Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has once again made headlines, but this time for his business-minded approach to films. Filmmaker Shailendra Singh recently revealed that Akshay prioritizes business over acting and is highly strategic when it comes to setting and increasing his fees.
8 x 10 Tasveer: Big Hopes, Big Loss
Shailendra shared that in 2009, he worked on the film ‘8 x 10 Tasveer’, initially planned with a modest budget of 30–35 crore INR, to be shot in Munnar. However, due to Akshay’s busy schedule, the production had to move to multiple locations including Calgary and Cape Town, causing the budget to skyrocket to around 85 crore INR.
Unfortunately, the film flopped at the box office, resulting in significant financial losses for Shailendra.
Akshay Did Not Return Any Fees
Even after the film’s failure, Shailendra requested Akshay to return part of his fee. He recalled:
“I told him that the film didn’t perform and he needed to take responsibility. But Akshay didn’t return a single penny.”
This incident even led Shailendra to temporarily step away from filmmaking.
Akshay’s Business Approach
Shailendra explained that Akshay gradually increases his fee. For example, a fee may start at 15 crore INR, rise to 21 crore, then 27 crore, and suddenly jump to 36 crore. He said:
“Akshay is a businessman first and an actor second. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
He also mentioned that Akshay was paid 9 crore INR for a song in Shailendra’s animated film ‘Jumbo’.
Singh Is King Title Controversy
Shailendra revealed that he actually came up with the idea and the title for ‘Singh Is King’. After the film became a blockbuster, he had to fight legally to reclaim the ownership of the title, which he eventually won.
John Abraham’s Fee Issue
Shailendra also mentioned actor John Abraham, noting that when his film ‘Aashayein’ flopped, he too did not return any part of his fee, despite repeated requests.