Akshay Kumar says today's actresses are less willing to take risks

Actor Akshay Kumar has shared his views on how the Hindi film industry has evolved over the years, saying that while today's actresses enter the profession far better prepared than previous generations, they are often less willing to take risks.

The actor spoke about changing attitudes in the industry during a promotional interaction for his upcoming comedy entertainer ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, directed by Ahmed Khan. The film, which features a large ensemble cast, is slated for release on June 26, 2026.

Reflecting on his experience working alongside actresses from different eras of Bollywood, Akshay noted that professionalism remains a common trait across generations, but pointed to a shift in approach when it comes to career choices and collaborative projects.

'Today's actresses are more prepared'

Asked about the differences he observes between actresses from the 1990s, the 2000s and the current generation, Akshay praised the talent and professionalism of all the performers he has worked with.

"Well, they are all very professional. They are all beautiful.

They are all good actresses. So, there is not much of a difference. Yes, I would say that today's actresses are more prepared than we used to be. They know everything. They have learnt a lot before entering the industry."

His comments suggest that newer entrants to the industry arrive with greater technical knowledge and awareness of the profession than actors did in previous decades.

Ahmed Khan on the loss of 'rawness'

The conversation also touched on whether increased preparation has come at the cost of spontaneity.

Responding to a question about whether he misses the rawness often associated with newcomers from earlier eras, director Ahmed Khan said modern actors generally enter the industry with a stronger foundation.

"See, earlier, actors used to be raw, we had to teach them. We had to teach them, fundamentally, what to do. Today, they are fundamentally correct."

According to Khan, actors now begin their careers with training and industry knowledge that once had to be developed on the job.

Akshay advocates for more multi-starrers

While acknowledging the strengths of today's performers, Akshay argued that younger actors are often reluctant to embrace projects that require sharing screen space with multiple stars.

Explaining what he meant by a lack of risk-taking, he said, "Not a lot of multi-starrers are made these days because they are not ready to adapt to the fact that why should we work in a multi-starrer movie."

The actor used the opportunity to encourage younger artistes to participate in ensemble films, which he believes can benefit both audiences and the wider film industry.

Looking back at Bollywood's ensemble era

Akshay pointed to an earlier period in Hindi cinema when some of the industry's biggest stars regularly appeared together in the same films.

"If you see, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, they all used to do films together. I think, if we can do multi-starrers, it will be good for the industry", he concluded.

(IANS)