Hi Folks,

Attended the press conference of the promotion for Singh Is King, by it's producer and lead actor, Akshay Kumar, on Friday, July 25th at the Universal City Hilton. Here is the text of the press conference. Questions were asked by the various journos in attendance. Mine are in bold. (Have not published a couple of real dh--uh..questions)

Q) How do you intend that a film which is titled “Singh is King” is going to appeal to the Non Sikhs/Non-Punjabis?

AK) Akshay pointing to the cross that he wearing. I don’t believe this film is only for a certain segment or sect, it is a film about a person from Ludhiana and it is about his positive attitude. What I am trying to say through my film is that it is not about the money, or the power, just have positive attitude and you can be a king too. With all the negativity around us in the news, in the environment, this is my small way of saying that be positive. It does not only mean that only Singh is King, but anybody with a positive attitude is a King.

Q) How confident are you about the outcome of this film?

AK) To be honest with you from the time I signed this film I have been very confident about it. Am I nervous about the outcome, yes I would be lying if I said I am not. It is a big film and I expect a lot from this film. My expectations are always high whenever a film of mine releases, because that’s the way I look at it, I have a positive attitude. Also I hope this film is a landmark film cause this is my first home production, I have become a producer with this film, along with being the actor. After twenty years in this field I think I can try and be a producer also, so the move. I think from the economy point of view too, for Bollywood films, I chose the right time to be a producer. Bollywood cinema is going global, from having 700-800 prints being released we are now releasing 2000 prints, which is a huge jump. I predict that in the next couple of years we should be releasing 4000 prints and that should be huge, from our perspective. All of these films are generally doing business of Rs 150 crores, which for our cinema is great business.

Q) How do you think the film will do in the US?

AK)I think it will do well. It is a fun film and I have made it from my heart. The idea came when I was driving one afternoon during shooting of another film and there was a truck in front and behind that truck was written “Singh Is King.” I flashed my headlights, and the truck driver, who was a Sikh gentleman gave me way and waved his hand at me wishing me, as I drove past. That guy emanated so much zest and passion and positivity as he drove his truck and as he seemed to be living life. Looking at his attitude and zest I decided that I wanted to make a film. I called Vipul, the Executive Producer and told him that I want to make a film called “Singh Is King.” He said ok do you have a script, I said “no” do you have a director in mind, I said “no,” all I know is I want to make this film because I have seen this very positive person and am getting inspired from him. SO with that to now, things started to fall in place and now we are on the verge of the film being released. This is the kind of fun filled, entertaining film that my late father and me would see, growing up.

Q)With all this globalization in Indian films, you are currently shooting here with Stallone and in Singh Is King, you have worked with Snoop Dogg, what was the whole experience like?

AK) It has been amazing, when I look back at my life, I used to be a waiter and a cook in Bangkok and I had two posters in my room of Stallone and Sridevi….kind of a unique combination. I wanted a body like Stallone and a girlfriend like Sridevi, now I am living my dream, I am acting with Stallone and I have also acted with Sridevi so can’t ask for more in life. On Snoop Dogg, it was great working with him, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Q) So it appears you discussed some physical fitness techniques with Stallone too and also your aversion to lifting weights?

AK) Yes we did discuss that. It is not so much my aversion to weights, they are an essential part of fitness too and nothing wrong with them, it depends on the kind of body you are looking for, I like the more athletic shape and I practice a French martial art form, which is something I have been doing for a while now and yes, we did discuss that.

Q) You have transition from being a pure action centric actor to one with a great comic timing, you did both in a film in Khakhee, in this film (Singh is King) does one get to see you doing both too, that is action and comedy?

AK) Yes this one has comic action. I have the gruesome kind with all the blood flowing , etc. This one even the kids and my grandparents can watch. So yes there is a lot of comic action along with pure comedy too.

Q) Also what was it like sharing screen space with Om Puri, who is more of an arthouse kind of an actor? Also you mentioned that this is your first film as a producer, but wasn’t WAQT the first film that you produced (which also had Mr Bachchan)

AK) Actually I have done earlier films with Om too, like Hera Pheri, he does an equal amount of commercial and arthouse films, so he has done his share of commercial cinema. For WAQT, I was the distributor, with this one I turn, Producer.

Q) So it seems that you only like Comedy films now, no more serious stuff from you?

AK) I like comedy, it is not that I don’t like serious stuff, I have not gotten many interesting serious scripts, not too serious, serious, that is not my type, I mean a good, interesting serious stuff, I like that. I am doing a movie 8 by 10 with Nagesh Kukunoor, which is a thriller, I love thrillers. I think a good entertaining thriller, is very commercially appealing too, by it’s very nature. If a good thriller script comes my way I would love to do it along with an interesting serious type as opposed to a pure serious film.

Q) What do you think of Katrina as an actress and your co star in Singh Is King?

AK) I think she has done very well. When she came from London, she could not even speak one word of Hindi, she couldn’t even say Shukriya. She got the first film because of her looks, it did not do well, then she did a second one, along the way she picked up hindi and urdu and now she is one of the only heroines who has given five back to back hits, which is commendable. She is very hardworking and honest in her work, a producers actor.

Q) Was playing this character a challenge for you?

AK) This character is me, so there was no challenge in becoming him. It is probably the closest to who I really am in my real persona. I did not have to do any kind of homework, I just had to be me.

Q) Why the two “nn’s” in Kinng?

AK) The Executive Producer Vipul Shah believes in numerology and he wanted two nn’s, so it was fine by me, he can have five n’s if he wants. Same was the case with Namastey London, it ended with a y on account of numerology, otherwise there is no “y” in Namaste.

Q) Akshay Kumar is the most reliable actor in Bollywood. What is the secret behind that?

AK) My secret is every morning that I get up I touch my parents feet.

Q) Given that it took a long time for people to accept you, how does it feel to be a king of the box office?

AK) I don’t like that whole KING thing. To be honest superstardom comes to those who first have to be in the industry for a long time. I have survived in this industry for twenty years, if I survive longer that will be truly great cause in this industry things can change overnight, if you don’t get along or you don’t work well, people and audiences can change their likes. Surviving is the key

Q) Do comedies work?

AK) They have worked off late. I think people are realizing that there is more to Hindi cinema than songs. So today it is comedy, maybe something else tomorrow, preferences change.

Q) Who has been your inspiration and your competition?

AK) My first film was given to me by the late Pramod Chakravarty and he has been an inspiration to me. I am my own competition.

Sincerely,

Vivek "good, by the book, predicitable, along with long lasting and durable" Kumar