Sunday, May 17, 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

Big B, Vinod Khanna Starrer 'Amar Akbar Anthony' Inspires Harvard Book

Big B, Vinod Khanna Starrer 'Amar Akbar Anthony' Inspires Harvard Book
The evergreen blockbuster "Amar Akbar Anthony" starring Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor and directed by Manmohan Desai, is now an inspiration for the Harvard University press for a book on Bollywood, Brotherhood and the Nation.

Big B, Vinod Khanna Starrer 'Amar Akbar Anthony' Inspires Harvard Book

Jacqueline To Decide Look For Hosting Justin Bieber In India Next Week

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez says she will be meeting Hollywood fashion stylist Paris Libby in London next week to discuss her look to host Grammy Award winner and global pop sensation Justin Bieber during his India tour.

Jacqueline To Decide Look For Hosting Justin Bieber In India Next Week

Thought Of Dealing With Nepotism With 'Sarkar 3': RGV

Thought Of Dealing With Nepotism With 'Sarkar 3': RGV
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film "Sarkar 3", says that he has tried to tackle the issue of nepotism through his film.

Thought Of Dealing With Nepotism With 'Sarkar 3': RGV

I Will Always Be Proud Of You: Deepika To Dinesh Vijan

Actrss Deepika Padukone, who is the part of special song that she did for Dinesh Vijan for his directorial debut "Raabta", says that she feels proud of the filmmaker.

I Will Always Be Proud Of You: Deepika To Dinesh Vijan

Tubelight: Salman Khan Revealed The Release Date Of Its Teaser And The Countdown Has Begun, See Pic

Tubelight: Salman Khan Revealed The Release Date Of Its Teaser And The Countdown Has Begun, See Pic
Superstar Salman Khan says the teaser of his upcoming historical war drama film "Tubelight", which has been directed by filmmaker Kabir Khan, will be out next week.

Tubelight: Salman Khan Revealed The Release Date Of Its Teaser And The Countdown Has Begun, See Pic

Sonam Kapoor's Maternal Grandmother Passes Away

Sonam Kapoor's Maternal Grandmother Passes Away
Actress Sonam Kapoor on Saturday took to Twitter to share with her fans and followers the news of the demise of her maternal grandmother.

Sonam Kapoor's Maternal Grandmother Passes Away