It’s Not a Bird or a Plane, it’s Akshay Kumar Doing a High-Jump

In an April Fool’s prank, Tiger Shroff violently shook a bottle of Coke and asked his co-star Akshay Kumar to help him open it only for Kumar to spray himself with the sticky liquid while Shroff laughed in the background. One can assume the pranks refer to the banter between Shroff’s and Kumar’s characters in their upcoming film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.  But, not only did this look like a rejected scene from Just for Laughs Gags — it was also not particularly relevant to what the film seems to be about: two soldiers from an elite Indian force who take down a masked enemy of the nation.

Recently at a fan event in Lucknow, Kumar and Shroff took their promotional antics to new heights — literally — by descending from the heavens like action demigods. One has to give Kumar full credit for how he has stayed true to his ‘Khiladi’ legacy, often taking the “stunt” part of the publicity very seriously. As the original action hero of Bollywood, he has apparently done all his stunts by himself, including the one in Khiladi 420 (1999) where he stood on a plane 1000 ft above the ground and jumped onto a hot air balloon without any wires or CGI. At the event in Lucknow, with music from Bade Miyan Chote Miyan blaring in the background, Shroff and Kumar showcased their daredevil skills, proving that their upcoming flick isn't just talk — it's all action, all the way. The lack of crowd management at the event caused chaos and chappal-flinging frenzy that wasn't exactly part of the scripted performance, but it grabbed headlines nonetheless, proving the adage that any publicity is good publicity.

Kumar’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan publicity approach is not an apple that has fallen far from the tree when you scrounge through his previous promotional hijinks which are riddled with flashy stunts and that induce awe, and can even charm. Here, we have put together our favourites.

1. High Jump -  Kambakkht Ishq 

After being suspended from a crane, Kumar jumped off a 60ft high structure while promoting his film Kambakkht Ishq (2009). Now obviously for Kumar, the line between actor and character is very blurred and not in a way that you would expect. He has played various versions of himself in almost every film he has ever done. For him, it is less about getting lost in the character and more about seizing every chance to jump off something high — because why not. It's a bonus that he played a stuntman named Viraj Shergill in the film – gives those risky leaps some much-needed justification. But it is pure happenstance.

3. Underwater Overshadowing - Rowdy Rathore

Back in 2015, Kumar decided to crash a contestant's performance on India’s Got Talent, joining in to bust out the hook step of his hit song ‘Chinta Ta Ta Chita Chita’ from Rowdy Rathore (2012). And boy, did he steal the spotlight. Now, we all know Kumar's renowned for his fitness, but to pull off an impromptu act presumably without any training or prep? That's a whole new level of taking the wind out of someone's sails – especially because how good is your “talent” if it can be executed on a whim. Obviously it was not Kumar’s intention to overshadow the young participant, but he sure knows how to pick his moments.

3. Desi Parkour - Sonic Nickelodeon

In 2011, Kumar kicked off Viacom’s Sonic Nickelodeon with a bang — or rather, a jump. He summoned two unsuspecting souls from the audience — we regret to inform you that we couldn’t tell if they were fans or journalists — and dared them to take a leap from a lofty height. Why, you ask? Because it was high enough to make the untrained tremble. Kumar, ever the thrill-seeker, saw this as the perfect opportunity to flaunt his fearless side, take the leap and launch the new action-packed channel in style. 

4. Thums Up for a Car Flip - Khatron Ke Khiladi

In 2011, to hype up the excitement for the television reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi, Kumar orchestrated a stunt that seemed like it was plucked straight from a Hollywood blockbuster. Picture this: He's cruising in a car, seemingly through a line of explosives, when suddenly, BOOM! The back of the car goes flying, flipping it a full 180-degrees. Cue the dramatic TRP friendly music. After a few helping hands assist Kumar out of the now upside-down vehicle (a bit anticlimactic, if you ask me), he emerges unscathed, flashing that trademark grin of his. But wait, there's more: Without skipping a beat, he hops onto the toppled car and cracks open a can of Thums Up – you know, that drink synonymous with risk takers — to celebrate the flip. (But here's the kicker: The production quality was so hilariously poor that you couldn't help but laugh when the car flipped.)  They paired the stunt with cringeworthy, over-the-top music to make it more soap opera-esque, a dominant TV sensibility. Then again, it was Khatron Ke Khiladi — where the real “khatra” is the reality TV drama.

5. Playing with Fire - The End

In 2019, Kumar made his grand entrance into the world of OTT with an announcement that was supposed to set the stage ablaze — quite literally. Yes, you read that right. The man set himself on fire to unveil his upcoming show on Amazon Prime Video, tentatively titled The End.  The Man. Set himself. ON FIRE. With fiery charm (pardon the pun), he strutted onto the stage, leaving the audience in awe, and probably a little concerned for his safety. However, here's where the smoke clears and reality sets in: Not only did they provide zero information about The End or how this fiery stunt tied into the project, but the show has since been extinguished — sorry, shelved before it even had a chance to ignite. One would also never have guessed that the title of the show would end up becoming a brazen descriptor for itself. 

Special Mention: Handstands and Kicks 

On two separate occasions, during the promotions of Pad Man (2018) and Good Newwz (2019), Kumar decided to flip the script — quite literally — by doing handstands and even kicking a plastic bottle out of the emcee’s hand. Now, what these acrobatics have to do with films centred around making affordable sanitary napkins and an accidental sperm swap is a riddle yet to be solved. But attempting to find logic in Kumar's promotional antics might just be a wilder ride than any of his stunts — and definitely riskier for your brain.

With Research Assistance from Easwar Arun.