Akshay Kumar
- Original name:
- Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia
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Akshay Kumar (born September 9, 1967, Amritsar, Punjab, India) is an Indian actor and producer, chiefly known for his work in Bollywood comedies and action films. Kumar, whose career spans more than three decades, has starred in more than 100 films and is one of the most popular Bollywood actors in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest Indian civilian honors, in 2009.
Early life and family
Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia was born to Hari Om Bhatia, an Indian army veteran who became an accountant, and Aruna Bhatia. The family briefly lived in Delhi before moving to Bombay (Mumbai), where Bhatia completed high school. He dropped out of college to pursue martial arts in Thailand. Upon his return to Bombay, Bhatia taught martial arts and dabbled in modeling before entering the film industry.
Early films
Bhatia’s first credited movie role was a nonspeaking screen appearance as a martial arts instructor in Aaj (1987; “Today”). He landed his first lead role in Saugandh (1991; “Oath”), an action film. He began using the name Akshay Kumar professionally in these early stages of his career, inspired by the name of the lead character in Aaj.
Throughout the 1990s Kumar acted in a steady stream of action thrillers. He starred in the popular Khiladi (“Player”) film series. He gained considerable success with the series, especially with the movies Khiladi (1992), his breakthrough, and Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994; “I Am the Player, You Are the Novice”). In 1994 Kumar also portrayed a conflicted policeman in the blockbuster Mohra (“Pawn”).
Beyond action films, Kumar starred in the romantic comedy Yeh Dillagi (1994; “The Game of Love”), a loose adaptation of the American film Sabrina (1954), and the romance Dhadkan (2000; “Heartbeat”). Ajnabee (2001; “Stranger”) marked a shift for the actor, and his role as a philandering husband and murderer won him his first Filmfare Award, for best villain.
Rise to stardom
With Hera Pheri (2000; “Monkey Business”), a remake of the Malayalam-language kidnapping caper Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), Kumar took on a new kind of role—that of the comedic lead. He appeared in several comedies in the 2000s, including Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004; “Will You Marry Me?”), Phir Hera Pheri (2006; “Once Again Monkey Business”), the sequel to Hera Pheri, and Housefull (2010). He also won his second Filmfare Award, for best actor in a comedic role, for Garam Masala (2005; “Hot Spice”). Kumar’s comic roles are a big part of his mass appeal.
Some of his other notable credits from the 2000s include the romance Namastey London (2007), the psychological thriller comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007; “Labyrinth”), and the potboiler Singh Is Kinng (2008). Kumar also hosted three seasons (2008, 2009, and 2011) of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (“Fear Factor: Players of Danger”), a reality TV show based on the American series Fear Factor.
Later films
In the 2010s and thereafter Kumar worked across genres and delivered several commercial successes. He appeared in three sequels of Housefull (2012, 2016, and 2019); the action comedy Rowdy Rathore (2012); the satirical comedy OMG: Oh My God! (2012); and the action thrillers Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014) and Airlift (2016). Kumar’s role as a naval officer in the crime thriller and courtroom drama Rustom (2016), inspired by a real-life Indian case from the 1950s, won him a National Film Award for best actor in 2017.
Kumar branched out from action thrillers and comedies into social commentary films, such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017; “Toilet: A Love Story”) and Pad Man (2018), which won the National Film Award for best social film. Kumar’s subsequent films include 2.0 (2018), Good Newwz (2019), Laxmii (2020), and OMG 2 (2023). Some of his films released in 2024—Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (“Big Mister, Little Mister”), Sarfira (“Crazy”), and Khel Khel Mein (“While Playing”)—did not fare well. In 2025 Kumar starred in the action thriller Sky Force.
Controversies
Kumar’s 2017 National Film Award win received considerable criticism, as many believed that the award should have gone to more critically acclaimed contenders, such as actor Aamir Khan for Dangal (2016; “Wrestling Arena”). Kumar’s close working relationship with jury member Priyadarshan, who had directed several of Kumar’s films, sparked speculation about favoritism. Kumar was also criticized for acquiring Canadian citizenship during a career slump; he reclaimed his Indian passport in 2023.
Production ventures and personal life
In 2008 Kumar established his first production house, Cape of Good Films (formerly Hari Om Entertainment), which has coproduced several of his movies, including Rustom, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and OMG 2. Kumar cofounded a second production house, Grazing Goat Pictures, with producer Ashvini Yardi a few years later.
Kumar is married to Twinkle Khanna, an actress-turned-author and the daughter of prominent Bollywood actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. The couple share two children.