Akshay Kumar talks about taking it easy at work, his next film 'Boss' and more...

Though his last film failed to set off sparklers at the box office, Akshay Kumar is hoping he can resume his lucky streak at the ticket windows with his upcoming film, Boss. The star talks about why he wouldn't give up on a director just for one bad film in the past and pushing the envelope while performing his own stunts...

You seem to have no qualms working with a director with a not-so-successful past. Why?
Everyone deserves a second chance. Even Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed very cheaply in his first innings and if his captain then had decided to drop him, he would not have become the Tendulkar he is now. Similarly every director will not have a hit in his first film and everyone takes his or her own time.

Has Hrithik Roshan's stunt gone wrong made you more cautious?
My experience says that we normally tend to get hurt when we are doing the smallest of stunts. We tend to get a bit overconfident. It is extremely unfortunate what happened with Hrithik but as far as I am concerned, I am careful while doing mine. Even if I am jumping off a smaller height, I see to it that the landing is not wet or there is no uneven ground. Our profession is very demanding and we have to come up with new things and new stunts every time.


People in the industry feel that you should now slow down and do less work.
It is a wrong notion that I work too much. I have too many dos and don'ts in my life. I don't shoot on Sundays. I work only from 7 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. I take a week off after every film and I take a month-long vacation with my family every year. This year I had two releases -- Special Chabbis and Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara and will have Boss releasing this month. That's it.

There is a mad rush among stars to secure release dates coinciding with festivals. Do you think alike?
It definitely helps. With the stakes so high, it is very important to get an ideal clean day for the release.

Your daughter just turned one.
It was an intimate private affair with all of our family members getting together. I always wanted a healthy child and it was a good evening with my loved ones.

Are you happy with John Abraham being signed for Welcome Back?
I am elated that my dear friend John is doing the film. He has a fantastic comic timing and I have worked with him in three films. I have also done many films with the producer and Aneesbhai (Bazmee). I am looking forward to it.

Why did you sign Boss?
I had seen the film Pokiri Raza (in Malayalam) and it seemed like a complete film in spite of the fact that it did not have a leading lady opposite me. There are enough twists and turns in the film with the story revolving around a father and his son and two brothers. Most importantly, I loved the title Boss.


Was it easy learning the Haryanvi dialect for the film?
Usually, we have seen all kinds of lead characters in films - the NRI, the Delhi-based hero, a Gujarati, a Punjabi but never a Haryanvi. Yes, I learnt the language. My character is fun and I am sure everyone will love it.