Akshay Kumar may today be one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, but his journey to superstardom was paved with setbacks, self-doubt, and harsh criticism. Filmmaker Suneel Darshan has now opened up about the phase in the late ’90s when Akshay faced a major career slump, with back-to-back flops and producers refusing to back him.Speaking to Bollywood Thikana, Darshan recalled the period around the making of Jaanwar and how the actor was written off by the industry. “During Jaanwar, Akshay had grown very close to me. He had a phase where he was rejected and ridiculed. Big filmmakers of today held on to an opinion at that time that Akshay was kachra or rubbish. He was not looked up to. At that time Dhadkan was put on hold, Hera Pheri had gotten shelved, and I presume none of his films were doing well. So the films were not moving forward,” he said.
Akshay Kumar broke down after producer insulted him
Darshan also revealed a painful episode when Akshay broke down in his office after being mistreated by a producer. “There was a film that came before us. One day, Akshay came to my office, and he was very upset. He was in tears and confessed that he went to the producer; the film was supposed to be released on Friday, and not a single poster was up for it. The producer spoke to him very rudely and said heartbreaking things.”
Jaanwar’s massive success in the North revived Akshay’s sinking career
The filmmaker immediately stepped in to lift Akshay’s morale during what he described as a “vulnerable” period. “At that time, Rahul Nanda was our designer. I told him to book the most expensive site on Juhu Circle and put up Jaanwar’s hoarding with only Akshay on it. Our film was close to release, and we didn’t want Akshay’s morale to break because that would affect me. We did that,” Darshan said.
While Jaanwar opened to a lukewarm response in Mumbai, it went on to perform exceptionally well in the North. “Jaanwar released, and initially in Mumbai, its response was lukewarm, but it took a phenomenal start in UP, and in Bihar, it was an all-time hit. Jaanwar gave a huge comeback to Akshay,” Darshan added.Today, Akshay Kumar stands tall as one of Indian cinema’s top stars, with numerous blockbusters to his name. His upcoming slate is equally packed, featuring three Priyadarshan films, Hera Pheri 3, Bhoot Bangla, Haiwaan, and Ahmed Khan’s Welcome to the Jungle.
