Sumeet Raghavan on Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit's lasting success, passion for work: 'Their approach is...'

Sumeet Raghavan, known for his versatile performances across television, films, and theatre, recently reflected on the secrets behind the enduring success of Bollywood icons like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Madhuri Dixit. Drawing from his own experiences of working alongside these stars, he spoke about their discipline, relentless passion, and the hunger that continues to fuel their long-standing careers.

Learning from Bollywood’s biggest stars

In conversation with Pinkvilla, Sumeet highlighted the difference he observed while working with renowned stars like Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan. Recalling his experience on the Marathi film Bucket List with Nana Patekar and Madhuri Dixit, he noted their unwavering passion for work and discipline. According to him, these actors never take their craft for granted, with Nana even going to the extent of personally working on screenplays and penning down dialogues in his own handwriting.

Nana Patekar’s unique process

The actor further shared that Nana Patekar would carry a book of handwritten scenes, repeatedly going over lines until they became second nature. He explained that this process allowed the character to seep into him and become a part of his being. Raghavan also praised Akshay Kumar’s commitment to constantly raising the bar, adding that what truly stands out about such stars is their almost devotional approach to work. He believes in the same work ethic, stressing that hunger and desire are essential to growth — the moment one becomes content, the drive to learn and improve is lost.

The importance of lasting work

Sumeet also emphasized the importance of creating work that lasts beyond the present, urging that every effort should be directed toward building something memorable for generations to come. He shared that his own goal is to create work that can be remembered even a hundred years from now.

The actor collaborated with Shah Rukh Khan in Karan Johar’s drama My Name Is Khan and teamed up with Akshay Kumar in the 2014 thriller Holiday.