• Home
• /
• Entertainment

Kat and Akshay get talking!

HE CALLS her Little Kat and she calls him Uncle Akshay. The age difference between them is, well, considerable. But there's no denying Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif are Bollywood's Jodi No. 1.

On screen and in the three films — well four, with Singh is Kinng — they've done together, Akki and Kat are simply magic.

In person, talking exclusively together for the first time, the two make a rollicking couple. And they give the impression of being great buddies who are oblivious that the lights and camera have been switched off, the action has stopped, and pack-up has been ordered.

The vibe between them is electric, but if there is sexual chemistry as well, it was missing at that moment.

Is there attraction on the sets, is he really as hot and naughty as made out to be, she as sexy and desirable as men wish?

AK: This kind of feeling doesn't come with Little Kat. I don't know what to say when people write such stuff. It gets embarrassing. But she's a distraction! All the time asking questions that are really annoying to answer.

KK: He's a married man and as diplomatic as it sounds, I respect the institution of marriage...

AK: I look like her father, she showed me his picture!

KK: Also it's not like we share a bond, but Uncle Akshay's been there from when I started out and didn't know Hindi, didn't know dancing, where the lights and camera were supposed to be, what I was meant to do. He takes me through the film. Every newcomer should work with him, he helps in every shot, he lends support, gives confidence. He's a senior artiste and you respect a senior artiste. It's not like I slap him on the back and say, 'Hey dude! What's up, how's it going?'

AK: Now she pretends she knows everything, she'll tell the cameraman where to put the lights!

KK: But once we finish a film, we don't talk for six months, he just goes off. And to get hold of him is a game, a procedure, last time I had to call Vipul Shah and he contacted Twinkle.

AK: That's because I'm shooting in San Francisco, Chicago, the Bahamas, Toronto... she's a local star, her scripts are in Mumbai, Panvel, Khandala... Though her big desire is to make a film like Sin City.

KK: That was earlier, now I'd like to do a full action kind of film, like Charlie's Angels. But I think Bruce Willis's role in Sin City, a poker faced character of romance and action, would suit Akshay.

AK: If you get into production, I'll say no to such a film! But I'm a commercial actor, I like to entertain people, and my kind of film has to have all the ingredients... action, romance, dance, drama...

Is he really the action king, the Khiladi, on the sets?

KK: He's a natural, he does it better than anybody else, he's also knowledgeable about action techniques and safety measures. I have to be pushed really hard into doing scary stuff. But he's also good at comedy. Give him an emotional, romantic scene, he turns it into comedy! Comedy more than action is his forte.

AK: The hardest part of acting is to make people laugh. For action, you can use a double, but not for comedy.

Is it easy working together?

KK: It's fun, he's so focussed on work, but in between shots, we laugh and have happy, casual conversations. You can't get good work in an environment where we sit in corners and he looks north while I look south.

AK: From our first film to fourth, it's been kind of brilliant. But I tell her, this is not about tera footage aur mera footage, nothing matters but the film. If it works, Little Kat will ask for more money next time!

KK: And Uncle Akshay? You'll give discounts out of happiness? Like at Christmas time, say 30 per cent or 40 per cent off?