In a career spanning nearly 30 years, Akshay Kumar has become quite a favorite of the masses.
The actor has successfully managed to transform himself from a mere ‘action star’ to an all-rounder, who has basically done all kinds of roles in his career.
Not only that, Akshay is one of those actors from the 90’s, who have succeeded in transitioning through the changes in Indian cinema at the turn of the millennium, and still have a successful career at the other end of it.
From his early work as in the ‘Khiladi’ film series, to his recent string of patriotic biopics and socially relevant flicks, Akshay has several films that can constitute the ‘must watch’ list for his fans.
Even though his films have always been more mainstream, and have always catered to the masses for sheer box-office value, he’s still done some notable work in the recent years.
Today we list down 10 of the best films released by the actor thus far.
Here are Akshay Kumar’s 10 best films:
10) Airlift
Inspired from historic true events, this film focuses on India’s rescue operation to bring back more than 170,000 stranded countrymen from Kuwait, when the country was invaded by Iraq back in 1990. An important lesson in history, even with it’s few passable inaccuracies – this is a must watch.
9) Pad Man
A critically acclaimed film by R. Balki taking on the subject of female hygiene and menstruation and putting it on the table for everyone to discuss. The film is inspired from the true story of a man from rural India, who curates sanitary pads for his wife and later transforms that into a successful business. An uplifting, moving and important flick.
8) OMG: Oh My God
Although the film is primarily led by Paresh Rawal and his fight against the ‘thekedaars of dharam’, Akshay plays the role Lord Krishna, as he witness the fight between society’s good vs evil. Particularly the kind of evil that is done in the name of god. Although te movie is painfully overdramatic in some parts, but i’s heart is in the right place and it does make you feel and understand all of it. For that, this is a must watch.
7) Kesari
Throwing like on a forgotten and often overlooked even of India’s history, this high-voltage film is based on the incredible true story of the Battle of Saragarhi, in which an army just 21 brave Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans back in 1897.
6) Gabbar Is Back
A unique hero fighting the age-old battle against corruption in the country – that is this Krrish-directed venture for you. This Gabbar does not loot innocent people, but threatens those in power to expose corrupt officers. A memorable performance from Akshay in an interesting, entertaining flick.
5) Baby
This 2015-released film directed by Neeraj Pandey, who previously directed the critically acclaimed – ‘A Wednesday.’ The movie focuses on unit of a special task force which is working in response to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, as they aim to find and eliminate terrorists amid other terror threats. An exciting, well-paced thriller.
4) Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
A socially relevant film from Akki with a commentary on something that has been a prevalent topic in our country in the recent years – the availability of sanitation and toilets in rural areas. The film takes an unorthodox subject, and builds a love story around it – unexpectedly turning it into quite an entertainer. You wouldn’t usually expect that from a movie focusing on toilets.
3) Hera Pheri
One of the finest comedies of the past 25 years, curated through the factory of comedy-king Priyadarshan. Some of the most iconic scenes, dialogues and characters in Bollywood comic history originated from this film, and we still see movie lovers revisiting them for all the good reasons. Pure classic.
2) Jolly LLB 2
A great socio-political commentary on subjects that are very much relevant to our society today. This court-room drama cum thriller, was an even better film than the first part – which starred Arshad Warsi. Granted there were some over-the-top elements, but it is still one of the ‘better’ films of Akki’s career.
1) Special 26
With co-stars like Anupam Kher and the great Manoj Bajpayee, this crime thriller puts together a very unique and intriguing storyline, without compromising the narrative’s believability. With fine performances from the whole cast, and some edge-of-the-seat moments, this one deservingly sits at the top of the list.
Although Akshay isn’t one of those mainstream Bollywood actors who has been known for his acting skills, off late – the actor has certainly proven his willingness to experiment with unorthodox cinema – and this list showcases just how that has transformed into some of his best work yet.