“Akshay Kumar is a Businessman First, Actor Later,” Filmmaker Claims; Alleges Fees Dispute

Veteran filmmaker Shailendra Singh recently shared his candid views on Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, calling him “a businessman first and an actor later.” According to Singh, Akshay is highly focused on earning and gradually increases his fees, sometimes leaving producers struggling.

Singh, who worked with Akshay in the 2009 film ‘8 × 10 Tasveer’, recalled the challenges of the project. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, he said, “We were supposed to shoot in Munnar, but due to Akshay’s busy schedule, we had to move to multiple locations including Calgary and Cape Town. The film’s budget was around ₹30–35 crore, but eventually escalated. After the release, very few came to watch it in theaters. I told him, ‘Brother, nobody is coming to see your film; you took a lot of money from me.’ But he refused to return any money, which eventually made me quit filmmaking.”

Gradual Fee Hikes
Singh added, “Akshay starts modestly, then slowly increases his fee—₹15 crore becomes ₹21 crore, then ₹27 crore, and eventually ₹36 crore, often influenced by his lucky number 9. He knows exactly what he is doing. He is a businessman first, actor second.” Singh also revealed that he paid Akshay ₹9 crore for lending his presence to the title song of the animated film ‘Jumbo’.

Akshay’s Response on Earning Allegations
Earlier, on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ with Rajat Sharma, Akshay had addressed similar accusations, saying: “If I have earned money, I haven’t cheated anyone. I earned it honestly. For eight years, I’ve been the highest taxpayer. Money is important in life, but one should also be practical.”