"Chinese stuntmen are way ahead of us" - Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar can't help but admire the stuntmen from China with whom he worked in close collaboration during his 'Chandni Chowk To China' shoot. He truly believes that they have mastered the art of action. Also, there is a lot that not just India but the world can learn from the Chinese when it comes to Kung Fu skills.
"They are the best in the business and we all were in awe of them when we saw them contributing to 'Chandni Chowk To China'. The kind of preparation they do is unparalleled", says Akshay Kumar who is returning to action four years after Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Khakee' and Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Aan - Men At Work', "The sort of dedication they demonstrate is for all of us to learn."
He also goes on to state, "It is great to see how such world class performers are making an impression all over. Even in India, if we go just a little back in time, we had stuntmen who were not really in the best of shape and were also overweight. However, today the scene is changing in Bollywood with exposure to world cinema. Our own people too have become conscious about their bodies but still we have a lot of catching up to do with the Chinese."
"It is not wrong to admit that we are behind them in this department", Akshay goes on to add while stating that it only adds on to the positive energy if one is willing to learn from your contemporaries, "Chinese stuntmen are way ahead of us so fair enough, let's try to observe what and how they are doing better than us. They have an amazing stamina and willpower and I am sure we too can develop that. For me it was a learning experience to revisit the art of Kung Fu. I came back enriched."
He also talks fondly about sharing screen space with Sir Gordon Liu, who plays the role of the main villain 'Hojo' in the film. A veteran of over 75 international films, Liu is the same actor who was seen in the legendary film '36 Chambers of Shaolin'. He has also played prominent roles in both the editions of 'Kill Bill'.
"I was awestruck with what I see in '36 Chambers of Shaolin' and tried to learn from it. Working with the same man who made that film so popular was amazing. If you haven't seen '36 Chambers of Shaolin', go and watch it today", concludes Akshay while promising that 'Chandni Chowk To China' would live up to the international scale it has been set in.