Akshay Kumar surely knows how to balance his personal and professional life — he used his free time while shooting for new movie "Patiala House" playing cricket with son Aarav.

"Whenever he got free time during his shoots for ’Patiala House’, he would play cricket and often Aarav would participate in the game. And Aarav would always beat Akshay at cricket," said a source.

An expert at martial arts and French sport Parkour, Akshay has also started training Aarav in these.

"Aarav can even climb walls like a pro and can do the summersault even though he’s just nine years old… In fact, he’s getting better by the day even in martial arts," said the source.

Directed by Nikhil Advani, "Patiala House" stars Anushka Sharma and Rishi Kapoor.

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Son Aarav Would Always Beat Father Akshay Kumar At Cricket

If there is one man in Bollywood who is on a roll, then, it has to be him. We are indeed talking about the one and only Akshay Kumar. After having being chosen as the brand ambassador for a million products, Akki is all set to lend his ’Phase Value’, this time round to the electronics major LG.

The confirmed sources said, "Akki was always an immediate choice for the said brand, after Abhishek Bachchan." Rumors have it that Abhi’s contract was not renewed because he insisted on having his better half Aishwarya Rai as a part of the deal, which LG officials were not too forthcoming about. That’s the reason they chose Akshay over Abhishek."

One may recall that, just a few days back, LG had signed up John Abraham, Abhay Deol and Genelia as their Brand Ambassadors for their mobile range. With Akshay now at the helm of things, LG definitely seems to be high on Bollywood power.

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Akshay Kumar Chosen As The Brand Ambassador For LG Electronics

By now its common knowledge that Vipul Shah is all set to take a trip down the retro lane with his Akshay Kumar- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Action Replayy. However, what did catch us by surprise was when we saw this picture of Akshay in a complete retro rock star look from Action Replayy.

Apparently, Akki’s look in this particular dance number is modeled on the lines of John Travolta’s in the cult classic Grease. Akshay, who is a huge John Travolta fan, was more than happy to step into this get-up for this special song sequence with Ash. The duo thoroughly enjoyed practicing the dance steps of the disco era for this particular song.

An elated Akki, who thoroughly enjoys listening to retro music, said, "The 70s was full of energy, that’s the reason why retro is hip. There is something about the fashion and music of that era which makes it so funky even today and perhaps it will always be that way."

With Akshay and Ash bringing together a sizzling chemistry in this electric number, filmmaker Vipul Shah must be surely grinning from ear to ear. After all, it looks like he has a winner on hands.

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Akshay Kumar Modeled On The Lines Of John Travolta’s Classic

He is a man, who has definitely not just changed the rules of the game, but also has rewritten it, in his own terms. He is none other than Bollywood’s very own Akshay Kumar. He is one of the Numero Uno stars that Bollywood can easily back on due to his mass appeal.

No wonder then, not just the filmmakers, but also the ad fraternity guys are queuing up at his doorstep to sign him on. After having endorsed a million products including the likes of Thums Up, Levis, X-Box 360 etc…, the superstar will now be seen endorsing wireless solutions provider Micromax.

According to Bollywood Hungama’s confirmed sources, Akshay has been signed by the said telecom company in accordance to his ’instant connect’ with the classes and masses alike. The source also added that knowing Akki’s ’market status’, the said company has shelled out a ’macro’ bomb of an amount as Akki’s remuneration.

No wonder they say, ’ Make hay…while the sun shines’! What say, Akki baba!

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Actor Akshay Kumar Endorsing Wireless Solutions Provider Micromax

Akshay Kumar is all set to play the game of cricket, and interestingly he will have none other than Wasim Akram as his coach! Well, we are talking about Akshay’s upcoming flick ‘Patiala House’, which will see the actor playing a cricketer from London and Cricket ace Wasim Akram will help him to pull off the role perfectly.

The cricket sequences in the film, according to director Nikhil Advani, will be shot at the best and biggest stadiums of London. "Akshay will be shown playing at the World Cup. We will shoot the cricket match at the Lord`s and Oval cricket grounds in London," says filmmaker Advani.

It’s been revealed that Akshay will be trained by one of the world`s greatest fast bowlers – Wasim Akram, who has been roped in after much persuasion.

Nikhil says, "We were adamant that Akshay would play a world-class cricketer and that too, a bowler. We`ve never had a hero who`s a bowler. They are always batting on the cricket field. There`s almost a ballet-like choreographic precision when a hero is captured bowling on camera. I think bowling is a far more intricate exercise than batting."

A lot of other legendary cricketers including Imran Khan will also be roped in to make appearances in ‘Patiala House’. Confirming the news, Nikhil said, "A substantial part of our budget is going into hiring these cricketers for the climax game. We want the game to look as real as it can get."

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Cricketer Wasim Akram Becomes Coach For Actor Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar is planning a big charity event to raise funds to build an old age home in Toronto in 2010 with the help of his friend Ajay Virmani who’s a businessman.

Akshay has been associated with various charity events in Toronto. He told his best friend, businessman Ajay Virmani — who owns Cargojet Airways, the largest Canadian cargo airlines — that he wanted to host a fundraiser to build a home for senior citizens. "Talks are on and the charity event will be held some time early next year. Akshay wants it to be a place for the elderly to feel at home."

A source close to the actor says, "On his various trips to his home in Toronto, Akki saw the plight of old men and women, especially those who had been brought by Indians and been abandoned there, and was deeply disturbed and wanted to do something for them."

"Akshay is planning to host a charity event in 2010," confirms Virmani from Toronto, "He has also helped raise a lot of money for Canadian hospitals including one for sick children. Last year, he got half a million dollars for making an appearance at the Trillion Hospital but he donated the amount to the hospital."

He continues, "A lot of Indian people bring their parents with them but don’t take care of them. They are dependent on their children and often end up becoming babysitters. They have no life of their own. Akshay wants them to have a place they can call their own."

Ajay first met Akshay when the actor came to Canada for the shooting of Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi in 1995. He says that the Khiladi is still remained the simple, down-to-earth guy he was when he first met him. Notes Virmani, "He calls me his Godfather, and to me, he is like a son. Our families have become close over the years."

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Akshay Kumar To Raise Funds To Build An Old Age Home In Toronto

Akshay ‘Khiladi’ Kumar, who will run with the Olympic torch in Toronto on December 17, is a worried man these days. Although the actor is ecstatic over the honour, a baseless fear seems to be overpowering him.

He fears that he will drop the Olympic torch while carrying it. Before leaving for Toronto, the ‘Action Kinng’ said, “As I am getting ready, I just keep telling myself one thing over and over again, `No matter what happens Akshay, don`t drop that torch. Naak kat jayegi.` It would be so embarrassing. I would never be allowed to visit Canada.”

Akshay wanted to take along his wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav, but couldn’t due to his tight schedule. "It`s just for a day so I somehow managed to squeeze it in my schedule. But it would be too tiring for Aarav. If I was going for 5-6 days I would have taken my wife and son along."

"Only when I go home in the night do I allow myself the luxury to feel tired. On December 17, I run with the torch then I return to Canada next year to see some of the Olympic sports. I wouldn`t miss it for the world," the actor further stated.

On November 16, the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, had handed over the Olympian torch to Akshay in Mumbai. "When I was given the torch some kids came running to just to touch that torch. I can`t tell you what a proud moment that was. I remember, as a child I used to watch sportsmen carrying the torch on our black-and-white television," said a euphoric Akshay.

Don’t let fears plague you, Akshay. Be a sport!

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Actor Akshay Kumar Will Drop The Olympic Torch

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has referred to Akshay Kumar in an interview to the international edition of Harper’s Bazaar as India’s answer to Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.Says a source close to Akshay, "The premier referred to the actor as B-Town’s answer to Brad Pitt as he felt that Akshay has the same charm and star appeal."

When quizzed about being compared to Pitt, Akshay quips, "I feel like someone has taken my Porsche and replaced it with a Ferrari. It’s the kind of compliment that makes you feel fabulous but you can’t show it. You are just supposed to nod your head and say thank-you."The Canadian PM was in Mumbai recently and met Akki, the sole Indian torchbearer for the Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver in February.

Akshay has also being voted as the sexiest man alive this year by People magazine. Does he feel sexy? "Are you kidding me? It takes a woman to make a man feel sexy. I have never been able to look at myself in the mirror and say, ’Wow! Akshay you are looking hot today’. I have very low self-esteem. I only feel sexy when my wife looks up at me and squeezes my hand with pride. That’s when I feel desirable."

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Canadian Prime Minister As Compared Akshay Kumar And Brad Pitt

Movie: Blue

Director: Anthony D’Souza

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Rahul Dev, Zayed Khan, Katrina Kaif

Blue, the most awaited movie of the year – with its canvas as huge as the ocean – comes alive on screen this Friday. Like every biggie, this one also comes with the baggage of monumental expectations. With tremendous hype surrounding it, the inescapable question that crosses your mind is, will Blue live up to those colossal expectations?

Let me keep it short – you haven’t watched anything like this on the Hindi screen before. Never ever!

It requires courage, willpower, fortitude, vision and, of course, the financial backing to accomplish a project of this magnitude. And debutante director Anthony D’Souza puts his skills and the financial resources to best use. Blue is not merely a stunning looking film, it’s also a well-structured film. Most importantly, it’s a solid entertainer that packs in so much in those 1.58 hours.

Blue is set in the sun-soaked white sand beaches of Bahamas. Sagar [Sanjay Dutt] is a simpleton, while his friend Aarav [Akshay Kumar] is a rich, ambitious businessman.

Sagar’s brother Sameer aka Sam [Zayed Khan] has inadvertently managed to rankle the mafia in Bangkok [Rahul Dev]. He flees Bangkok and arrives in Bahamas. But the dangerous men reach Bahamas, too. Sagar is the sole person who can bail him out from this crisis, but to save his brother, Sagar has to wrestle with the ghost of his dead father.

If you’re a die-hard moviegoer, you’d draw parallels with a lot of international projects [especially The Deep] that were set in the ocean. In Bollywood, flashes of the Dharmendra-Jeetendra starrer Samraat cross your mind instantaneously, but comparing the two is akin to comparing chalk and cheese.

Blue grabs your attention from its opening titles itself. The marine life, which you may’ve watched on National Geographic Channel or Animal Planet, comes alive in all splendour at the start itself.

The story is uncomplicated and Anthony D’Souza garnishes it beautifully. If the aquatic life keeps your eyes wide open, the action sequences are sure to make your jaws drop to your knees. The bike chase at the start, yet another chase subsequently, the chase soon after the interval [atop a running train] is simply astounding.

Anthony’s expertise comes to the fore in several sequences. One sequence that needs to be singled out is when Sanju narrates the tragic past, how he was responsible for his father’s death. It’s simply incredible!

Major portions of the film have been filmed in the ocean and you can’t stop admiring and appreciating the enormous contribution of the underwater cinematographer [Pete Zuccarini]. The lighting in those sequences deserves special mention. Also, the underwater sequences, which feature aquatic life like puffer fish, stingrays and sharks, hold tremendous appeal. Cinematography [Laxman Utekar] is gorgeous.

On the flip side, the climax could’ve had more impact. The villain’s track looks clichéd, but you tend to overlook the minor aberration since the film never falls prey to mediocrity.

Anthony D’Souza is a director to watch. This film has style as well as substance. Also, it requires courage and conviction to think out of the box and most importantly, execute the material with panache. There’s not much scope for music in an action thriller, yet A.R. Rahman’s score suits the requirements. The Kylie Minogue track, Chiggy Wiggy, is already popular. Sanju and Lara’s romantic track, Aaj Dil, is sensuous. The song at the end credits, Fiqrana, has a lot of energy.

Sound design [Resul Pookutty] is fantastic. Action scenes [James D Bomalick and R P Yadav] are a treat and, in fact, one of the mainstays of the film. Dialogues [Mayur Puri] are effective, while the screenplay [Anthony D’Souza and Jasmine D’Souza] is well thought-out, especially towards the second hour.

Sanjay Dutt carries his part well, although he looks very well-fed in some scenes. Akshay Kumar steals the show with a sterling performance. This would easily classify amongst his best works. Zayed Khan is highly competent. This, despite the fact that he’s sharing the screen space with two hugely experienced actors.

Lara Dutta has never looked so good before. Though the story revolves around the guys, you can’t overlook Lara’s small but significant contribution to the film. Katrina Kaif [special appearance] looks gorgeous and performs exceedingly well. The feminine charm [at the start specifically] would send the youth into a frenzy. Rahul Dev is first-rate. Kabir Bedi is hardly there.

On the whole, Blue has style as well as substance. The film has everything going in its favour, right from its incredible star cast to the superb action scenes to the hitherto unseen marine life to the tremendous hype and hoopla. At the box-office, Blue will strike like a hurricane in the festive week. It should set new benchmarks in days to come.

Final word? Go, grab a ticket, if you haven’t booked one yet. This under-sea treasure hunt is a kickass film. A must-see for all those who love adventure flicks.

Rating: Four out of five stars

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Movie Review: Blue

After having worked with some of the biggest of directors in Bollywood, superstar Akshay Kumar is now all set to go west. Apparently, Hollywood director David Ellis, who has directed films like The Final Destination, is very keen to work with Akshay Kumar after seeing portions of his latest film Blue.

David happened to get a chance to see some rushes of Blue when director Anthony D’Souza was doing the final mixing of the film in Los Angeles recently. David loved what he saw and was blown away by the sheer magnitude of the film. Confirms Anthony, director of Blue, "David was highly impressed when he saw some portions of Blue .He was of the opinion that such stunts could not be possible in movies outside Hollywood. He simply loved Akshay’s work and truly that believes Akshay has huge potential to make it big in the West."

The buzz is that David has already chalked out the storyline of his film in which Akshay will be playing the main lead. The film will be a mainstream film catering to both the Indian as well as international audience.

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Akshay Kumar Together With The Final Destination Director Movie

"250 feet deep lies the secret of Blue"This is what the promotional material of Anthony D’Souza (a.k.a Tony) directed film Blue has screamed ever since the film’s publicity campaign began. There have been quite some talks about the film revolving around a treasure hunt which is hidden deep inside the sea. How number of characters from different walks of life come together to hunt for the treasure even as danger is lurking right down there forms the basic crux of this under water adventure thriller.

However, it has just been revealed that this forbidden treasure, which is the focus of attention for everyone, is nothing but India’s own. And there is a British connection to this as well!Informs a source closely attached to the film, "Blue is not entirely a piece of fiction. There is a definite reality to the basic plotline of the film. The origin of the story dates way back to 1947 when India had gained independence and British had left Indian shores. However, while doing so, they went all out to put a dent on Indian economy. They had taken away a lot of treasure with them."

After an extensive research, it was revealed that Brits took 20-25 ships filled with treasure. One such ship sunk in the sea and no one ever got to know about its whereabouts."This is how the basic germ of Blue was born", continues the source, "From this real piece of fact, Anthony D’Souza went on to spin an entirely fictional tale on how a group of people decided to hunt for this ship deep under the sea and lay their hands on the treasure."Akshay Kumar, leading antagonist of the film, confirmed that Blue is indeed about the hunt of treasure that Brits had taken away from India.

"Yes, the film is about our very own treasure and Tony has fictionalized the entire story all very beautifully", says Akshay without revealing too much about the film’s plot, "My character of Aarav forces Sagar (Sanjay Dutt) to join him in the adventure and hunt for this treasure."

There are also talks that his character is an out and out black one in Blue."Not really black, but it is that of grey", clarifies Akshay, "He is just like any other common man who wants money. It’s just that the extent he goes to achieve the impossible and lay his hands on all the money is what makes his acts a little different from the rest."

Also starring Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan along with Katrina Kaif and Kylie Minogue, Blue, which is produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd and has music by A.R. Rahman, would be seeing a massive worldwide release on 16th October.

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Akshay Kumar’s BLUE Revealed The British Connection

One film that is eagerly awaited among cine-goers is the underwater adventure Blue. The film directed by debutant director Anthony D’Souza stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan, Rahul Dev and Katrina Kaif. As the film nears its Diwali release (Oct 16th), we bring you a character-sketch of the various characters in Blue. You simply don’t wanna miss this one!!!

Akshay Kumar as Aarav

Owner of Blue Shipping & Fisheries – a shipping company, Aarav – a misogynist, is easily one of the richest and the most eligible bachelors on the island of Bahamas. He constantly, badgers Sagar to search for the lost treasure, for reasons that appear to be insatiable greed to the others, but are best known only to Aarav.

Sanjay Dutt as Sagar

Aarav’s closest friend and employee, Sagar is a straight-forward, serial monogamist, with a troubled past and a modest future. His redemption lies in facing his demons, hundreds of feet under-water and the only route to reach the treasure, is through him.

Lara Dutta as Mona

Mona, a marine trainer and a fancy-free adventure-seeker, is Sagar’s confidant and love-interest. Her effervescence and compassion, compliment Sagar’s stoicism, perfectly.

Zayed Khan as Sam

With great confidence, comes a bit of arrogance. Indifferent and self-assured Sam, Sagar’s estranged brother, is an urban nomad with a singular driving passion – money. His accidental involvement with nefarious activities and a huge debt to a mafia drug lord, force him to flee Bangkok and find asylum in his ancestral home in Bahamas.

Katrina Kaif as Nikki

Fiercely individualistic, with a fetish for thrill and danger, Nikki is mafia boss Gulshan’s partner-in-crime. But, her new found affection for Sam, might upset her near-perfect existence.
Rahul Dev as Gulshan

A ruthless and merciless criminal, Gulshan is a man with an agenda and no conscience – a mix that often proves fatal, for his enemies.

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A Character-Sketch Of The Various Characters In Blue Movie

Riding high on the success of its recently launched adventure reality show "Khatron Ke Khiladi – Level 2", Colors is leading the general entertainment channel bouquet with a record gross rating point (GRP) of 325, almost 50 and 70 points ahead of rivals STAR Plus and Zee TV, respectively.

The channel has recorded 325 GRPs for the first time ever since the show’s launch in July 2008. In the last 59 weeks, not a single entertainment channel has crossed 325 GRPs. While STAR Plus is at 323, Zee TV is at 281, Sony at 142, Imagine 141 and STAR One 100, said a press statement by Colors.

"We are very excited with the response to ’Khatron Ke Khiladi – Level 2’. The number of viewers enjoying this show has almost doubled this year and stands at a very encouraging number of 12.6 million that walked in as the show began. We hope to continue the good work and keep bringing exciting concepts and shows to entertain our audiences," Ashvini Yardi, head (programming) of Colors, told IANS.

Hosted by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, the show went on air Sep 7 and opened with a spectacular rating of 4.37 and for the rest of the week the average rating was 4.11.

Shot in Cape Town, "Khatron Ke Khiladi 2" has become more dangerous with participants performing daredevil stunts. Thirteen celebrity women, including Shweta Salve, Rosa Catalano, Carol Gracias, Sushma Reddy, VJ Anushka Manchanda, Bruna Abdullah and Nauheed Cyrusi, are competing with each other to win Rs.5 million as prize money. Each of them has a male partner.

In the last 10 weeks, Colors has occupied the No.1 position six times. Star Plus was on top the rest of the four weeks.

But the adventure series has yet to surpass the popularity of the channel’s popular drama "Balika Vadhu". The serial about child marriage still tops the chart with an average rating of 5.95.

After making a record with the show, the channel bosses are hoping to hit an all-time high with the third season of "Bigg Boss 3", which will go on air next month.

Though "Bigg Boss" is among the most watched reality shows on Indian television, the latest version featuring Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan will see the show surpassing last year’s popularity, said Colors TV channel CEO Rajesh Kamat.

"After the tremendous success of ’Bigg Boss’ last year, we want to take it to even higher levels this year – in ratings, in novelty and in appeal. With Mr. Bachchan on board, we strongly believe that ’Bigg Boss’ this year has all the ingredients to surpass its last year’s popularity," said Kamat.

Amitabh, 66, who created waves in the TV industry as host of superhit game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati", is making a comeback to the small screen after a gap of four years.

His role in "Bigg Boss" has been defined as that of a ’Pop Philosopher’. Amitabh is to bridge the gap between "Bigg Boss" participants and viewers through contextualising events, simplifying emotions as well as analysing developments that happen within the "Bigg Boss" house.

While "Khatron Ke Khiladi" is the Indian version of international adventure show "Fear Factor", "Bigg Boss" is the Indian version of popular British reality show "Big Brother".

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Akshay Kumar To Beat Amitabh Bachchan In Indian Television

K S Ravikumar seems to be the latest addition to the list of Tamil cinema directors making their presence felt in Bollywood. The filmmaker, according to sources, is all set to step into Hindi cinema by remaking his super hit ’Thenali’, the Kamal Haasan starrer.

If sources are to be believed, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who watched some of the movies by K S Ravikumar (including Dasavatharam), wanted to act in his direction. The actor himself had suggested the filmmaker to remake ’Thenali’ for him, it is believed. Thenali, with Kamal Haasan, Jayaram and Jyothika in lead roles, is a comedy caper. The film is about a psychologically-affected innocent youth who falls in love with the younger sister of the psychiatrist who is treating him.

A R Rahman has scored the music for the movie produced by Ravikumar’s own production firm. Kamal’s Sri Lankan Tamil accent and Jayaram’s performance are the highlights of ’Thenali’, which hit theatres during Deepavali 2000.

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Akshay Kumar Will Act In Kamal Haasan Tamil Movie Remake