Those were the days when Akshay Kumar would chat on everything, from his co-stars to the hoardings he would pass during his travel. It was he time around Akshay’s decision to marry Twinkle Khanna when he was flying from Canada to Mumbai and dithering between Shilpa Shetty and Twinkle Khanna. The first interview after Akshay’s marriage happened after he came back from a week-long honeymoon in Bali.
Akshay, how does it feel to be married?
What can I say about that? Except that I feel complete within myself. Other than that I can go on and on about being in seventh heaven, going on eight. The problem is I am not expressive. I would rather feel the emotion rather than waste time expressing it.
Okay, try.
I like coming home to a wife. I used to see my father leave home at 9 in the morning and come home at 6 in the evening. He looked so happy coming home to his wife and children, or going to a movie with us. I can’t believe today I’m climbing the same stairway to heaven. I feel very secure comforted and happy. I also find myself working better. There’s no negativity in my life any longer. Everything looks bright and positive. And the fact that Tina has such a wonderful mother only adds to my feeling of being complete.
You’ve been in and out of the country. Have you had the time to actually feel married?
Yeah I’ve been out a lot. But Tina has been with me most of the time. Another thing that makes me feel married is the constant work that’s going on in our home. The carpenters are hammering away constantly while my wife keeps instructing them. Ghar ghar jaisa lagta hai.
So you are moving into the new place that you bought?
No, I’m talking about my old place. That’s being renovated and newly furnished. For now we’ll all be staying there. I haven’t thought about the new place at all.
Both you and Hrithik are blissfully married. Is marriage the new mantra for stardom?
There’s no hard and fast rule for such things. Every person should marry when the time is right. For me the right time was now when I had found the right person and my career was doing so well.
Every filmmaker comments on how radiant you look nowadays?
That’s because I’m completely at peace with myself. My home life and my career are both in order. This year I have three or four promising releases. I think four releases a year is enough. I’m trying to do one project at a time. Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishta: The Bond Of Love was completed in three months.
Why not make it a rule to do just one film at a time?
Because that’s not possible over here. If that one film flops you’ve had it. It’s pack up time for you. There’s a lot of insecurity around here. One doesn’t often get a role like the one in Ek Rishta where I got a chance to share camera space with Mr Bachchan for the first time. It was a new experience for me to see an actor going through so many rehearsals before the actual take. He does about 25 rehearsals for every scene.
Everyone in Mumbai says Twinkle and you look extremely well-matched?
Have you really heard that? I’m so glad to hear it. What do I say ? If people stare at us enviously I'm not conscious of it. I’m too engrossed in my wife to care about stares. One thing is for sure. When my wife is with me I feel much more confident about myself. With her by my side, I’m always ready to face the world. Earlier when I had unlimited freedom I didn’t realise what a restricted man I was. Today there’s a strange kind satisfaction in leaving home on time, and rushing back from the studios as soon as shooting is over.
You mean your life is more disciplined now?
Not that I didn’t lead a disciplined life earlier. But now I love the idea of having someone besides my mother to go back home to.
Is Twinkle going to continue with her career?
I have left the decision entirely to her. She can do whatever she likes as long as at the end of day she comes back to me (laughs). As far as her career is concerned, she had a release Jodi no. 1 last month which was a success. Now she has one more release Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega. After that she has signed only one film. And that’s with me. So we can enjoy a holiday at the producer’s expense (laughs). She has recently started a career in interior decoration. She has inherited an eye for beauty from her mother.
You went to Dubai to watch Twinkle make her stage debut in Feroz Khan’s All The Best. What was the experience like?
I was amazed by her confidence on stage. She has an elephant’s memory. That’s really important on stage. Her co-stars had already done three hundred shows of the play. But she was doing it for the first time. She didn’t fumble even once! And she had done less than a month’s rehearsal. I was really proud of her. I was also scared because I thought she might forget her lines. When the dialogues were really long I used to hide my face in my lap in terror. But it never happened. I would love to do a play when I have the time.