“Keep Flowing” - Akshay Kumar Recalls Bruce Lee’s Wisdom while discussing his mantra of career longevity

Speaking candidly about his decades-long journey in Hindi cinema, Akshay Kumar struck a motivational note during a conversation with Rajdeep Sardesai at the India Today Conclave, tracing his rise from a fleeting early screen appearance to becoming one of Bollywood’s most enduring stars.

Recalling his modest beginnings, Kumar said he barely registered his first film outing in 1987 (Mahesh Bhatt's Aaj), where he appeared in a brief part. “It was hardly anything, just about 20 seconds,” he said with a smile. The contrast between that moment and his current stature still surprises him. Sardesai asked him, “Sometimes you pinch yourself and think, where did I come from? How did this all happen?”

The actor attributed his longevity not to grand strategy but to a mindset shaped by adaptability. A self-confessed admirer of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, Kumar spoke about a lesson that has guided him through the unpredictable currents of the film industry. “I have always tried to keep my life like water,” he said. “If you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. Put it in your hand, it takes that shape. Just keep flowing. Wherever life has to take you, it will take you.”

Using the metaphor to describe his career trajectory, Kumar suggested that success and failure are merely changing tides. “Sometimes the tide is high and you move fast. Sometimes it is low and you go slowly. If the water is still, that is also fine, it will remain still for a while,” he said. “I have never felt that I have reached a final destination. I have just kept moving.”

Kumar also spoke openly about setbacks, revealing that he once went through a phase of delivering as many as 16 or 17 consecutive flops. Yet, he emphasised that his professional discipline ensured he continued to find work. “Even then, I had four or five films in hand,” he noted. “Discipline is one of the most important things. Producers must trust that you will show up on time, finish the film and give your best.”

Summary

Addressing aspiring actors in the audience, Kumar stressed that age should not be a barrier to entering the industry, but consistency and professionalism are non-negotiable. “You have to be disciplined. Be a producer’s actor,” he said, adding that the principles he follows were learned early in his career and continue to shape his work ethic today.