Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, recently on his quiz reality show Wheel of Fortune Akshay shared a cherished memory from his own early days in the industry, recalling his late father and his immense love and motivation for the superstar.
He said, “Mere father, jab tak woh zinda the, unki death 2000 mein huyi thi. Tab tak mere jo bhi films release hoti thi, woh logon ko pakad pakad kar le jaate the aur meri film unhe dikhate the. Har film unhone mere 18 se 20 baar dekhi hogi.”
Akshay added that it was a father’s unconditional love that made him the person that he is today. The actor shared his emotional story as the starcast of the recent hit Gujarati movie Laalo appeared on the show. Playing the flute, Akshay introduced and welcomed the film’s cast including Shruhad Goswami , Reeva Rachh, and Karan Joshi , along with director Ankit Sakhiya on the show.
While welcoming them, he shared the deeply moving and inspiring journey behind the film, speaking with admiration about how three friends pursued their dream of making a movie despite having no money, armed with nothing but an unshakable belief in each other.
Sharing the story with the audience, Akshay said, “Lekin unke paas paise nahi the, actors kaise hire kare, cameras kahan se leke aaye, costume ka kharcha kaise kare." "In sawaalon ke bawajood inhone haar nahi maani, 1 dost se camera udhaar liya, 2 doston ko acting karne ko kaha, aur ek hi location par uss camera ke saath poori ki poori film banana shuru kar di.”
“Aur phir kya, phir aisa kamaal ho gaya ki yeh film Gujarati film industry ki sab se, sab se badi blockbuster ban gayi. Jisne 100 cr bhi paar kar diye, aur aapko pata hai yeh film kitne mein bani thi, sirf Rs 48 lakhs.” Later in the episode, director Ankit Sakhiya spoke about the fragile, early days after the film’s release.
He mentioned with a heavy heart that the movie did not perform well initially and was on the verge of being taken down from theatres within two to three weeks. Akshay then asked Ankit to share the vulnerability of what happened during that tough phase.
Ankit revealed that every morning, he and his team would visit the theatres where their film was playing. They would interact with the audience members present, asking them how they felt. According to him, the reactions were overwhelming; people often liked the film so much that many even had tears in their eyes.
However, despite the positive reactions, he could not understand the heartbreaking silence of the empty seats and why audiences were still not coming to theatres in large numbers. At that point, Akshay stepped in to reveal the sheer sacrifice Ankit made next, saying, “Ye logon ko paise dete the ki jaao meri film dekho.
Ye lo, main ticket deta hoon. Agar acchi lage toh jaake apne doston ko batana.” Akshay continued explaining Ankit used whatever little money he had left to literally buy a chance for his film to be heard, encouraging people to watch and spread the word.
Drawing a deeply personal connection to the story, Akshay then asked Ankit what he had learned from this grueling journey of turning a shoestring budget into a ₹100-crore success. Reflecting on the tears and triumphs, Ankit said, “Ek hi baat sikhai hain, jo hum discuss karte rehte the, agar kuch karna hain toh nikalna padega.”
Ankit also shared that the team had shot the film in just 40 days, fueled by the immense support of friends who refused to let them fail. He mentioned that around 15 producers were involved in the project, many of whom were his college friends who stepped in to offer their own savings whenever funds were running low.
Akshay appreciated this beautiful spirit of friendship, calling it wonderful. Ankit concluded by adding that the film itself is a tribute to friendship, making the real-life journey behind it come full circle.