Mumbai, March 16 Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, recently on his quiz reality show Wheel of Fortune, shared a cherished memory from his early days in the industry, recalling his late father and his immense love and motivation for the superstar.
He said, “My father, until he was alive, would watch all my films as soon as they were released. He would get them from people and then show them to me. I must have seen each of my films at least 18 or 20 times.”
Akshay added that it was his father’s unconditional love that made him the person he is today.
The actor shared his emotional story as the cast of the recent hit Gujarati movie Laalo appeared on the show.
Playing the flute, Akshay introduced and welcomed the film’s cast, including Shruhad Goswami, Reeva Rachh, and Karan Joshi, along with director Ankit Sakhiya, on the show.
While welcoming them, he shared the deeply moving and inspiring journey behind the film, speaking with admiration about how three friends pursued their dream of making a movie despite having no money, armed with nothing but an unshakable belief in each other.
Sharing the story with the audience, Akshay said, “But they didn’t have money, how could they hire actors, where could they get cameras? ”
“Despite these questions, they didn’t give up, one friend got a camera, two friends were asked to act, and they started shooting a full film with that camera in one location.”
“And then, something amazing happened, this film became the biggest blockbuster in the Gujarati film industry, earning over ₹100 crore. And you know how much this film cost, only ₹48 lakhs.”
Later in the episode, director Ankit Sakhiya spoke about the fragile, early days after the film’s release.
He mentioned with a heavy heart that the movie did not perform well initially and was on the verge of being taken down from theatres within two to three weeks.
Akshay then asked Ankit to share the vulnerability of what happened during that tough phase.
Ankit revealed that every morning, he and his team would visit the theatres where their film was playing.
They would interact with the audience members present, asking them how they felt.
According to him, the reactions were overwhelming; people often liked the film so much that many even had tears in their eyes.
However, despite the positive reactions, he could not understand the heartbreaking silence of the empty seats and why audiences were still not coming to theatres in large numbers.
At that point, Akshay stepped in to reveal the sheer sacrifice Ankit made next, saying, “I was giving them money to go and see my film. Here, I’m giving you the ticket. If you like it, tell your friends.”
Akshay continued explaining Ankit used whatever little money he had left to literally buy a chance for his film to be heard, encouraging people to watch and spread the word.
Drawing a deeply personal connection to the story, Akshay then asked Ankit what he had learned from this grueling journey of turning a shoestring budget into a ₹100-crore success.
Reflecting on the tears and triumphs, Ankit said, “The only thing I learned is, if you want to do something, you have to try.”
Ankit also shared that the team had shot the film in just 40 days, fueled by the immense support of friends who refused to let them fail.
He mentioned that around 15 producers were involved in the project, many of whom were his college friends who stepped in to offer their own savings whenever funds were running low.
Akshay appreciated this beautiful spirit of friendship, calling it wonderful. Ankit concluded by adding that the film itself is a tribute to friendship, making the real-life journey behind it come full circle.