Despite dud, Akshay has four-midable 2009

2009 may have begun on a debacle of a note for Khiladi Kumar with CC2C going under but he has many chances to regain his lost glory. Unlike his competitors, who have only one or two films each scheduled for release this year (My Name is Khan for SRK, 3 Idiots for Aamir, London Dreams and Veer for Salman, and Kites for Hrithik), Akki has four.

Here are the films he will be hoping will keep him in the A-hero slot that he fought so hard to get last year.
Interestingly, he has films in all sorts of genres.

Film: Kambakkht Ishq
Genre: Action
Akshay's character: Stuntman
Release: May
X-Factor: Sylvester Stallone, Kareena in a golden bikini

The chick factor in Kambakkht Ishq comes from Kareena Kapoor and Bond Girl Denise Richards, and it is likely to be one of Akshay's two big films this year. A quintessential big budget Bollywood potboiler it has more going for it than just big stars from Hollywood. The jodi of Kareena and Akshay clicked in Aitraaz and though Tashan flopped, Kareena's performance and look were the rage. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala has delivered blockbusters like Heyy Babyy and Mujhse Shaadi Karoge and so understands what hit films are about (even if Jaan-e-Mann flopped). Writer Anvita Dutt Guptan (Dostana and Bachna Ae Haseeno) also has the touch. Shot in US, Italy and France, the film also has Playboy Playmate Carmen Electra with Sean Kingston and Beyonce Knowles on the soundtrack. This will help with desi audiences abroad. The movie's editors tell us that Kareena has filled out her bikini a little more voluptuously than she did in Tashan.

Film: Blue
Genre: Thriller
Akshay's character: Scuba Diving Thief
Release: Christmas
X-Factor: Underwater shots, sharks

Tagged Bollywood's most expensive flick ever (its budget has crossed 100 crore) Blue is not an Akshay solo movie; it also stars Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif. If such things matter anymore, given that most films are shot abroad, it also stars the islands of the Bahamas as well as what are promised to be very slick stunts. This is the second movie that Akshay will circle as one of his two big hits of '09. AR Rahman has scored the music, which features the singing of Aussie pop sensation Kylie Minogue. Lara and Katrina have been given the pretext of taking off their clothes, while the men are apparently looking bronzed and fit. If the movie has a half-decent story, it should fly.

Film: De Dhana Dhan
Genre: Comedy
Akshay's character: ?
Release: Second half
X-Factor: Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and Akshay team up again after Hera Pheri 1 and 2

The last time Akshay worked with director Priyadarshan, they delivered Bhool Bhulaiyya. Before that, Hera Pheri and Garam Masala. This time they're making a comedy that sees another reunion: Akshay with Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, who also starred in Hera Pheri.
While the movie does not have the makings of a top rate blockbuster, given its comic tilt, its success will keep Akshay in that zone where people will assume that just the star and a decent script are needed for a film to rock.

Film: Eight By Ten
Genre: Sci-Fi
Akshay's character: Fortune Teller
Release: April
X-Factor: Arty film

This is Akshay's riskiest movie this year, and is being directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Risky on three counts. First: Nagesh's last film, Aashayein starring John Abraham, is yet to release because apparently its producers find it too arty. Second: Nagesh has never worked with an A-star before and might not know how to handle one, given that his films are plot-focussed. Third: Fantasy and Sci-Fi have never worked in India with a couple of exceptions (think of the disaster of Love Story 2050). Akshay has Ayesha Takia for company and her role in Dor for Nagesh, while it was splendid, was not heroine material for Bollywood.
While the movie has a small budget (apparently Akshay also isn't charging as much as normal), if it releases early in the year it might cause more mouths to chatter and speculate if Akki really deserves to be in the top bracket after all.

Nadiadwala plans a star-studded premiere for Kambakht Ishq

Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who has collaborated with Hollywood biggies Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards for his forthcoming film "Kambakht Ishq", has invited them for a grand premiere of the film in India later this year. He hopes it will help wipe away the traumatic memories of the Mumbai terror strikes from the tourists' mind.

"It's a do or die thing for me after 26/11. I don't feel like a Bollywood producer at the moment. I'm reacting as an Indian," Nadiadwala told IANS.

Post-26/11, the premiere of the Akshay Kumar-Kareena Kapoor starrer has become a show of strength for Nadiadwala as an Indian more than a producer. Invitations have been sent out to Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

"Let's just say I want my Hollywood team to come and erase 26/11 from Mumbai's tourist map. I'm going to leave no stone unturned to make sure Stallone and others go back with only the fondest memories of Mumbai.

"If six months ago I'd have laid out the red carpet for the Hollywood members of the cast, now I'm putting my entire production machinery and powers of hospitality on the block.

"The 'Kambhakt Ishq' premiere is not about our entertainment industry any more. It's about Mumbai and India. I want Hollywood to come to Mumbai and taste our hospitality. Nothing has changed in the country. We're still as warm and welcoming as we used to be," said Nadiadwala.

Over 20 foreigners were killed in the Mumbai terror strikes.

"'Kambhakt Ishq' is not just an exciting business venture after what happened to Mumbai in November. Suddenly all of us have become more sensitised. We need to prove a point to the world and to ourselves... I realise there's a black mark against Mumbai's name on the tourist map after 26/11. We will erase it. And to do that we need to invite the outside world to come to Mumbai and see that Mumbai is safe. I promise you, Stallone won't go back with any apprehensions about our city."

After GHAJINI its KAMBAKKTH ISHQ turn!

If GHAJINI was the biggest blockbuster of 2008, get ready for the biggest film of 2009, Sajid Nadiadwala's KAMBAKKTH ISHQ. Starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor along with the who's who of Hollywood right from Slyvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, the film is anticipated as the most awaited release of 2009.

The release date for the film has been finalized for 29th May 2009. Trade reports have already declared it as the most awaited release of next year and whats more? All the opinion polls on the internet have declared it as the film to watch out for in 2009. Last year it was GHAJINI and this New Year it's undoubtedly KAMBAKKTH ISHQ!

Akshay-Kareena starrer Kambakht Ishq slated to release in May 2009

Akshay Kumar ruled the B.O. last year (2007) with several back to back hits. This year, while his film Tashan, sank without a trace, Singh Is Kinng emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, thereby pronouncing him as the ‘Kinng’ of the Box-Office.

Now next year, Akki fans would get to see him in Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakht Ishq, which many insiders believe would be the biggest film of 2009. The film has been slated to release on May 29, 2009. Kambakht Ishq has been in the news for a while now, especially because of the pairing of Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. Among the highlights of the film is the presence of Hollywood heavyweights such as Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

The film directed by debutante director Sabir Khan has been shot at some extravagant locations across Europe and the buzz among the industry experts and the aam janta towards the film has been quite phenomenal. Now with Kambakht Ishq been scheduled to release on May 29, expect things to get all the more hotter next summer.

Kareena plays a surgeon who moonlights as a model in Kambakth Ishq

In her next release Kambakth Ishq, Kareena plays a surgeon who moonlights as a super-model.

A surgeon who's a super-model? Sounds like a deadly combination. "Yeah my character flies to Italy to become a super-model to support herself financially. I didn't want to play the character looking like an international model because she's basically in another profession. So she can't really have the figure of Victoria Beckham, can she? I had to look more filled up. Again, for my next release Main Aur Mrs Khanna with Salman, I play a wife. So I wanted to look more filled up. Not that wives can't be curvaceous. The one I played in Golmaal Returns certainly was."

For her forthcoming films 'Size 0' is out. No more international anorexic looks for her. Kareena Kapoor is down to a healthy normal desi girl's model-like figure.

Reason? "My forthcoming releases required me to get back to a fuller shape."

Now Kareena has decided to hold steady with her new weight. "I weigh 54 kgs now, which for a girl of my height is quite fine. People used to wonder what 'Size 0' is and I'd joke, 'Just look at me'. I don't want that anymore. I want to look like a nice normal healthy girl."