Akshay Kumar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Akshay Kumar
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Kumar in 2017
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| Born |
Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia
9 September 1967 Delhi, India
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Twinkle Khanna
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Khanna family |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2009) |
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Akshay Kumar (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967) is a famous Indian actor and film producer. He works mainly in Hindi cinema. People often call him "Khiladi Kumar" because of his action roles.
Akshay Kumar has been acting for over 30 years. He has appeared in more than 150 films. He has won many awards, including two National Film Awards. In 2009, the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri. This is India's fourth-highest civilian honor.
Forbes magazine listed him as one of the world's highest-paid actors. This was from 2015 to 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, he was the only Indian on these lists.
Contents
Early Life
Akshay Kumar was born in Old Delhi, India. His birth name was Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia. His family was Punjabi Hindu. His father was an army officer.
From a young age, Akshay loved sports. His father also enjoyed wrestling. He grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk. Later, his family moved to Mumbai when his father became an accountant.
He went to Don Bosco High School, Matunga. At the same time, he learned Karate. He started college but left because he was not interested in studies. He wanted to learn more martial arts. His father helped him go to Bangkok, Thailand. Akshay lived there for five years, learning Thai Boxing.
Before Thailand, he earned a black belt in Taekwondo in India. After Thailand, he worked in different places. He was a chef in Dhaka and sold jewelry in Delhi. When he returned to Mumbai, he started teaching martial arts.
One of his students' fathers was a model coordinator. He suggested Akshay try modeling. Akshay earned more money in two days of modeling than in a whole month of his previous job. So, he chose to become a model. He also worked as a background dancer in films.
Akshay first appeared on screen in the film Aaj. He had a small role as a Karate instructor. He later changed his name to Akshay Kumar.
One day, he missed a flight for an ad shoot. He visited a film studio with his photos. That evening, he was signed for a main role in the movie Deedar.
Film Career
Early Films and Action Hero Roles (1991–1999)
Akshay Kumar's first main role was in Saugandh (1991). The next year, he starred in the thriller Khiladi. This film made him a popular action hero. It led to more films in the Khiladi series. Other action hits included Mohra (1994) and Jaanwar (1999).
In 1994, he appeared in 11 films. Two of his films, Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Mohra, were among the highest-earning films that year. He also had success with the romantic film Yeh Dillagi. This film earned him his first nomination for Best Actor.
He continued to star in the Khiladi series, like Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995) and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996). Both were very successful. In Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, he even wrestled with a famous wrestler.
In 1997, he had a supporting role in Dil To Pagal Hai. He also played a double role in the action film Aflatoon. By 1999, his film Jaanwar became a commercial success. This marked his strong return to films.
Comedy and New Roles (2000–2006)
In 2000, Akshay starred in the comedy Hera Pheri. This film was a big success and changed his career. He also acted in the romantic film Dhadkan. Critics praised his acting in this film.
He took on a challenging role in Ajnabee (2001). He won his first Filmfare Award for this role. In 2002, he played a blind man in the film Aankhen. His performance was highly praised.
In 2003, he starred in the romantic film Andaaz. It was a big hit at the box office. In 2004, he appeared in the action drama Khakee. He played a police inspector. Critics liked his performance. He also starred in the romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. His comedic timing was excellent in this film.
In 2005, he acted in the comedy Garam Masala. This film earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Comedian. In 2006, he starred in Phir Hera Pheri, a sequel to Hera Pheri. This film was also a huge success.
Major Successes (2007–2011)
The year 2007 was one of Akshay Kumar's most successful. All four of his films that year were big hits. These included Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Welcome. His performance in Namastey London earned him another Best Actor nomination.
In 2008, his film Singh Is Kinng was a huge success. It broke box office records. He also started hosting the TV show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. He hosted it for four seasons.
In 2009, his film Chandni Chowk to China did not do well. However, his film De Dana Dan was a success. In 2010, he starred in the comedy Housefull. This film had one of the highest opening weekend collections ever.
He also appeared in Khatta Meetha and Tees Maar Khan. In 2011, he starred in Patiala House and Desi Boyz. He also helped produce a film called Breakaway. This film became the highest-earning cross-cultural movie in Canada that year.
Continued Success (2012–2021)
In 2012, his film Housefull 2 was a big hit. His next film, Rowdy Rathore, also earned a lot of money. Both films made over ₹1 billion. In 2012, he started his own production company, Grazing Goat Pictures.
His film Oh My God! (2012) started slowly but became a super hit due to positive reviews. His film Special 26 (2013) also received good reviews and was a success.
In 2014, he starred in Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. This action thriller was a big success and joined the ₹1 billion club. He also appeared in Entertainment and sang a song for it.
His film Airlift (2016) was praised by critics and earned a lot of money. His film Rustom (2016) also did very well. Both Airlift and Rustom earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
In 2017, he starred in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. This film talked about the important social issue of toilets in India. Akshay promoted the film by digging a toilet in Madhya Pradesh. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the film's message about cleanliness.
In 2018, Akshay starred in Pad Man, another social drama. He also made his debut in Tamil cinema with the science fiction thriller 2.0.
In 2019, he appeared in Kesari, based on the Battle of Saragarhi. He also starred in Mission Mangal, about India's first mission to Mars. His films Housefull 4 and Good Newwz were also very successful. All four of his films in 2019 were big hits.
In 2020, his horror comedy Laxmii was released online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, his film Sooryavanshi was a big box office hit. It helped bring people back to cinemas after the pandemic. He also starred in the romantic comedy Atrangi Re.
Recent Films (2022–Present)
In 2022, Akshay Kumar's films like Bachchhan Paandey, Samrat Prithviraj, and Rakshabandhan did not do well at the box office. Ram Setu also had a poor performance.
In 2023, his film Selfiee also struggled. However, OMG 2 – Oh My God 2 became a box office hit. He played a messenger of Lord Shiva in this film. His film Mission Raniganj received mixed reviews and did not perform well.
In 2024, his film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was a box office disaster. Sarfira and Khel Khel Mein also struggled. He will appear in Singham Again and Sky Force in 2025.
Other Work
Television
In 2004, Akshay Kumar hosted a seven-part TV series called Seven Deadly Arts with Akshay Kumar. In this show, he taught viewers about different martial arts. In 2005, he received a high Japanese honor and a sixth-degree black belt in Karate.
Since 2008, he has hosted the stunt reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. He hosted the first, second, and fourth seasons. The show became very popular.
In 2011, Akshay hosted India's first MasterChef TV show. It was watched by many viewers. In 2014, he hosted another reality show called Dare 2 Dance. This show combined dance with stunts.
In 2014, Akshay also produced a successful TV show called Jamai Raja. In 2017, he was a judge on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.
In 2020, he joined Bear Grylls for an episode of "Into The Wild" on Discovery Channel. This episode was very popular.
Fitness and Stage Performances
Akshay Kumar promotes health and fitness. He stays in shape with kickboxing, basketball, swimming, and Parkour. He started practicing Karate when he was young. He plans to open a martial arts school in Maharashtra.
He performed his 500th live show in 2014 at the O2 Arena in London. This was part of the World Kabaddi League opening. He owns a team called Bengal Warriors in the Indian Kabaddi League. Akshay has also set himself on fire for a series launch, saying he is a stuntman first.
Production
Akshay Kumar has his own production companies, Cape Of Good Films and Grazing Goat Pictures.
Personal Life
Family
Akshay Kumar married Twinkle Khanna on 17 January 2001. Twinkle is the daughter of actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. They have a son and a daughter. Akshay is a protective father and tries to give his children a normal childhood away from the media.
Citizenship
Akshay Kumar was a citizen of Canada from 2011 to 2023. In December 2019, he said he had applied for an Indian passport. He planned to give up his Canadian citizenship. On 15 August 2023, India's Independence Day, he confirmed he had received his Indian citizenship back. His Canadian citizenship was withdrawn as per Indian law.
In the Media
In India, Akshay Kumar is known as Khiladi or Khiladi Kumar. This is because he does many dangerous stunts himself. Also, it's due to his Khiladi film series.
From 2015, he was regularly featured in Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid actors. In 2019, he was the fourth highest-paid actor in the world. In 2020, he was the sixth highest-paid actor and the only Indian on the list.
Akshay Kumar was the first Indian actor whose films' total earnings crossed ₹20 billion by 2013. By 2016, it crossed ₹30 billion.
He has a strong brand value and is popular in advertising. In 2020, he topped the list of celebrities with the highest brand value. He has endorsed many brands like Thums Up and Honda. He was also a brand ambassador for Canada Tourism.
Akshay Kumar has a large fan following in India and other countries. Memes from his comedy movies are very popular online. Since 2013, he has been the highest advance taxpayer in the Hindi film industry for six years in a row. In August 2022, he received a certificate for being the highest taxpayer.
He has often criticized film award functions. He believes the National Film Award is the most respected award in the country.
Akshay Kumar holds a Guinness World Records for taking the most selfies in three minutes. He took 184 selfies at an event for his film Selfiee. In March 2023, he performed in several US cities for "The Entertainers" tour.
Helping Others
Akshay Kumar is known for his charity work and donations. He and his co-star Tamannaah Bhatia donated clothes from their film Entertainment to an animal welfare charity. He has also donated money to Salman Khan's Being Human Foundation.
In 2015, he donated ₹9 million to farmers in Maharashtra affected by drought. He also helped a contestant on Khatron Ke Khiladi with money for his father's cancer treatment. He donated ₹5 million to help people affected by drought through a government program.
In 2013, he started a 30-bed cancer shelter for policemen. He also helped an acid attack survivor, Laxmi Agarwal, by giving her money when she was struggling.
In 2017, he launched an insurance scheme for stunt directors. The family of a stunt director who passed away received compensation under this scheme.
Akshay Kumar has often shown concern for the families of soldiers. In 2017, he donated ₹1.08 crore to the families of 12 soldiers killed in Chhattisgarh. In 2016, he donated ₹80 lakh to army families. He also gave ₹9 lakh to the family of a martyred BSF soldier.
He donated ₹1.5 crore to build a shelter for transgender persons in Chennai. He supports the construction of this home.
Akshay Kumar supports the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission). He has built toilets in Madhya Pradesh. His movie Toilet was also based on the importance of toilets. He was named Uttarakhand's brand ambassador for the 'Swachhta Abhiyaan'.
In 2017, he launched the Bharat Ke Veer app with the help of the home ministry. This app allows people to send money directly to the families of soldiers who have died in duty.
After the 2019 Pulwama attack, Akshay Kumar helped the families of the soldiers who died. He donated ₹1.5 million to one family and urged his fans to donate. He also pledged to donate ₹5 crore through the 'Bharat Ke Veer' app.
In 2020, when Kerala, Assam, and Chennai were hit by floods, Akshay Kumar donated ₹1 crore to each state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was one of the first Bollywood stars to donate to the PM CARES Fund. He gave ₹25 crore to the fund and another ₹1 crore to a charity for COVID relief.
In 2021, Akshay Kumar donated ₹1 crore to build a school building in a village in Jammu and Kashmir.
Awards and Recognition
Akshay Kumar has won many awards. He has received two Filmfare Awards: for Best Villain in Ajnabee (2002) and Best Comedian in Garam Masala (2006). He also won a National Film Award for Best Actor for his films Rustom and Airlift (both 2016).
In 2008, the University of Windsor gave him an honorary Doctorate of Law. This was to recognize his work in Indian cinema. In 2009, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri. In 2011, The Asian Awards honored him for his great achievements in Cinema.
See also
In Spanish: Akshay Kumar para niños
