3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 17, 2026 10:38 PM IST
Akshay Kumar has spent over 35 years in cinema, carving a reputation as one of the industry’s most versatile performers, with films spanning comedy, action, romance, and horror. Having closely witnessed the evolution of filmmaking over nearly four decades, the actor now believes that Indian cinema is undergoing a significant shift—and he’s open to being a part of it.
In a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Akshay spoke about collaborating with new-age filmmakers like Aditya Dhar and Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The actor candidly said, “If any of these directors (Aditya Dhar and Sandeep Reddy Vanga) think that I deserve to be in their films, they can approach me. But most importantly, they should find something suitable for me, and I should also feel okay with it. I want to do an action film.”
Reflecting on how cinema has evolved, Akshay Kumar cited films like RRR and Baahubali, praising director SS Rajamouli for his larger-than-life storytelling.
“RRR, even Baahubali for that matter, had a very different kind of making. It was larger than life—where a man single-handedly controls ten elephants, with the director focusing on the man’s forearms. That is the conviction of the director, and it was beautifully done. Very well-made films. They showed us a different aspect of filmmaking—how grand and larger than life it can be,” he said.
Akshay Kumar further shared his views on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s films Kabir Singh and Animal, noting how they’ve redefined the portrayal of anger on screen. He even compared their impact to the iconic “angry young man” era popularised by Amitabh Bachchan.
“Then came Animal with Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol. I can never forget Bobby Deol’s character. In Animal, the anger went out of limit. The film brought back the whole ‘angry young man’ era—with ten times more power than what Amitabh Bachchan brought back then; that was limited, Animal wasn’t. Sandeep Reddy Vanga brought it back in a very different way. It was a new cinema and a new way of looking at a hero. People saw that he too is a hero who doesn’t just bite but can stab ten times. Same with Kabir Singh—he is the most angry lover.”
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Akshay also spoke about Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, praising its writing and depth.
“Speaking of Dhurandhar, the way it explores the country—it was a very well-written film. Every question was answered. It was very clear that the makers knew a lot and had gathered information from multiple sources, which they turned into a film rooted in reality. It was very nuanced and beautifully done—taking something real and expanding it into a larger-than-life cinematic experience,” he said.
Summing up his thoughts on the changing landscape, Akshay added, “Cinema is evolving. If I ever get an opportunity to work in such films, I would be more than happy.”
