Akshay Kumar (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia[3] on September 9, 1967)[3] is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist

who has appeared in over a hundred Hind i films. He has been nominated for Filmfare Awards several times, winning it two times. He has appeared in over 125 films.[4] When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series", which inc luded Khiladi (1992), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), K hiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi (1997), International Khiladi (1999), Khiladi 420 (2000) and Khiladi 786 (2012), as well as other action films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Mohra (1994), Elaan (1994), Suhaag (1994), Sapo ot (1996), Angaaray (1998), Keemat They Are Back (1998) and Sangharsh (1999).[5] Later he also gained fame for his drama, romance and comic roles.[6] He started becoming known for his performances in romance films like Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dh adkan (2000) and Namastey London (2007), as well as drama films such as Waqt: Th e Race Against Time (2005) and Patiala House (2011). His comic performances in c omedy films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Singh Is Kinng (2008) met with acclaim. His success had soared in 2007, when he starred in four consecutive commercial hits . Kumar hit a rough patch since 2009 to 2011 but came back with two successes, H ousefull 2 (2012) and Rowdy Rathore (2012) with both of them grossing over INR10 0 crore (US$18 million). His other films like OMG (2012) and Special 26 (2013) w ere highly successful critically and commercially. On February 16, 2013, many me dia outlets reported that the boxoffice collection of Kumar films has crossed IN R2000 crore (US$370 million) and till date is the only Bollywood actor to do so. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Apart from acting, Kumar has worked as a stunt actor; he has often performed man y dangerous stunts in his films,[14] which has earned him a reputation as the "I ndian Jackie Chan".[5] 2008 marked his television debut as the host of the show Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi. In 2009, Kumar founded the Hari Om Entertainment production company.[15] In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Law on Kum ar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. The following year he wa s awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011 The Asian Awards ho noured Kumar for his outstanding achievement in Cinema.[6] Contents 1 Early life and background 2 Career 2.1 1991 1999 2.2 2000 2006 2.3 2007 2008 2.4 2009 2011 2.5 2012 present 3 Personal life 4 Awards and nominations 5 Filmography 6 Television appearances 7 Dubbing Roles 7.1 Live Action Films 8 References 9 External links Early life and background Akshay Kumar was born in Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab.[3] His father w as an army officer. His mother's name is Aruna Bhatia. From a very young age, he was recognised as a performer, particularly as a dancer. Kumar was raised in De

lhi's Chandni Chowk neighbourhood before moving to Mumbai.[16] In Mumbai, he liv ed in Koliwada, which was another Punjabi dominated area.[16] He studied at Don Bosco School in Mumbai and then Guru Nanak Khalsa College in Mumbai.[16] Akshay has one sister also,Alka Bhatia.[17][18][19] After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India,[20] he studied m artial arts in Bangkok, Thailand,[16] where he learned Muay Thai[20] and worked as a chef[16] and waiter.[20] He then came back to Mumbai, where he started teac hing martial arts. One of his students happened to be a photographer and recomme nded him to do modelling. The student gave him a modelling assignment for a smal l company. For his two hours posing in front of the camera, Kumar got INR5,000, compared to his previous monthly salary of INR4,000. That was one of the main re asons why he chose to be a model. One morning he missed his flight for an ad-sho ot at Bangalore. Disappointed with himself, he went for his usual rounds at vari ous film studios with his portfolio. Luckily that same evening, Kumar was signed for a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.[16] Career 1991 1999 Main article: Khiladi (film series) Kumar made his Bollywood acting debut with the 1991 film Saugandh, which was fol lowed by the 1992 thriller film Khiladi. In 1993, he had acted as one of the lea d actors of the Super-Hit Kannada blockbuster film Vishnu-Vijaya directed by Kes hu starring South Super Star Dr.Vishnuvardhan, Ashwini Bhave(his co-star in Sain ik), Ashutosh Rana.[21][22] In 1994, his action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Mohra were among the highest grossing films of the year.[23] Later that year, Ya sh Chopra signed him for the romantic film Yeh Dillagi which was also a success. [23] He received appreciation for his performance in this film, where he played a romantic role which was different compared to his action roles. He would conse quently receive his first nominations for Best Actor award at the Filmfare and S tar Screen ceremonies. During the same year, Kumar also had success with films l ike Suhaag and the low budget action film Elaan. All these achievements, promote d Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year.[24] In 1994, Akshay ha d an astonishing 11 releases in a single year with Elaan, Yeh Dillagi, Jai Kisha n, Mohra, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Ikke Pe Ikka, Amaanat, Suhaag, Zakhmi Dil, Zaal im and Hum Hain Bemisaal releasing month after month.[25] In 1995, along with his share of unsuccessful movies, he starred in the third fi lm in his Khiladi series Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was a hit.[26] He proved to h ave success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourt h successful film with Khiladi in the title, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekh a and Raveena Tandon. The film became one of the highest grossing films of the y ear.[27] In 1997, Kumar was seen in a supporting role in Yash Chopra's hit film Dil To Pa gal Hai, co-starring Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award nomination. In the same year, he attempted a comedy role with the fifth film in the Khiladi series, Mr. and M rs. Khiladi. Unlike his previous films with Khiladi in the title, the film faile d commercially.[28] In the same way as this film, his next Khiladi releases in t he following years went on to fail at the box office. After Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi, Akshay went through a rough patch not having much big hits. In 1999, Kumar recei ved critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and Jaanwar. Whilst th e former did not make a profit at the box office, the latter turned out to be a success and marked his comeback.[29] 2000 2006 Kumar on the set of Heyy Babyy In 2000, he starred in the comedy Hera Pheri (2000) which was a commercial succe ss.[30] He also starred in the romantic film Dhadkan later that same year which

performed moderately at the box office.[30] That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Khiladi 420, where he climbed a running plane, sto od on top of the plane flying a thousand feet in the air, and jumped from the pl ane onto a hot air balloon.[14] In a later scene, he is also seen being chased b y a car, dodging bullets, jumping off buildings, and climbing walls.[31] In 2001 , Kumar played a negative role in the film Ajnabee. The film won him much acclai m as well as his first Filmfare Award for Best Villain and IIFA award 2002 for P erformance in a Negative Role.[3][32] Kumar played a role as a blind man in Aank hen. Following Hera Pheri, Kumar starred in a number of comedy films, including Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).[33] and Garam Masala (20 05). The films succeeded at the box office[34][35] and his performance in the la tter earned him his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian.[3] Apart from his action, comedy and romantic roles, Kumar displayed a flair for dr amatic roles in films such as Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Aankhen (2002 ), Bewafaa (2005) and Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005).[3] In 2004 he starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Aja y Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. In 2006 he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled P hir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box o ffice.[36] Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan in the romantic musi cal Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, did not do as well as expected at the box office. [36] Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praise d.[37] He ended the year with the comedy Bhagam Bhag, which was a success.[36] I n that same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif A li Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.[38] 2007 2008 2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry , and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by a n actor, with four outright hits and no flops."[39] His first release, Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned h im a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his per formance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers wit h a terrific portrayal in this film."[40] His next two releases, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well.[41][42] Kumar's last release of the year, Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbu ster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit.[43] All of Kum ar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well.[44] Kumar's first film of 2008, Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films ba nner after 11 years. Although much anticipated by the public,[45] the film was a critical and commercial failure. His second film, Singh Is Kinng was a huge suc cess at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om , the previous highest figure.[46] His next film was the animated film Jumbo. Th e year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successfu l show Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's seco nd season in 2009. 2009 2011 In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros.-Rohan Sipp y production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a c ritical and commercial failure at the box office.[47] Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film was a critical and commerci al failure. His next release was Kambakkht Ishq. Kumar's film Blue was released on October 16, 2009. Blue collected about Rs. 42 crores at the box-office.[48] H is last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan.

He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which gar nered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time.[49] Kumar's nex t release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average gross er. He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office fail ure.[50] His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You. He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hin di as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House.[51] Breakawa y became the highest-grossing English movie of 2011 in Canada.[52] Kumar, recent ly dubbed for the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Kumar dubbed for the role of 'Optimus Prime', which is one of the key characters in the film. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free.[53] His last film of 2011 was Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh and Deepika Padukone. 2012 present His first release of 2012 was Housefull 2, a sequel to his film, Housefull. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was very successful at the box offi ce. It was also a huge hit in overseas and the biggest Bollywood grosser in New Zealand. Kumar's Rowdy Rathore released on June 1, 2012.[54] It marks the return s of him in action genre after 7 years. The film earned more than INR180 crore ( US$33 million) in India and was a huge box office success.Joker[55] was reported ly promoted as Kumar's 100th film,[56][57][58][59] but later Akshay Kumar clarif ied that the 100th film landmark had been crossed long before he even signed up for Joker. It was a miscalculation on Shirish s part. OMG is my 116th film, he said.[ 60] His latest release Oh My God which he produced and it starred Paresh Rawal a s the main lead and Kumar had a supporting role.[54] It had a slow opening but b ecause of word of mouth it picked up and then was declared a super hit.[61] His last release in 2012 was Khiladi 786, the eighth installment in his famous Khila di series as well as the comeback of the series after 12 years. The film was an above average grosser at the box office. His first release in 2013 was Special C habbis which was a commercial and critical success at the box office. Personal life After being engaged twice to actress Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of actors Raje sh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, Kumar married her on January 17, 2001. Their son n amed Aarav was born in September 2002.[3] Khanna gave birth to their second chil d, daughter Nitara, on September 25, 2012.[62][63] Akshay stays in shape with a combination of kickboxing, basketball, swimming, pa rkour[citation needed] and other sports, as well as working out. In 2004, he was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Award for his outstanding achieve ments in Bollywood. In 2008 the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada awarded Kumar with Honorary Doctrate of Law for his outstanding work in the film indust ry and contribution to social work. The same year he was named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People (India) magazine. T he following year Kumar was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree black belt in Kuyukai Goju-ryu karate. He was one of the 15 inter national celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada.[64] He became responsible to endorse the Canadian Tourism by sharing the duty of Bra nd Ambassador till the summer of 2012.[65] Awards and nominations Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Akshay Kumar Filmography Main article: Akshay Kumar filmography Television appearances

Television Appearances Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (season 1) Host Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (season 2) Host MasterChef India (season 1) Host Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (season 4) Host MasterChef India (season 2) Special Appearance in the Final Sasural Genda Phool Special Apprearence C.I.D. Special Apprearence Dance India Dance Li'l Masters Special Appearance in grand finale Dance India Dance Special Appearance in grand finale Dubbing Roles Live Action Films Film title Actor Character Dub Language Original Language Original Year Release Dub Year Release Notes Transformers: Dark of the Moon Peter Cullen (voice) Optimus Prime Hindi English 2011 2011 References ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474774/bio ^ "Khiladi Kumar: Latest News, Videos, Photos | Times of India". Timesofindi a.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ a b c d e f g Verma, Sukanya (September 5, 2007). "40 things you didn't kn ow about Akki". Rediff. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retriev ed 2008-03-14. ^ Mehul S Thakkar, Mumbai Mirror Feb 12, 2013, 10.07AM IST (2013-02-12). "I am used to rewards and not awards: Akshay Kumar - Times Of India". Timesofindia. indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ a b "Akshay Kumar meets Jackie Chan in Hong Kong". Bollywood Hungama. May 20, 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2011-04-11. ^ a b "Overwhelmed Akshay Kumar dedicates Padmashri to fans". Economic Times (India). 2009-01-26. Retrieved 2009-01-26. ^ "Forget Rs 100 crore club, Akshay Kumar is now a Rs 2,000 crore hero!". Ze enews.india.com. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ "Akshay Kumar beats Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, earns R 2000 crore". dail y.bhaskar.com. 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ Published Saturday, Feb 16 2013, 10:20 GMT (2013-02-16). "Akshay Kumar bea ts Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan to 2,000 crore - Bollywood News". Digital Spy. Re trieved 2013-03-09. ^ TNN Feb 18, 2013, 01.02PM IST (2013-02-18). "Akshay Kumar creates history with 2000 crore league! - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ "Forget mighty Khans, Akshay Kumar is the first actor to earn Rs 2000 cror e in his lifetime : Celebrities, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 201 3-02-18. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ "Akshay Kumar now worth Rs 2,000 crore". Hindustan Times. 2013-02-18. Retr ieved 2013-03-09. ^ "Has Akshay Kumar really earned Rs 2000 crore from his films?- BollywoodMovies News-IBNLive". Ibnlive.in.com. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ a b Stacey Yount, Akshay Kumar on Filmi things, BollySpice, March 2, 2008 ^ "Main bhi producer!". The Times of India. October 9, 2009. Retrieved 201011-18. ^ a b c d e f Mohammed, Khalid (March 22, 2007). "Akshay Kumar is a Punjabi by nature". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2007-04-14. ^ "Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar with bridal couple, sister Alka and her husb and Surendra Hiranandani, during their wedding ceremony, held at Four Bungalow G urudwara in Mumbai on December 23, 2012". Photogallery.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ "Akshay, Twinkle at pre-Karva Chauth bash " NDTV.com Photo Gallery". Ndtv.co m. Retrieved 2013-03-09. ^ Manav Manglani. "Akshay Kumar s Sister Alka Bhatia s Wedding". Koimoi.com. Ret

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