Akshay Kumar's onscreen evolution: From true-blue Khiladi to staunch patriot
From the unrestrained Khiladi to Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’s Everyman, here’s a look back at Akshay Kumar’s most memorable roles on the actor’s 50th birthday.
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Khiladi, which went on to become a super successful franchise can arguably be called Akshay Kumar's Bollywood breakthrough. The street-smart, suave risk-taker character continues to have a cult of its own. Image from Twitter.
After years of playing the Khiladi, Akshay Kumar shed his 'player' image to play Raju in Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri alongside Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. The iconic trio became synonymous with comedy in India after the 2000s. Image from Facebook.
One of his most memorable on-screen moments with Salman Khan in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. The duo never disappoint. Image from Twitter.
2006 was the year when Kumar gave Bollywood its most lovable sardar, Happy. Singh is Kinng went on to become a hit and continues to have immense recall value. Image from Twitter.
With 2012, there was a palpable shift in the kind of cinema the Khiladi was doing. With OMG – Oh My God! came a phase of 'woke' Akshay Kumar films. Image from Twitter.
In 2016, came one of Kumar's best film - Airlift. A fresh change from his 'Khiladi Bhaiyya' image. Image from Twitter.
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha spawned a new kind of Akshay Kumar — aware, mature yet flawed. The film has now become one of the biggest films of 2017 and gives us an insight into the actor that he has now become and his strategic film choices. Image from Twitter.