Akshay Kumar, one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, recently opened up about his relationship with success and failure, emphasizing the transient nature of both. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Akshay shared insights he has gleaned from his own experiences and those of his late father-in-law, the legendary Rajesh Khanna.
Akshay Kumar revealed that his understanding of success and failure is deeply influenced by Rajesh Khanna, who experienced a meteoric rise followed by a dramatic decline in his career. Akshay stated, “I don’t let anything enter my head. I have seen a lot of people fall down, I have heard many stories. My father-in-law has taught me so much, because he had seen the biggest success in life and then he saw a complete drop. I have heard stories. What I do is, I take knowledge from other people, and I realise that these things are just to be kept at a one-hand’s distance. My job is to just keep working.”
Reflecting on his own career, Akshay acknowledged the cyclical nature of success and failure in the film industry. “In my career, I have given 16-18 hits continuously, then continuously I’ve given 10-12 flops. I don’t take it seriously. I’ve known this since the beginning of my career. It is not yours. It is a crown that will be passed on to others. Today, it’s with you, next Friday it’ll be with somebody else. Success is an amazing thing, but don’t take it seriously; it’ll run,” he said.
While hard work is a significant factor in achieving success, Akshay firmly believes that luck plays a predominant role. He explained, “I really believe this. Success is 70% luck and 30% hard work. I have seen worst films becoming superhits, and best films becoming flops… That means there is something called luck, and it plays its own game.”
Akshay Kumar’s career has not been without its challenges, particularly in the post-pandemic period. Despite his consistent hard work, he has faced a series of box office disappointments, with only one hit among approximately ten releases. His latest film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, was one of his biggest failures, grossing only around ₹100 crore against a budget of over ₹350 crore.
