My director is silent but violent: Akshay Kumar

When AR Murugadoss teamed up with Akshay Kumar for Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, he was initially in awe of the actor. “He is a huge star and I wasn’t very comfortable. But now, he is like a childhood friend to me,” says the director. Says Akshay, “He must have felt a bit out of place, since this is only his second Hindi film. But now, I can pick up the phone anytime and call him.Both of us are punctual and we love early morning shifts.” Their camaraderie is visible in the way Akshay pulls Murugadoss’s leg. “My director is silent, but violent.
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He may be only 5 feet 3 inches tall, but he’s full of violence,” says Akshay, who plays army officer Captain Virat Bakshi in the film, which is presented by Reliance Entertainment. “I felt only Akshay could do justice to the different shades of this character — from a serious and focused soldier to a funny, romantic hero,” says the filmmaker, adding, “For most action sequences, he has not used a body double. He got hurt and was advised rest for 20 days, but he continued shooting.” The actor chips in with a mischievous grin, “I got hurt because of him. Once I fell down and tore my ligament; then a truck went over my feet. Since I didn’t want him to take another hero, I continued shooting!”
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Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, produced by Hari Om Entertainment Company and Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd, releases June 6.
Listen to Holiday songs on Gaana.com
Watch: Shaayarana song from Holiday