Akshay getting more popular

Friday, May 12, 2006

New Delhi (UNI): Move over Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan! Bollywood's new ''Mr Dependable'' Akshay Kumar is fast becoming a favourite of Delhi's star-struck crowd, with his popularity matching that enjoyed by the King Khan and Salman. In a most recent example of Akshay Kumar's growing charisma, a huge crowd of star-struck boys and girls thronged a concert at the historic Purana Qila last week just to have a ''dekko'' of Akshay Kumar.

The launch of India's first Ambient music label in the Capital at the Old Fort witnessed a huge gathering of youngsters, most of them having arrived at the venue just to have an audience with Akshay Kumar, who was the chief guest of the occasion. The craze among the people to watch Akshay Kumar and seek an audience with him was that the spotlight seem to have shifted from the main subject of the programme-the launch of the music label-to the Bollywood star. The organisers of the event could do nothing but watch in amazement as scores of mediapersons, lensmen and star-struck youngsters crowded around Akshay, either to have autographs from him or seek an audience with ''Bollywood's most charismatic star''.

Ankur, a Delhi University student, who had come to the event along with his four friends especially to see and meet Akshay, who he considered as the top star of Bollywood today, was visibly excited to see his favourite star. ''It's not everyday that one gets an opportunity to meet the dashing Akshay Kumar. I have always dreamed of meeting him all these years. Now, that he is before me, I feel on top of the world,'' Ankur said.

Though Bollywood stars mobbed by the star-struck public is not something unusual, the huge scramble, among the media as well as youngsters, to have an audience with Akshay took even his bodyguards unawares. For, long after the event had come to a close, the actor continued to be surrounded by the public and the media. It took a while before the organisers and Akshay's bodyguards managed to clear the crowd enabling him to make his way to his car.

The incident is yet another example of Akshay's soaring popularity among the cinegoers. Infact, it is the immense popularity enjoyed by Akshay that prompted the Morani brothers to rope the Bollywood star for their Rockstar 2006 show with Salman Khan.