Birthday Special: Akshay Kumar and his most underrated outings

Akshay Kumar Picture Courtesy: AFP

What does it take to be like Akshay Kumar? Or to be the Akshay Kumar? Strength, Height, Handsomeness, Nifty skills, and of course, a black belt. Critics labeled him as a non-actor but the man enthralled the crowd with his action and fluid body. Think of him as the man who did it all before Tiger Shroff came into the picture. Think of the finale of his 1998 ‘Barood' where Amrish Puri makes him fight a dozen of henchmen.

90s kids would've had their nostalgic rush while watching Shroff's ‘Baaghi' in 2016. But Kumar has dabbled with all the genres cinema has to offer- comedy, thriller, romance, and of course, action. Some were thunderstorms commercially, some tanked. Here are some of his most underrated films yet:

Yeh Dillagi (1994)

Kumar was a businessman who wore designer suits and glares for intellect. Since this love triangle was presented by Yash Raj Films, fluffiness and flair had to be taken care of. Barring one action scene, possibly added into the story to cater to his loyal fan base, his was a soft and tender character and diametrically opposite to that of Saif Ali Khan, a Casanova with no leash. It's surprising and stunning that Khan took away most of the credit for the film's success when he was always the second fiddle to Kumar and all his other co-stars.

Sangharsh (1999)

It's nowhere close to the chills that ‘The Silence of the Lambs' gave, it's still a commendable effort to narrate the story of a professor, a police officer, and a psychopath that's as brutal as it can get. ‘Sangharsh' was an Ashutosh Rana show-reel, his bulging eyes were nightmarish, his evil intentions discomfiting, and his performance inimitable. Kumar held his own despite a stronger, more seasoned performer, and one may want to revisit this thriller from his eyes.

Jaan-E-Mann (2006)

An exquisitely shot love triangle about a geek madly drawn into passion, a callous husband being the victim of lies, a woman unaware of the truth, everything was blended beautifully by debutant director Shirish Kunder in this Broadway-style musical. Kumar's laugher became meme-worthy even before social media was born, he was from NASA, and love made him fly in the air. Kumar and Salman Khan, both were at their charming and restrained best. Perhaps this film's biggest tragedy was to release at a time when Kumar and Khan's vanities hadn't overpowered their vulnerabilities and the other Khan was the infallible celluloid star. How times have changed!

Patiala House (2011)

After a string of cacophonous and crass comedies, Nikkhil Advani's ‘Patiala House' barely allowed Kumar to speak. He's a man of limitless dreams and limited words. He aspires to play for the England Cricket Team and this causes chaos and conflicts with his father. There are scenes of his heartbreaks and tears, but the actor let the drops do the talking. Even when his team wins in the end, he doesn't utter a word, just smiles and reunites with his family. Today, it would have been followed by a rousing speech on how it feels to be a patriot. Take your pick.

Brothers (2015)

Remake of the Hollywood film ‘Warrior', the name says it all. Two brothers divided by a conflict are united by a common sport- MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Not too many actors can carry salt and pepper beard and grey hair as effortlessly as Kumar can, and he looked smashing in this actioner. Again, he spoke so faintly, you would think it's Amol Palekar on screen. But Kumar this time allowed his punches and kicks to do the talking, and who better than him to knock his opponents down? Is there any action this bona-fide, blockbuster action star can't pull off?

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