Choreographer-Director Defends Akshay, Says He Compensates with Energy & Improvised Lines
February 12, 2025: The term ‘teleprompter actor’ has recently been associated with Akshay Kumar after a viral clip from his film Sarfira allegedly showed him reading dialogues from a teleprompter. Now, filmmaker and choreographer Ahmed Khan has confirmed that Akshay does rely on a teleprompter but insists that the actor makes up for it with his physical energy and improvisational skills.
someone caught Akshay Kumar reading lines from the teleprompter during scenes in Sarfira, with his eyes focused there instead of looking at the faces 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Rc4xnWmLQ5
— sohom (@AwaaraHoon) January 8, 2025
Ahmed Khan Defends Akshay’s Acting Method
In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ahmed addressed the growing criticism surrounding Akshay’s approach to memorizing dialogues.
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“Many actors do this. Everyone has their own method. What Akshay does is also a talent. He does so many things physically. While many actors can remember dialogues but do not contribute much physically, Akshay brings a lot of energy to the film. He adds lines like ‘Behen dar gayi,’ ‘Chal-Chal Baap ko mat sikha.’ That’s his style. Akshay says, ‘I am giving so much to the scene, I am not in school that I will memorize dialogues.’ That’s why he reads and speaks but also improvises in his own way.”
Viral Video Exposes Akshay’s Eye Movements
The controversy began when an Instagram user claiming to be a VFX artist shared a clip from Sarfira, highlighting instances where Akshay’s eye movements appeared to follow lines from a teleprompter.
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- In one scene, the actor was repeatedly looking to the side, allegedly reading his dialogues rather than interacting with co-actors.
- In an emotional sequence, instead of engaging in direct eye contact, Akshay was seen glancing sideways, raising speculations that he was reading from a screen.
The viral video led to heated discussions online, with fans divided over whether Akshay’s use of a teleprompter affects his performance.
Akshay’s Recent Box Office Struggles
Despite his reputation as a box office king, Akshay Kumar has been struggling to deliver hits. Sarfira failed to perform commercially, adding to his string of underperforming films. His previous release, Sky Force, managed a moderate box office run but was accused of inflated collection figures.
Despite the setbacks, Akshay has a packed slate ahead, with projects including:
- Jolly LLB 3
- Housefull 5
- Bhooth Bangla
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Hera Pheri 3
With several big-budget films lined up, it remains to be seen whether Akshay Kumar will silence critics or continue to face backlash for his acting approach.
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