I completed shooting for Baby in 45 days – Akshay Kumar

Superstar Akshay Kumar shares his experience of shooting for Baby and the preparation that went into his role.

How different is Baby from Holiday?

It deals with the same theme of terrorism but in a totally different way. The enemy in Holiday is different as it was a fictional story whereas this is a real story. We have merged 15 to 20 real stories to piece this film together.

What is Baby about?

There is a High Command in Delhi where the Commander has selected 20-25 highly skilled and trained people that have been deployed to kill terrorists. It is a highly confidential mission so everything is kept under wraps. The group is code-named ‘Baby’ as it is a group in very early stages of functioning. All this is different from Holiday as that was a very intellectual and fictional film.

You have redefined action time and again, so how was your experience of shooting for action scenes in Baby using the Octocopter Drone?

It was a fantastic experience. With the Drone you can get some fantastic shots and shoot where cranes can’t go. You get a great eagle’s point of view. While shooting for chase sequences the camera can run behind you without anyone running. The action in Baby is real and it does not go above the character. It is not like one person is hitting 15 to 20 people alone.

How do you manage to do four films a year?

It is very easy to handle four films. Shooting for one film does not take more than 60 days so if I do four films, 240 days are gone but I enjoy the rest. Some films take less than 60 days. I completed shooting for Baby in 45 days and used the remaining days for promotions.

How do you prepare for your role? Did you do any research for the role in Baby?

Though films are a serious affair, I am not serious all the time. I want to enjoy my work place and look forward to going to work everyday. You have to laugh even though you get emotionally drained playing a deep character but when you joke, you get your energies back. There was no need for research. In fact, Neeraj (Pandey) told me not to do so as he had done all the research. I took some training for action but I have done action throughout my career. So I practiced for just 4 to 5 days in Abu Dhabi where we have shot a major chunk of action.

Every actor has a director who brings out the best in him, so would you call Neeraj Pandey that director in your career?

Neeraj Pandey is one of them, who brings something different out of me.

What are your thoughts about Baby’s clash with Dolly Ki Doli? Won’t you have preferred a solo release?

It is a good time to release a film and everybody should benefit from that. Yes, I would have liked a solo release but everybody wants their film to get  a good release date, so it is fair enough.

Would we see another ‘Khiladi’ Film?

Nope, there are no plans as of now.

Firoz Nadiadwala has announced the sequel of Awara Pagal Deewana, so are you a part of it?

No, not yet.

Do you think Baby is the kind of film that could fetch you a National Award?

I don’t know about National Awards. Jab milna hoga woh mil jaega (Whenever it has to happen, it will). But today, if you ask me, along with slapstick comedies and commercial cinema, these films appeal to me and that’s why I am veering towards a Holiday or a Baby.

– Priyanka Jain