Akshay Kumar is known not just for his entertaining films and supreme acting talent but also for being a true patriot. Interestingly, he has had a release in cinemas on or around Independence Day every year since 2013. The only exception is 2020 when cinemas were shut due to the pandemic restrictions.
His first release on Independence Day in the previous decade was Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara! (2013). It was a rare film that featured Akshay in a villainous role. Directed by Milan Luthria, it failed at the box office. It's Entertainment (2014) was released on August 8, a week before the National Holiday. Though it didn’t work in cinemas, it became a huge hit on television. Akshay’s scenes with the dog were very cute. The sports family drama Brothers (2015) also failed to work at the ticket window.
But things changed from 2016 onwards. Rustom (2016) was loved for its dramatic and hilarious courtroom scenes. It was released on August 12 that year and won the box-office clash, defeating Hrithik Roshan-starrer Mohenjo Daro (2016). Toilet – Ek Prem Katha (2017) came at a time when films were flopping one by one. It came on August 11, a week after Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Harry Met Sejal had a disastrous run in theatres. Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, hence, spread cheer among industry and exhibitors, and also the audiences.
This was followed by Gold (2018), a period sports drama. Though it had a huge opening, it was an average grosser due to mixed word of mouth. In 2019, he delivered Mission Mangal. It was a super hit and his first film in the Rs. 200 crores club.
In 2021, Akshay Kumar had a release in August – Bellbottom. It came on August 19, four days after Independence Day. The box office figures of this film are irrelevant as it was released at a time when the fear of going to cinemas was still high and moreover, the crucial state of Maharashtra was shut. Hence, Akshay was lauded for taking the risk. In 2022, cinemas were operational in full force and this is when he came up with Raksha Bandhan (2022). Sadly, it didn’t work.
And this year, Akshay Kumar presented OMG 2. The film faced several challenges – there was a bit of negativity after the CBFC imposed 27 cuts. Moreover, it received an ‘A’ certificate. Lastly, it faced competition from Gadar 2. Yet, it managed to perform exceptionally well. It is Akshay Kumar’s first hit in a long time and will easily cross the Rs. 100 crores mark.
In short, around the last 10 Independence Days, Akshay Kumar had had 9 releases. This is nothing short of a record.
Also Read: Akshay Kumar expresses disappointment as OMG 2 gets ‘A’ certificate from CBFC: “This is the first adult film which is made for teenagers”
