A rare combo of earthy good looks, humility and professionalism, Akshay Kumar is apple of Bollywood's eyes these.

However, his ascent to stardom has been a roller coaster ride, not a smooth climb.

He has had more than his fair share of flops, all of which have left him unfazed. During these rough patches Akshay, like his fans, must have known there was far much talent within him even for the poor film makers of Bollywood to obfuscate.

In the 15 odd years that Akshay has been around in Bollywood he has added to his repertoir and now gets roles in films other than action and comedy. He has successfully essayed challenging assignments such as the one in Waqt and in the process acquired a stature.

He is now in a position to be picky about the type and number of films he signs. The ascent to stardom has also made Akshay image conscious. He is finicky about the brands that he endorses on televison and yes, he will not do underwear ads anymore!

Comedy comes naturally to Akshay. His good performances in Hera Pheri, Mujh Se Shaadi Karogi and Garam Masala appeared effortless. In Waqt - The Race Against Time, Akshay Kumar came across as a much evolved actor.

He handled his character in the film very well. His Tandav dance and the dog chase scenes were a stealer. Before Waqt too Akshay had played Amitabh Bachchan's son in Ek Rishta standing up well to towering persona of Big B. Akshay was a distributor of Waqt in Mumbai. The film was a great success in India and overseas.

Phir Hera Pheri, sequel to 2000 hit, Hera Pheri, is due for release on June 9, 2006 and it may be just what Akshay Kumar needs in a year that so far hasn't gone too well for him. Akshay's character in Hera Pheri and its sequel is central to the storylines because he is the one who comes up with ideas to do 'hera pheri', to make a fast buck.

Phir Hera Pheri is directed by its screen writer Neeraj Vora, instead of Priyadarshan who had directed Hera Pheri. Hera Pheri ended with the trio, Raju, Shyam, (Sunil Shetty) and Baburao (Paresh Rawal) picking up a major cash reward for saving a little girl from the kidnappers.

In the sequel they want to get richer. Raju (Akshay) comes up with a scheme to invest which means some more hera pheri in Phir Hera Pheri.

Some of the other films of Akshay Kumar to look out for are, Sajid Nadiadwala's Jaaneman due for release on Aug 25, 2006, Rituparno Ghosh's Rahgeer and Rajkumar Santoshi's Saamna. Akshay Kumar is getting number concious with the films he would be doing per year.

In 2004 he was seen in 9 films, year 2005 he starred in six films and most of them were hits like Bewafaa, Garam Masala, Waqt - Race against Time and Aitraaz.

So far he has had three releases in 2006, Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye, Mere Jeevan Saathi and Family , all of which have got just a lukewarm response from the Box Office. Hopefully, Phir Hera Pheri will turn the tables for him.