Akshay Kumar has finally hit it big. Despite being consistent at the box office, Khiladi Kumar, as he is known, never made it to the popular cinema awards.

But last week, things changed with Kumar winning the National Film Award for his film Rustom. Though he was seen as a bankable actor who has been consistently delivering at the box office, Kumar has always been underated as a brand.

Bankable brand

Trade analyst Komal Nahata said: “His films have been consistently profitable at the box office, which has a lot to do with the kind of films he has been selecting in the past two years.”

Celebrity management firms point out that brand Akshay has also been constantly evolving in the past few years. But, does a national award boosts the brand value of an actor?

Manish Porwal, MD, Alchemist Marketing and Talent Solutions said: “It does add more depth to a celebrity’s brand equity. It helps creating a buzz and social media chatter around the star.”

Unlike the leading Khans who do 1-2 films a year, he has also been doing more films annually, Nahata added. In the past 2-3 years, Kumar has delivered a string of successes which includes Jolly LLB-2,Rustom,Housefull-3 , Airlift;Singh is Bliing , Baby among others. While some of these films crossed the ₹100-crore mark in terms of collections, others made profit at the box office.

This year started on a high for Kumar with Jolly LLB-2’s success, followed by his extended cameo in Naam Shabana .

Anirban Das Blah, founder and Managing Director, Kwan Entertainment and Marketing said besides having a strong mass appeal, he has evolved into a brand that now also strikes a chord with the urban audience and cuts across all socio-economic groups and ages.

He also pointed out that Kumar has in the recent past, been speaking on key social issues such as corruption, terrorism and cleanliness.

The actor last week collaborated with the Home Ministry for the launch of an app to facilitate donations for families of deceased Indian soldiers. Inspired by the government’s Swacch Bharat campaign, he has also co-produced and will feature in a satirical comedy on sanitation conditions in India called Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, slated for release in August. Vinita Bangard, founder of talent management firm Krossover Entertainment said: “ He is a versatile actor who has been steadfast in building a strong brand over the years. He is seen as a dependable and serious actor. Brand Akshay embodies dynamism, credibility, discipline and is associated with strong family values.”

Kumar has been the face for brands across sectors. He has been associated with companies such as Tata Motors (for commercial vehicles), Sparx Footwear, Dollar Club, Kajaria Ceramics, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters and Kwality, among others.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW