Khiladi

Abbas Mustan’s ‘Khiladi’, a suspense-thriller released in 1992, gave Akshay Kumar his first super hit film. Akki played Raj Malhotra, a college student who habitually bets. And his habit lands him and his friends into troubled waters. One of his friends gets murdered, and that leads to a series of other consequences. Akshay pulled of a stunning performance as a prankster who transforms into a matured adult by the end of the film.

Mohra

Akshay Kumar played Amar Saxena, a police officer, in Rajiv Rai’s ‘Mohra’, which released in 1994. He is entrusted with the job of getting hold of the criminals in the city. Akki is paired opposite Raveena Tandon in the action thriller. The film was a commercial success and made Akshay Kumar a bankable star.

Dil Toh Pagal Hai

Akshay Kumar teamed up with the Yash Raj banner for the first time ever in this Shah Rukh Khan starrer. Though Akki played a cameo, his portrayal of Ajay is well-remembered as a selfless guy who is madly in love with Madhuri Dixit (Pooja). But on realising that she loves SRK, he works so that the two lovers are united.

Sangharsh

Released in 1999, ‘Sangharsh’, a psychological crime thriller starring Akshay, Preity Zinta and Ashutosh Rana was a critically acclaimed film. ‘Sangharsh’ gave Akshay’s image as an actor a new dimension. Akki plays the role of Professor Aman Varma, a prisoner who is falsely accused of being a criminal. The film shows Akki, along with Preity, rescuing a child from being a victim of Ashutosh Rana, a religious fanatic who sacrifices children to become immortal.

Image courtesy: Akshaykumar.org

Hera Pheri

Akshay Kumar looked convincing as a jobless Raju in Priyadarshan’s ‘Hera Pheri’, which released in 2000. The comedy film shows Akshay along with his landlord Baburao Ganpatrao (Paresh Rawal) and housemate Ghanshyam (Suneil Shetty) making desperate attempts to make money for survival. Akshay exercised his comic skills to the fullest as Raju and since then has mastered the genre of humour.

Dhadkan

As a dutiful son and a loving husband Ram, Akshay Kumar stole hearts of millions as he romanced Shilpa Shetty in Dharmesh Darshan’s ‘Dhadkan’, released in 2000. Akshay carried his role very well right from the word “Go!”

Image courtesy: Akshaykumar.org

Ajnabee

The role of Vikram Bajaj in Abbas Mustan’s 2001 suspense thriller ‘Ajnabee’ won Akshay the coveted Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. As the opportunist, Bajaj, Akki proved that he could portray even negative characters with élan.

Namastey London

A real life Punjabi, Akshay played Arjun Singh, a typical Punjab da puttar in Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s ‘Namastey London’, which released in 2007. Akki romances Katrina Kaif, an anglicised NRI, born and raised in London. The film revolves around Akki’s relentless efforts to win over the heart of his NRI wife and convince her to settle down in India.

Bhool Bhulaiya

Akshay Kumar plays the role of Dr Aditya Srivastav, a psychiatrist, to utmost perfection in Priyadarshan’s psychological thriller ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’. Akki helps his friend Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) in helping his wife Avni (Vidya Balan) recover from a rare psychological disorder. And with a tinge of comedy, Akshay succeeds in keeping people glued to their seats with his performance.

Rowdy Rathore

‘Rowdy Rathore’, released in 2012, happens to be Akshay Kumar’s first solo film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark. Directed by Prabhudeva and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ‘Rowdy Rathore’ shows Akshay in dual roles- a small time thief Shiva and ASP Vikram Rathore. Akki romances Sonakshi Sinha in the film.

By Gayatri Sankar