Monday, May 11, 2026
ADVT 
Bollywood

Interested In More Eyeballs Than Box Office Collections: Akshay Kumar

IANS, 28 Jul, 2017 08:33 PM
  • Interested In More Eyeballs Than Box Office Collections: Akshay Kumar
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar says he is interested in reaching out to a greater number of people with his upcoming film "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" than on garnering box office business.
 
He says the distributor has applied for tax exemption for the film.
 
During the trailer launch of the film here on Thursday, when asked that after "Rustom" and "Airlift" crossed the Rs 100 crore mark at the box office, whether he was looking forward to minting more moolah, Akshay said: "I am interested in more eyeballs than the box office collection.
 
"In fact, I wish the ticket price of this film to be low so that more people can go and watch the film. Around 54 per cent people in our country have no access to toilets. So, my concern is to make people aware of the issue. They should go and watch the film rather than (we) count on the box office collection."
 
Asked about if they will make the film tax free, Akshay said: "So far there is no confirmation, but yes, the Viacom18 people (the distributors of the film) applied for tax exemption. Let's see what happens."
 
 
"Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" which stresses on the importance of sanitation.
 
Once known as Bollywood's action star, Akshay has of late moved into movies with social relevance. But he says he doesn't believe in having any image.
 
"I don't want to have any kind of image. I just want to keep on trying everything. When I entered the industry, people called me an action hero. 
 
"Then, I tried other things, they called me comedian and romantic hero. Then I did villain roles, now people are saying that I am doing social films. I just don't want to have an image.
 
"I just want to keep on trying different things," said Akshay, who received a National Award for his performance in "Rustom".
 
Akshay also pointed out that though his film "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" is set in the rural milieu, it is more relevant for the urban crowd than rural people.
 
 
"The issue of open defecation is not just a rural (village) problem. It is a huge problem in big cities too and it is more dangerous in big cities rather than villages, because we live in a concrete jungle, so germs and bacteria spread faster here.
 
"Don't think for a moment that this movie is for villages. It is for urban people too because we are in more danger than them."
 
The film also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Anupam Kher. It is releasing on August 11.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

'Lovely Coincidence' - Priyanka Chopra Meets PM Modi in Berlin. See Pics

'Lovely Coincidence' - Priyanka Chopra Meets PM Modi in Berlin. See Pics
Priyanka Chopra is there on behalf of her new film Baywatch, in which she makes her Hollywood debut opposite a cast headlined by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

'Lovely Coincidence' - Priyanka Chopra Meets PM Modi in Berlin. See Pics

Lisa Haydon Shares First Photo Of Son Zack Lalvani And It's Awwdorable!

Lisa Haydon Shares First Photo Of Son Zack Lalvani And It's Awwdorable!
Lisa Haydon shared the first glimpse of her baby boy on Instagram today and captioned the picture, "ll my heart." 

Lisa Haydon Shares First Photo Of Son Zack Lalvani And It's Awwdorable!

Essence Of What I Was Saying, Lost: Parineeti Responds After Being Accused By Classmate Of 'Lying'

Essence Of What I Was Saying, Lost: Parineeti Responds After Being Accused By Classmate Of 'Lying'
Actress Parineeti Chopra says her statement about her family not having enough money during her childhood has been misconstrued due to which the essence of what she was trying to convey got lost.

Essence Of What I Was Saying, Lost: Parineeti Responds After Being Accused By Classmate Of 'Lying'

Sushant Singh Rajput Impressed By 'Punjaban' Kriti Sanon

Sushant Singh Rajput Impressed By 'Punjaban' Kriti Sanon
Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon are all geared up for their upcoming film 'Raabta'. The duo seems to make a very attractive on-screen pair and their chemistry in the trailer was quite something.

Sushant Singh Rajput Impressed By 'Punjaban' Kriti Sanon

Here's How Much Karan Johar Earned From Baahubali 2!

Here's How Much Karan Johar Earned From Baahubali 2!
We all know that Baahubali 2 has rewritten history worldwide. The film that has turned out to be the biggest Indian film till date has raked in over Rs 1600 crore worldwide, including all its versions.

Here's How Much Karan Johar Earned From Baahubali 2!

Sonika Chauhan's Death Case: Actor Vikram Chatterjee Charged With Culpable Homicide

Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who was previously accused of rash and negligent driving, has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the death of city model Sonika Chauhan in a car accident, police on Tuesday.

Sonika Chauhan's Death Case: Actor Vikram Chatterjee Charged With Culpable Homicide