He might not have the stature of a Brad Pitt or George Clooney for many Canadian stargazers, but in Bollywood Akshay Kumar tops the A-list – and his fans follow him across continental divides.
When Kumar carried the Olympic flame through the streets of Toronto last year, for example, police officers on duty said he had one of the biggest mobs tracking his every move. South Asian fans were not afraid to get on the chase for a glimpse of their Bollywood hero.
The 44-year-old Indian actor and producer is back in town this weekend to promote his new hockey film Breakaway, a Punjabi take on Canada’s national pastime. It’s the first time a Bollywood producer has made a mainstream “Hollywood” film. But if someone was going to do it, it’s hardly a surprise it was Kumar: he’s an old hand at bridging that gap between the various “-woods.” He shuttles between his home in Mumbai and Toronto regularly. And as such he says he has a pretty good sense of what South Asians abroad want to see.
Breakaway has been described as Mighty Ducks-meets-Bend it like Beckham, but the film also focuses on the racial tensions between the Sikh lads who play with the Speedy Singhs in Brampton, Ont., and their all-white opposing hockey team.
“Sports is something that everyone can do [and] everyone should do,” Kumar said in an interview on Saturday. “That’s why I’ve made films like Patiala House [in which an Indian immigrant plays for the English cricket team]”
But while Patiala House had a predominantly all-Bollywood cast with Kumar as the lead, Breakaway is just the opposite. The film draws on homegrown South Asian talent, such as leading man Vinay Varmani and funny man Russell Peters with Kumar only doing a cameo.
Kumar also touched on the expectations of immigrants parents, who have to adapt and accept that younger generations' desire to be more Canadian.
“I also want people to take away from this film that parents should let their kids do what they want to do in life. This film is about parents’ expectations, and sometimes how they want their kids to do what they themselves couldn’t do.”
Kumar has further plans for Canada (he’s started scouting for films he can make here, although nothing has been finalized or made public yet) but he insists he also remains an Indian actor at heart.
“I will always do Indian films – with the song-and-dance. Even Breakaway has that. It’s just a part of our culture,” he said. “But I don’t want to always play the hero any more. I’m looking for more challenging roles that are closer to my age.”
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