AKSHAY KUMAR HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MR. BHARAT

By Tapann Pattani

Time was when patriotism in Hindi films was associated with only one actor who was also a great all-rounder and he was Manoj Kumar. There have been many other actors who have tried to follow in Mr Bharat’s footsteps, but none of them have succeed like he did once. My friend, Rajan remembers a line from Vipul Shah’s“Namaste London”in which Akshay tells foreigner,“If you want to know more about India I can send you the DVDs of Manoj Kumar’s“Purab Aur Paschim”. Little would Akshay have thought then that he would be a modern version of Manoj Kumar, standing for all that is best about India.
It seems like the search for a new Manoj Kumar dealing with a new India has come to an end with the one-time chef turned Khiladi Kumar, Akshay Kumar.A close look at the last few films Akshay has done with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion will show without any doubt that Akshay is looking for roles that lift the image of India and Indians and their customs and values.
It seems like Akshay had seen how films made with a patriotic touch work with the Indian audiences when he did“Namaste London”. But the true Desh Bhakt started with“Airlift”and then went on with films dealing with the causes of the common Indian and even rising to play characters from history. For the record and for the times to come, Akshay will be always remembered as the actor who took up some of the most challenging, delicate and difficult to play roles in films like“Toilet Ek Prem Katha”,“Padman”and the recently released“Kesari”in which Akshay seems to have forgotten all about his stardom to live the role of one soldier who leads a brigade of only twenty soldiers to wage war against ten thousand Afghans enemies. The way he has played the role in which one can only recognise him by his eyes and his voice, is not only praiseworthy or awards worthy, but a source of inspiration for every Indian, even for those who have their own dilemmas and complexes about being an Indian and belonging to India.
What Akshay has done during the last five years has put a great responsibility on him and India will now look forward to him for doing much better work to uplift India and all Indians. He will have to be acutely aware of this responsibility which comes only to the chosen ones of India.