On jet ski, with Russian brokers... Akshay Kumar's 'Boss' in Dubai

An Akshay Kumar press meet never fails to unspool like a real-life thriller, rivalling even a Hitchcockian classic with its elements of surprise, cliff-hanger moments and sudden climaxes that, well, can leave you more perplexed than prepared for the next instalment.
 
The ‘Boss’ promotional visit to the emirate was no different for the country’s unsuspecting fourth estate, which rapidly dwindled down to a band of weary men and women aboard a figurative Black Pearl, pirated by Captain Kumar’s whims and fancies. 

 
Sweeping in on jet ski after a two-hour delay, Kumar showed us who’s the ‘Boss’ as we set afloat for a 1.5 hour expedition of Dubai Marina’s crowded waters, in a press conference that saw police helicopters, a temperamental sound system and low hanging bridges play villain to this 3.5 hour epic Bollywood film drama.
 
Dressed in the same clothes as the film’s poster, Kumar, at least, appeared to be in a good mood for a change, happy to discuss ‘Boss’, his love for raw stunt action and dodgy Russian real estate brokers penning fake villa deals with the actor in Dubai.
 
But that’s us getting ahead of ourselves.
 
Speaking about his jet ski gimmick, the actor expressed disappointment that he was unable to perform the stunt to his calibre, saying: “The Marina here has restrictions on speed and my jet ski was stuck doing loops around the boat.”
 
Oh well.

He continued: “I love raw action and with ‘Boss’ I am attempting to bring that realism back to Bollywood. 
 
“These days every fight sequence is planned using cables, which also was something I had pioneered by bringing it to the Indian film industry during the shoot of ‘Awaara Paagal Deewana’; now I am bringing hand to hand combat back to films, with no special effects to take away from the raw power.”
 
‘Boss’, which is a remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Pokkiri Raja’, sees Kumar essay the role of the protagonist in the film for which he purchased the official rights.

The “mass entertainer,” as he called it, bears a close resemblance to the colourful characters he portrayed in his recent movies such as ‘Rowdy Rathore’ and ‘Khiladi 786’.
 
When quizzed whether he was going down the route that Salman Khan has forged for himself with ‘Wanted’, ‘Ready’, ‘Dabangg’ and the likes, Kumar told Emirates 24|7: “I make films for the masses. As a producer, you want to make money at the box office. As an audience, you want to be entertained when you head to the movies.
 
“If I, and other actors, are making such films it is because they work and our audience wants us to play such larger than life roles.”

Aditi Rao Hyadri with Akshay Kumar
 
Meanwhile, the coy and quiet Aditi Rao Hyadri, who was also at the press meet, piped up to say: “This was the reason why I signed on for ‘Boss’. It was a mass entertainer that really appealed to me after the genre of films I have worked in.”
 
Hyadri, who has joined the Bollywood bikini brigade with this film, talked about toning up for her two-piece outing, saying: “I really had to work out and Akshay sir was kind enough to loan his trainer Jenny to me to help get fit for my bikini.
 
“There has been so much talk of late about me wearing a bikini for my role; but I am sure all us wear bikinis at the pool or beach, so I really don’t think it was a novel experience for us.”
 
And as to lend weight to her meek, but profound statement, a private yacht chose that moment to cough by with its starboard side peppered with bikini-clad tourists to seal the deal.
 
As the impressive Dubai Marina skyline passed us by, it was only fair to quiz Kumar on his plans to snap up the Palm Jumeirah property that many have been talking about, and one that he himself confirmed on his previous visit to the emirate in August.
 
But Kumar simply laughed and said: “Oh, don’t you know, I have apparently purchased the house too, via a Russian real estate broker?”
 
Say what now?
 
“That’s what some media outlet has written,” he continued, “That I have signed a deal and already purchased a home in Dubai through some Russian. I might as well collect the papers now.”
 
After that little doozy, Yo Yo Honey Singh decided to join the proceedings on a speedboat and the media was herded yet again onto the lower deck of the boat to catch the world premiere of the song, ‘Har Kisi Ko’, which is the official remake of the late Feron Khan-Sridevi classic from ‘Jaanbaaz’.

Talking about his choice of song, Kumar said: “I am always parts of the creative process for my film’s music; I currently own the rights to 40 songs that I will use as and when it fits my film.”
 
Referring to his collaboration with Singh for ‘Party All Night’, Kumar referred to the controversial singer as a “little genius” who will go “very far” in his music career.

The genius in question took this as his cue to promptly burst out into a rap, roping in Kumar to pipe in as he pleased.
 
And with that, the press conference promptly ended, with the media herded back out into the heat to wait for the boat to dock.
 
“Interviews?” asked one brave journalist, visibly tired from the evening’s proceedings.
 
“No. Akshay sir said no,” came the reply.
 
And that was the end of that.

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