Director Suneel Darshan recalls the tough phase in Akshay Kumar's career; 'Akshay came to my office in tears'

Today, Akshay Kumar is one of the most bankable actors of Bollywood, but did you know his journey to becoming a superstar was not that easy? He was even once said to be "kachra" by filmmakers. Director Suneel Darshan recently opened up about the lesser-known phase of the actor's life, and how he faced rejection and humiliation from within the industry.

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Suneel Darshan on Akshay Kumar

During an interview with Bollywood Thikana, the director recalled working with Akshay Kumar in Jaanwar. "During Jaanwar, Akshay had grown very close to me. He had a phase where he was rejected and ridiculed," Darshan said. "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."

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Darshan on a breaking point in Akshay Kumar's life

Darshan further revealed a painful moment in Kumar's life when the actor visited him with tearful eyes, "The film was supposed to release on Friday, and not a single poster was up for it. The producer spoke very rudely to him and said heartbreaking things. Akshay came to my office very upset and in tears."

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In order to boost his morale at the time, Darshan reached out to designer Rahul Nanda and booked an expensive hoarding site at Juhu Circle. It featured Akshay Kumar promoting Jaanwar: "Our film was close to release, and we didn’t want Akshay’s morale to break because that would affect me."

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The film became a turning point in Akshay Kumar's career. Though it opened with a lukewarm response in Mumbai, Jaanwar gathered a lot of attention in North India. “It took a phenomenal start in UP, and in Bihar, it was an all-time hit. Jaanwar gave a huge comeback to Akshay.”

About Akshay Kumar's work front

Akshay Kumar has come a long way since Jaanwar. Said to be one of the most dependable performers, he has given back-to-back releases in years, with several blockbuster hits. The upcoming projects of the Bollywood superstar include Welcome to the Jungle, Hera Pheri 3, Bhoot Bangla, and Haiwaan. Reportedly, he will also star in three other films with Priyadarshan.