As he prepares to release ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, Akshay Kumar has opened up about the evolution of comedy and why making an audience laugh has become so difficult in the age of social media. Although Akshay was mostly known for acting when he started his career, he gradually gave it up and turned to comedy. The actor was widely accepted in the genre and continues to be loved for his movies like ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Garam Masala’, ‘Bhagam Bhaag’ among others which became popular with time among the audience. However, the actor feels that comedy today is more difficult than it used to be. The actor, who recently starred in ‘Bhooth Bangla’, believes that the amount of humor available online has raised the profile of filmmakers and actors alike. Akshay said that while comedy is still a powerful form of entertainment, today’s audience is exposed to jokes, memes and funny videos on multiple platforms.“It has become very difficult. Nowadays there are reels, memes and comedy content everywhere. But comedy is like a big river, it never dries up. There are many types of comedy, there are physical comedy, situational comedy, slapstick comedy, dark comedy,” he said in an interview with PTI.The 58-year-old actor said that movies are no longer the only source of laughter for viewers, with digital platforms providing endless entertainment.“There are countless ways to make people laugh. If you open Instagram, you will find endless memes and funny videos. People consume jokes every day. There are many funny shows and artists creating new things. But making people laugh is still one of the hardest things to do. People often ignore humor. I have a lot of respect for actors. Standing alone in front of an audience and making people laugh is very difficult.“‘Welcome To The Jungle’, the latest episode of the popular show ‘Welcome’, follows the chaos of criminals, terrorists and other people who live in the jungle near the border. What starts out as a movie-like operation soon descends into an extraordinary situation involving crime, chaos and action.The film has a great ensemble cast led by Akshay Kumar and includes Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Raveena TandonArshad Warsi, Lara Dutta and several other actors.One aspect of the trailer that caught the attention of the audience was its self-deprecating humor. Akshay revealed that he doesn’t mind being a joker, and he enjoys it.“I think laughing at myself is much better than laughing at someone else. If I’m laughing at someone else, there’s not much joy. But if I laugh at myself, I’m healthy. For example, there’s a scene where Jackie’s character says, ‘Maine aapko kahin dekha hai.’ And Suniel replies, ‘Aap flop filmein bhi dekhte hain?’Recalling his reaction when he was given the line, Akshay added, “When the director and the writer told me the line, I immediately said, ‘Good.’ Do it.’ Why should I have a problem? Didn’t I give flop movies? Everyone has said that. There is nothing wrong with accepting it. That’s why the joke worked so well. “The actor also spoke about portraying a veteran Bhojpuri film star in the film, a role he was excited to prepare for. To get into the culture, he spent time studying the practices of the big names of the industry.“I really enjoyed the preparation. Before recording this song, I looked around 30 to 40 Bhojpuri songs. I watched songs of Ravi Kishan ji, Pawan ji and many others. ““I wanted to understand their style, their tone and their performance. What I realized is that Bhojpuri actors bring a lot of energy to their work. There is a sense of freedom in their performance. You can’t have any limitations when you are performing. That energy should flow naturally. I learned a lot from watching it.”Reflecting on the growing popularity of Bollywood films, Akshay rejected the idea that a sequel or established genre only guarantees success at the box office.“It’s not a risk or a safe bet. If the film is good, it’s a good thing. If the film is not good, then being a franchise doesn’t matter. Recently, my film ‘Bhooth Bangla’ was released. It was not a franchise. God was kind, and people loved it. In the end, it all depends on the film itself.”The ‘Welcome’ franchise started with the 2007 comedy film starring Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Anil KapoorParesh Rawal, Katrina Kaif and the late Feroz Khan. It was later followed by ‘Welcome Back’ in 2015. Now, with ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, the franchise is coming back with a bigger cast as it hits the theaters on Friday.
