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[Photo Credit: Getty Images/Matt Carr]
Akshay Kumar has been a Bollywood superstar ever since he made his full-fledged debut with “Saugandh” in 1991. Being in the industry for 25 years has earned him a top spot in our hearts. Over the years, Kumar has entertained us in over 100 movies. Despite this, he is mostly referred to as “Khiladi” because of his numerous action roles and for the “Khiladi” film franchise.
However, the actor is actually an award-winning comedian, too, a fact we tend to overlook when he shows off his chiseled abs or serious acting chops in films such as “Holiday,” “Special 26,” “Oh My God,” and even the recently released “Rustom.”
As the actor turns 49 on September 9 this year, we list 11 of his funniest films ever so you can update your movies-to-watch list and add these hilarious ones to your list as you fangirl/fanboy over Kumar.
Priyadarshan’s film will go down in history as one of the funniest Bollywood movies ever made. The trio of Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Suniel Shetty—with great support from Gulshan Grover and Tabu—made “Hera Pheri” a thoroughly funny ride. Kumar plays Raju, and along with his roommates Baburao and Shyam, he gets unknowingly involved in a kidnapping plot that leads to hilarious consequences. His stand-offish, rude personality peels off as the movie progresses, allowing him to fully express his comical side.
Directed by David Dhawan, this rom-com was an instant hit when it released. Kumar plays Sunny, a man who is out to ruin his roommate Sameer (Salman Khan) and try to steal the girl he loves, Rani (Priyanka Chopra). Through a series of mishaps and incredibly funny scenes, we learn the truth behind Sunny’s motives. Kumar was flawless in his portrayal and shone in every scene. Somehow, playing a mean, witty person suits him well! (Maybe because he is the complete opposite in real life.)
Some comedy movies are best seen if we put our brains aside and decide to simply have a good time. “Garam Masala” is one of those, and it does its job well. Kumar plays photographer Makrand who, after feeling betrayed by his friend Sam (John Abraham), becomes engaged to three different air hostesses and juggles these relationships without anyone knowing about it. Troubles arise when Sam returns to his life looking for some fun of his own. The chemistry between Kumar and Abraham, along with the comedic genius of Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, make this film thoroughly enjoyable.
The duo of Kumar and Rawal can never disappoint. And if you add Govinda to this mix, you have a fail-proof formula for a comedy. In this film, an acting troupe including our three leads—Bunty, Champak, and Babla—travels to London to perform a show. In search of a new actress, they take help from a local driver who misinterprets their demands. From here on, things get mixed up and the police, local goons, an underworld don, a suicidal woman, and a murder mystery cause them to be on the run. All the actors in this movie are comedy gold!
Katrina Kaif became almost synonymous with Kumar’s comedy films for a few years, all thanks to their brilliant chemistry in this hit film. He plays Punjabi munda Arjun Singh who falls in love with Jasmeet “Jazz” Malhotra, a British-Indian who is actually in love with her boss. She marries Arjun to get her family off her back, only to announce her intention for divorce to marry her actual lover, breaking Arjun’s heart. Instead of giving up, he promises he will support her because he knows eventually, she’ll fall for him too. Thus begins a hilarious but romantic journey for the two of them. Plus, watch it for Kumar’s brilliant scenes with Rishi Kapoor, who plays Jazz’s father as well as for a hard-hitting speech about India’s progress, a pivotal moment in the film.
Loosely based on “Three Men and a Baby,” this film was crazier than the original. Kumar’s witty, hilarious side shone through in his character Arush, a wealthy Indian settled in Australia and living with Ali (Fardeen Khan) and Tanmay (Ritiesh Deshmukh). The three womanizers are surprised to find a baby at the doorstep one day, not knowing which one of them is the father. Despite initial discomfort, they warm up to her and pamper her until the day her mom, Isha (Vidya Balan), comes to take her. We then discover her past with Arush and the men’s desperate attempts to win the baby back! The three actors, with Boman Irani to support them, create an enjoyable laugh riot!
One of the more underrated Kumar films, “Bhool Bhulaiya” is a hidden comedic gem. It explores a funny take on the horror genre as he plays psychiatrist Aditya Srivastava, who is called in by his friend Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) to the ancestral palace in his native village. Sid moved there from the U.S. after marrying Avni (Vidya Balan) only to find out that his relatives believe a ghost who resides there is taking a toll on Radha (Amisha Patel), his childhood friend. However, as Aditya arrives and inspects the situation, he realizes Avni is the one who is actually full-on crazy. As he tries to prove this and cure her, hilarious situations ensue and make this film a thorough joy. Kumar and Balan truly mesmerize in this film.
Directed by Anees Bazmee, “Welcome” will forever be Kumar’s top performance when it comes to comedy. The movie, overall, was a spectacularly hilarious ride thanks to a funny cast that also includes Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, and Anil Kapoor. Kumar plays good fellow Rajiv in love with Sanjana (Katrina Kaif), the sister of one of two famous goons, played by Patekar and Kapoor respectively. As the two lovers attempt to rid these goons of their bad habits, a lot of family bonds and friendships are tested. However, the end product will always be remembered as a crazy ride. Kumar shies away from his usual loud self in this film and opts for a quieter, subtle comedy role—and does a great job!
A completely nonsensical laugh riot, this is a “Bhagam Bhag”-type plot where multiple characters intertwine themselves through miscommunication, causing total but hilarious chaos. The film reunites “Hera Pheri” duo Kumar and Suniel Shetty together and there is great chemistry between the two. Kumar portrays Nitin Bankar, a servant to a cruel lady (played by Archana Puran Singh), who plots his own kidnapping in order to extract money from her and elope with his lover, involving his friend in this scheme as well. Don’t worry—if a Kumar film promises one thing, it’s to not be boring.
Much like his 2007 film “Welcome,” this film also set off a series of successful sequels. However, none of them can match up to the original’s premise, crazy plots, and some seriously good comedy by Kumar and his co-stars, Riteish Deshmukh, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal, and Deepika Padukone. He plays Arush, a man down on his luck when his wife leaves him until he meets Sandy (Padukone). They, along with friends Bob and Hetal, must trick Sandy’s brother and Hetal’s father into believing they are rich. The cast, together, share a great rapport and this is visible on-screen as they prance around.
In this light-hearted rom-com, the tables are turned when Kumar’s character Jerry and his roommate Nick (John Abraham) turn to stripping as a profession when the recession hits London and they lose their jobs. They keep this as a secret from Nick’s fiance, Radhika (Deepika Padukone), who eventually finds out and leaves him. As Nick tries to win her back, he breaks his friendship with Jerry. Disappointed by this and in fear of losing his kid nephew to foster parents, he decides to get his life back on track by joining school again, and even begins dating his old friend Tanya (Chitrangada Singh). The movie is a sweet take on friendship, love, and facing life as best you can, all portrayed brilliantly by Kumar.
We’ll always enjoy his movies, whether they’re out-and-out action or full-on comedy. In his own ways, Kumar has manifested as an excellent leading hero of Bollywood, winning hearts all over.
Happy Birthday, Akshay Kumar!
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