Akshay Kumar, often hailed as Bollywood’s OG Khiladi and action icon, is drawing attention yet again — this time not just for his daredevil stunts, but for being unexpectedly compared to Hollywood’s ultimate action star, Tom Cruise. A viral video doing the rounds online places scenes of Akshay’s death-defying airplane stunt from his 2000 film Khiladi 420 side by side with Cruise’s similar act from a Mission: Impossible movie, sparking widespread debate and admiration from fans across the globe.
But Akshay’s reaction to the comparisons? Utterly unconventional. In a candid chat with Pinkvilla, the actor revealed that he doesn’t look up to Tom Cruise for his stunt inspiration. Instead, he credits the classic animated series Tom and Jerry as the original muse behind his high-octane sequences. “You know where I draw all this inspiration from? You will not believe it — from Tom and Jerry,” Akshay said, with a laugh.
Elaborating on how deeply the cartoon influenced his work, he added, “I love watching Tom and Jerry. I think it is the most violent thing. It’s apparently made for children, but actually, if you look, there is so much action.” He even pointed out specific moments: “I remember Tom coming from a helicopter, hanging and picking up Jerry, so I did that in Sabse Bada Khiladi. Then Tom is hanging on a plane — which is what you see in Khiladi 420.”
Describing the cartoon as both humorous and action-packed, Akshay jokingly remarked, “It is so violent. Please try to understand — it is a violent film you are showing your children!”
On the professional front, Akshay has already delivered three releases this year — Sky Force, Kesari Chapter 2, and Housefull 5. He is set to appear next as Lord Shiva in the Telugu film Kannappa, followed by the much-awaited Jolly LLB 3 alongside Arshad Warsi. Fans are also eagerly looking forward to Hera Pheri 3, where he will reprise his iconic role as Raju.