Paresh Rawal's Candid Admission, Says Akshay Kumar Is Not His “Friend”
Paresh Rawal recently revealed that Akshay Kumar is not a friend, but just a colleague.
Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal have shared the screen in some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, from the iconic ‘Hera Pheri’ series to ‘OMG: Oh My God!’ and ‘Welcome’. Their frequent collaborations and public displays of mutual admiration often give the impression that they’re close friends. But in a surprising twist, Paresh Rawal recently set the record straight. During an interview with The Lallantop, the veteran actor first called Akshay Kumar a friend — only to quickly correct himself moments later, clarifying that the ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ star is, in fact, just a “colleague”.
When the veteran actor was asked if Akshay is his friend, he said, “Yes”.
However, he then quickly added, “Film industry mein colleague hote hain, theatre mein dost hote hain, aur school mein jigar jaan dost hote hain. But film ke andar colleague hote hain.”
When asked whether he sees Akshay Kumar as just a colleague, he replied, “Yes. Mere dost jinko main with respect se bol sakun toh Om Puri sahab the, Naseer bhai hain, Johnny Lever hain. Ye hain jinko main dost bol sakun. Ek hota hai na ki with permission.”
Recently, Paresh Rawal had come to Akshay Kumar's rescue, defending him for doing multiple projects in a year. Amid the lacklustre run of Akshay Kumar's movies in 2024, fans criticised the actor for not taking a break.
However, speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Paresh Rawal had said, “Honestly, what is your problem if he does so many films? People go to him to make the films, right? As a producer, I would sign an actor only if I can account for the money I am investing. He just likes to work. He isn’t smuggling, bootlegging, selling drugs, or gambling. He is just working as much as he possibly can. And more importantly, his films are also a source of employment for thousands. Where is the problem?”
Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar will soon be sharing the screen in upcoming films ‘Bhooth Bangla’ and ‘Hera Pheri 3’. The duo will also star in ‘Welcome to the Jungle’.
Speaking of Akshay Kumar, the actor can currently be seen on the big screen as his latest film ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ is running in theatres. The film, which also stars Ananya Panday and R Madhavan, earned Rs 8.10 crore on Sunday, the 10th day of its release. The total nett domestic collection stands at Rs 65.40 crore, as per Sacnilk.
The new Hindi movie had opened to positive reviews from all corners, and Akshay Kumar won immense praise for his performance as C Sankaran Nair.
‘Kesari Chapter 2’ is performing better than Akshay Kumar's previous releases such as 'Sarfira', 'Mission Raniganj' and 'Khel Khel Mein'. However, it is trailing behind 'Sky Force', which released in cinemas in January 2025.
‘Kesari Chapter 2’ deals with the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre happened on April 13, 1919. General REH Dyer ordered the Gurkha and Sikh infantry regiments to shoot after a large crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act.
