Bollywood star Akshay Kumar turns 52 on Monday and to kick off his birthday celebrations, we have just the right treat for his fans. The actor is known for minting hits faster than anybody else and was recently featured on Forbes’ list of top 10 highest paid actors in the world. He was the only Bollywood actor to make the cut. But for Akshay, all the success and awards are secondary to the happiness of his family. So we celebrate Akshay’s birthday just like he would, with his family.
Akshay married former actor and now a successful author, Twinkle Khanna in 2001 and together, they have two children—son Aarav and daughter Nitara. Before tying the knot, the couple worked together in two films–International Khiladi and Zulmi. Twinkle may have given up on acting herself but she often helps Akshay decide which film to choose as his next.
“Yes, my wife has been a very big help in my career. It’s not that I have to discuss every script with her before I give it my nod, but she talks to me and I remember (those) things. She told me once, ‘Koi zor zabardasti nahi hai, jo achha lage karo’ (You are not being forced, do what you feel is right),” Akshay told in an interview.
But apart from taking her help in making decisions about his career, he also makes sure to keep their relationship full of humour. At the recent HT India’s Most Stylish Award, the two let slip each other’s secrets. When asked what it felt like to have won a style award, Akshay said, “Ji, bahut accha lagta hai jab aisa koi important aur stylish award milta hai aapko toh bahut accha lagta hai (It feels very good when you receive an important and stylish award).” Twinkle was quick to pull his leg for it. “Why are you giving a speech like you are pradhan mantri?”
Akshay added that Twinkle influences his style 100%. Twinkle disagreed saying, “Not at all. He has more shoes than me. He’s got pants pink, green, lilac, dark purple, yellow.” Akshay said, “Didn’t you tell me to buy that?” Twinkle replied, “I did but I didn’t tell you to buy the whole rainbow.”
As for his son, Akshay says Aarav is like his science teacher. “We don’t discuss, he tells me things. It’s a different learning experience. My son is like my science teacher,” he said. On his birthday, Akshay wrote a heartfelt message for Aarav on Instagram. “Taller than me, smarter than me, wealthier than me, nicer than me! My wish for you this year and always will be to have everything more than I ever had. Happy birthday Aarav,” he captioned a picture of the two.
Akshay and Twinkle do not share a lot of pictures of their daughter Nitara but their affection for her knows no bounds. “Mere bachchon ke bahut kam (paparazzi) photos aatein hai, but honestly speaking, I don’t like it [kids getting photographed] at all. That’s why I try and hide my children as much as possible,” he has said.
“So, I will never bring my kids in front of the camera on purpose. I don’t want to turn them into products of sorts. But if we go out and photographers happen to spot us, they can click pictures,” he added.
WhatsApp us