Akshay Kumar is riding high on the success of Kesari: Chapter 2, but the actor isn’t just focused on box office numbers. In a recent conversation, he opened up about the social impact of his films, how he handles criticism, and what truly scares him.
Known for choosing films with meaningful narratives, Akshay reflected on how some of his projects brought about real-life change. “After watching Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, people actually started building toilets. Padman made families more open about periods, and daughters could talk freely to their fathers. Even OMG 2 was about the importance of sex education. It’s fulfilling when people relate to these stories and feel impacted,” he said.
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While praise fuels him, Akshay admitted that criticism doesn’t always go down easy—but he welcomes it. “Audience hi maalik hai (the audience is the real boss). When they clap, it motivates me. When they criticise, it helps me grow. I pay attention to feedback, especially if it’s genuine. People have said, ‘Do something different,’ so I tried experimenting. Criticism can hurt, but it often helps you become better,” he added.
The actor also opened up about a deeper fear that haunts him—fading into irrelevance. “Besides falling from a helicopter, my biggest fear is waking up to no messages. That would mean I’m not needed anymore. That’s why I never want to stop working. Life is short, and I want to make it bigger. I’ll rest only when I’m not in this world. Until then, I’ll keep working—even if someone has to shoot me down to stop me.”