Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Kumar, Akshay Kumar, is a name who has been ruling Indian cinema for decades. Akshay, known for films with his action, comedy and social messages, has created a big audience. However, in recent years, his box office performance has seen a decline, which has raised the question whether he has lost his popularity?
Has Akshay Kumar lost his popularity?
It would not be absolutely correct to say that Akshay Kumar has lost his popularity, but there is no doubt that his recent films have put a question mark on his stardom. There was a time when Akshay’s film meant success at the box office. Today, his films are not able to earn as expected, which is concerned between both his fans and trade pundits. On social media too, the same craze for his films is less visible, and he has to face trolling.
Akshay Kumar’s list of few previous films and the possible reasons for his failure are as follows:
- Bachchan Pandey (2022): It was a gangster comedy in which Akshay’s look and character did not like the audience. The story also did not have the strength.
- Emperor Prithviraj (2022): A big budget historical film, which was a victim of poor script and weak direction. Akshay’s acting also faced criticism.
- Raksha Bandhan (2022): An emotional family drama, which was appreciated by some audiences, but it could not show anything special at the box office. The slow pace of the film and some worn out elements damaged it.
- Puppet (2022): This thriller, released directly on OTT, liked the audience to some extent, but it is difficult to say how it would have performed in theaters.
- Selfie (2023): This was a remake of the Malayalam film ‘Driving License’, which did not like the audience at all. The chemistry of Akshay and Emraan Hashmi also faded.
- Mission Raniganj (2023): This film, based on a true incident, also failed to pull the audience at the box office. The promotion of the film was also nothing special.
- Big Mian Chhoti Mian (2024): This multistarrer action film, which came with Tiger Shroff, was a great hope, but it flopped badly at the box office. Weak story, poor VFX and old action choreography were the main causes of its failure.
The main cause of failure:
- Weak screenplay and direction: Many films did not have newness in the story and the presentation was also poor.
- Cassering content: The audience now wants to see something new, while some of Akshay’s films were in the old style.
- Excessive dependence on remake: Remake films often do not leave the influence as the original film, especially when there is no newness in them.
- Akshay’s over-exposure: Due to continuous films, the audience is unable to connect with each of his characters.
- increased competition: Strict competition from OTT platform and South films is also a reason.
Is Akshay Kumar’s habit of doing more films?
Yes, it would not be wrong to say that Akshay Kumar’s habit of doing more films is harming him.
- Effect on quality: Signing continuously and shooting in a short time often reduces attention on script, direction and post-production, which directly affects the quality of the film.
- Over-exposure: When the same actor does 3-4 films a year, the audience starts getting bored with him. Each of his characters looks the same, and the newness ends.
- Lack of depth in the character: Playing many characters in a short time does not give the actor a chance to mix them completely, which does not make his acting so deep.
- Fatigue and low energy: Continuous working can cause an actor physically and mentally, which can show the effect on his performance.
Are Akshay Kumar selecting wrong films?
This is an important point. Akshay Kumar has selected many best films in the past, but in recent years it seems that there is some disturbance in his film selection.
- Not coming out of safe zone: Akshay has made a ‘formula’ – patriotic, social messages or light comedy. The audience now wants something new from them.
- Low attention to script quality: It appears that he is more focused on releasing early than the quality of the story.
- Remike Instead of telling the original story, working in a frequent remake, his creativity also raises questions.
- Understanding the changing choice of the market: The audience’s choice has changed a lot after Kovid. They now need a good story, not just stardom. Akshay may not fully understand this change.
Will Akshay Kumar return from ‘Housefull 5’ because viewers like to see him doing comedy?
‘Housefull’ franchise has been one of Akshay Kumar’s most successful comedy franchise. Viewers have always liked him in comedy roles, and films like ‘Hera Pherkam’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’ have proved this. Akshay Kumar’s return expectations from ‘Housefull 5’ are high because:
- Hit Comedy Brand: ‘Housefull’ is an established comedy brand with its own fan following.
- Akshay’s strength: Akshay Kumar is known for comedy timing. Viewers like to see him in this genre, especially when he is with a big starcast.
- Comeback chance: A successful comedy film can give a new direction to Akshay’s career and compensate for his previous failures.
However, it is also important to note that being part of the franchise is not a guarantee of success. The success of ‘Housefull 5’ will depend on its script, direction. If the film is fun and entertaining, it can definitely be a big comeback for Akshay Kumar and can reinforce his ‘player’ image again. The audience definitely wants to see Akshay Kumar doing his comfortable comedy, and ‘Housefull 5’ can provide the same opportunity for him.
Akshay Kumar is still a big Bollywood star, but he needs to seriously consider his strategy. It would be important for them to do less movies, pay more attention to the quality of the script, and understand the changing choice of the audience. ‘Housefull 5’ provides an opportunity, but Akshay has to be extremely careful with his upcoming projects to regain his lost brightness and maintain his legacy as a ‘player’.
