How a Bollywood actor survived a decade-long career slump
In short: Akshay Kumar’s trajectory is a masterclass in professional resilience. After a meteoric rise in the 1990s, he faced a significant period of box office failure. Yet, he pivoted his entire brand, mastering comedy and diverse genres to stage one of Indian cinema's most enduring comebacks.
Kumar first gained prominence in the early 1990s with the 1992 film Khiladi, which launched the Khiladi series. This initial success was followed by a prolific 1994 that saw him in five releases, including the romantic drama Yeh Dillagi. However, the late 1990s proved difficult; despite some successes like Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997, several other releases performed poorly, leading to a notable setback in his career. His early work included a minor appearance in the 1987 film Aaj. He also landed a leading role in Saugandh in 1991. During his 1994 run, he received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in Yeh Dillagi.
The turning point arrived in 1999 with a strategic shift toward psychological thrillers and crime dramas like Sangharsh and Jaanwar. This comeback paved the way for a versatile era beginning in 2000. Kumar began diversifying his portfolio significantly, moving from negative roles in films like Ajnabee (2001) to becoming a premier comic actor. This shift yielded massive commercial hits between 2004 and 2010, including Garam Masala and Welcome, earning him the Filmfare Best Comedian Award. He also won the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance in Ajnabee. Beyond acting, he launched the Hari Om Entertainment production company in 2008. He also hosted the reality shows MasterChef India and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi in 2010.
His later career is defined by high-stakes commercial milestones. In 2012, he entered the 100 Crore Club with Housefull and Khiladi 786. By 2019, he achieved a rare feat of delivering four consecutive 200 Crore Club films. While he faced a documented decline from 2022 to mid-2025, his career showed signs of resurgence in late 2025 with the moderate success of Housefull 5 and Jolly LLB 3. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in Rustom. In 2018, he made his Tamil cinema debut in the sci-fi film 2.0. He also produced the hockey-based film Breakaway, which was a top-grossing cross-cultural hit in Canada.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Akshay Kumar filmography
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-akshay-kumar-filmography.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
