I made sure Deepika was second best: Akshay

Action hero Akshay Kumar says he helped co-star Deepika Padukone match his action skills in their forthcoming film Chandni Chowk To China  but made sure she came “second best” to him.

“She (Deepika) once said she wants to be the female Akshay. I hope she doesn’t beat me. She has done a good job in the film and I helped her here and there. That way I made sure she always came out second best to me,” said Akshay.

Though Akshay was slightly apprehensive in helping Deepika considering “how good women are at picking up skills”, he was quite sure he wouldn’t be “outshone” by his leading lady.

Chandni Chowk To China, slated to release this Friday, features the two actors in a story of an Indian cook, sidhu, played by Akshay, who goes to China and is mistaken for a martial arts expert.

The film is apparently based partly on Akshay’s own life as he was also born in Chandni Chowk in delhi and grew up to go to Bangkok to work as a chef. About his character in the film, he said: “I love my character. It’s so much like me. Come to think of it, Sidhu is a man I was once in Bangkok. Though the purpose of the journey is different but the drama is definitely the same. I have fought as many villains in this movie as I have in my career.”

CChandni Chowk To China is being talked about for its aggressive promotional activities as well as for the association of international names like renowned Chinese actor Gordon Liu and action choreographer Dee Dee Ku.

For Akshay, training under Ku, who has worked for films like Kill Bill,Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon and Matrix among others, was like “squeezing blood from a stone”.

“He is super quick. Whenever he would have crazy stunt ideas, one couldn’t figure if he was serious or joking. He is incredible in his field. And I trusted him with my life.

“If I would have met him before, my life would have been different. He has only worked with the best. So pleasing him was like squeezing blood from a stone . When he used to say ‘Akshay the take is okay’, that used to be a huge compliment coming from him,” he said.

Sharing screen space with Gordon Liu was like a childhood dream come true for the actor. “You know how fans react when they see Aamir Khan and how they run behind him. That’s how I see Gordon Liu. I have admired him and his martial arts since the beginning. It was superb working with him,” said Akshay.

Chandni Chowk To China also holds the credit of being the first Indian film to be shot at the Great Wall of China. “We had a fabulous experience shooting at the legendary monument of the world – the Great Wall of China. It was spiritually breathtaking and probably the highlight of our shoot,” he shared.

A part of the film has also been shot in Chandni Chowk. Akshay has a lot of fond memories of the popular market place. “Shooting in Chandni Chowk was a unique experience. I was born there. I thought it was sheer madness to shoot there in the narrow lanes but people there were overwhelming. I am an expert regarding the food available there so I used to treat the unit of the film to the best delicacies there,” he said.

Akshay dedicates award to Aamir

Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra were adjudged for the Best Actor and Actress award at the Star Screen Award ceremony. Hrithik bagged the award for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodha Akbar , while Priyanka got it for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion.

The Best Director award was shared by Ashutosh Gowariker for Jodha Akbar and Neeraj Pandey for A Wednesday. Jodha Akbar also bagged the award for the Best Film of the year 2008.

Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar were honoured with Nokia Popular Viewers’ Choice awards for Singh is Kinng and Jodha Akbar respectively.

Akshay Kumar, however, left the viewers and organisers in disbelief by dedicating the award to Aamir khan for his performance in Ghajini. When called upon the stage, Akshay, said he watched Ghajini and felt that Aamir deserved this honour and left the stage without collecting the trophy.

Tusshar Kapoor bagged Best Supporting Actor in the male category for Golmaal Returns and Sahana Goswami received the award in female category for Rock on. Farhan Akhtar was named as best debut male actor for rock on and Asin for Ghajini.

A R Rahman, who recently bagged the prestigious golden Globe award in US for his original music in the forthcoming movie Slumdog Millionaire, bagged Best Background Score award for Jodha Akbar.

Apart from sharing the Best Director award, Neeraj Pandey also received the Best Story award for his debut film A Wednesday.

Priyanka Chopra was conspicuous by her absence at the ceremony while Hrithik and aishwarya were present.

I am extremely proud of Akshay: Big B

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s surprise visit to the premiere of film Chandni Chowk to China literally floored the action hero Akshay Kumar who was overwhelmed by the presence of the shahanshah  of Bollywood.

Welcoming the “Big B”, Akshay Kumar said, “I would like to invite Amitabh Bachchan whom I adore.” Admiring the rapid progress made by Akshay as a leading Bollywood star, Bachchan said last evening, “I am extremely proud of this young man. I have seen his growth from early days when he used to remain in the background to now when he is in the forefront of the Indian Cinema. It is a remarkable journey and we are proud of you.” Bachchan said who was on a private visit to the city.

“It is always a pleasure to watch films in London.” Thanking the NRIs for their support to the Indian
cinema, Bachchan said “Indian cinema is becoming more and more a part of your life.”

Akshay virtually was in great pain while doing some of the rare stunts and lifting leading heroine Deepika Padukone in mid-air in the Warner Bros Pictures maiden Bollywood film Chandni Chowk to China.

This was revealed here by Akshay Kumar himself at the grand European Premiere of the USD 9 million film at the 1300-seater Empire theatre at the Leicester Square, in the heart of the city, last night.

Prominent among those present at the near packed theatre were leading NRI industrialists, Lord Swaraj Paul, RamiRanger and Kartar Lalvani. Lalvani is the founder chairman of the Vitabiotics, Britain’s largest vitamin producing company. President of the Hinduja Group, G P Hinduja was also present in the function.

Priya Dutt shocked over Sanju’s choic

Bollywood actor sanjay dutt’s  decision to contest Lok Sabha election on a Samajwadi Party ticket has shocked his sister and Congress MP Priya Dutt.

Speaking to NDTV, Priya said, “I was shocked to learn that Sanjay is contesting on Samajwadi Party ticket as our family has always been a Congress family.”

Referring to an article in a newspaper over her comments, Priya said that her comments were twisted out of context.

Sanjay Dutt’s candidature was announced by SP General Secretary Amar Singh last week, who said if Dutt was barred from contesting elections because of the criminal cases against him the party would move the Election Commission or the Supreme Court.

Chandni Chowk ready to make a splash

Warner Bros’ first Bollywood production Chandni Chowk to China makes the largest-ever opening of any Bollywood film in US and Canada on Jan 16 with its release on more than 125 screens in over 50 markets.

In addition, the Akshay Kumar starrer will also be released in 40 international markets, opening day-and-date with North America in 25 markets, according to Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros Pictures. The other markets will open the film in the weeks ahead.

The first-ever Bollywood kung fu comedy, Chandni Chowk to China follows one man’s passage from simple cook to kung fu fighter, on a thrilling, madcap journey from the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk in Delhi to the grandeur of the Great Wall of China and beyond.

At a press conference in New York on Thursday to mark the premiere of the film in the US, Akshay Kumar described Chandni Chowk to China as a “pure Bollywood story”.

“If you are fans of Manmohan Desai, this is that kind of a film,” he said. “I am anxiously waiting to go back to India and show the film to my son. My grandmother is also waiting to see the film. So it’s a film for all ages.”

Akshay was joined at the press conference by his 22-year old co-star Deepika Padukone and director Nikhil Advani.

Padukone plays a double role in the film – Sakhi, an Indian Woman, and Meow Meow, a Chinese woman, who is also a martial arts expert.

Padukone spent six months training in martial arts. “It was a tough experience, but when Nikhil described the character to me I knew I had to learn martial arts,” she said.

Akshay was all praise for the young co star. “If you watch how she kicks in the film, it’s hard to believe that she learnt martial arts just a few months ago,” he said.

“I’m really lucky to have worked with Akshay,” Padukone said. “I grew up watching his films.”

Director Nikhil Advani of “Kal Ho Na Ho” fame said “Chandni Chowk to China” will also open in nearly 80 theatres in Britain – another record for a Bollywood film.

“We got a huge level of support from Warner Bros,” Advani said. “They made it possible for us to shoot at the Great Wall of China, which is a first for a Bollywood film. And they were so professional to work with.”

The film also features stunts choreographed by veteran martial arts stunt coordinator Huen Chiu-Ku, whose credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill: Vols 1 and 2 and The Mummy: Tomb of thr Dragon Emperor.

After the press conference at Manhattan’s Essex Hotel, Akshay Kumar stepped out on Central Park South, followed by a huge entourage of  Photographers and television camera crew.

He stood by a yellow taxicab parked outside the hotel waving and posing for pictures. Then suddenly the actor stepped up, and the next thing he was standing on top of the cab, smiling, with his fist in the air, reminiscent of his Singh id Kinng  character.