support over the years has kept me standing strong, for there is always a strong woman standing behind any successful man. She's been through everything with me, my fans should really thank her more than me.

What was your relationship like with you father-in-law, legendary Bollywood Actor, Rajesh Khanna?

I knew Kakaji even before I met his daughter. He was a producer and in my struggling days, I had visited his office 5-6 times to look for work.

On one of my visits, he told me that he was making a film with Chunky Panday, post which I should come to him. He would often say to me, 'Buddy what are you doing?' He was a very chilled out man.

One of my favourite memories was when we all went to Goa for a family holiday. Even though he was very sick, we insisted he came to enjoy himself. What I liked most about him was that he was very lion-hearted. He liked the fact that I was taking good care of his daughter and he loved my son Aarav a lot.

Do you get to spend enough time with your kids?

As a father, seeing my kids grow up is one of the things which makes me happiest. Earlier, when I used to finish shooting, I would come home and  hangout with my wife. But after my kids were born, I couldn’t wait to finish work so that I could rush back home and spend time with them before bedtime.

Fatherhood changes all your priorities, but there's one thing everyone knows about me, I always make time for my kids, no matter how small, I miss nothing!

You've done action and comedy. What kind of role would you like to do now?

I would love to play a negative character. It is the negative characters that rule the screen in those two-and-a-half hours. It is only in the last five minutes that the hero takes over. I have no problem being beaten to pulp in those last few minutes as long as I have had a large share of the pie. I enjoyed playing the villain in ‘Ajnabee’. It's nice to get your hands dirty once in a while and be really mean and obnoxious on screen. You should make the audience hate you, mix it up a little bit!

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