Suneil Shetty on his most consistent co-star Akshay Kumar and what keeps their partnership going

The return of Suneil Shetty, Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal has us excited. How excited are you about De Dana Dan?
It is after nine long years that we are actually getting together as a team to perform. Akki and my chemistry in the movie is amazing. Besides, it has 24 characters and, like Hera Pheri, it is a situational comedy.

Akshay Kumar and you have had a successful partnership in the movies; how do you review this relationship?
Our first action hit was Mohra, then came Dhadkan—our first romantic hit—and then Hera Pheri, the biggest comedy hit of our careers. Whenever Akki and I do a film, the media has stories of our fights and bickering. It is only the PR machinery working overtime; we share an amazing rapport. Today, Akshay has moved a lot ahead. When people ask me today if he is my friend or foe, I say, Akki is my inspiration.

Comedy is your strength now instead of action, which you set out doing.
Everybody dies for an image here. I was lucky to have earned the action-hero image very early in my career. Whenever I tried something else, it backfired, until Gopi Kishan happened. Here, I got a chance to portray both my action and comic side. Post that, Hera Pheri and Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar kept the momentum going.

So no more action roles?
When I was campaigning in Nashik, all that people wanted to see were my biceps and it is this audience that decides your fortune at the box office. But there aren’t good action movies these days. I have signed an action film—the remake of Malayalam blockbuster Kirti Chakra, directed by Major Ravi, where I play a commando. Also, I have Anees Bazmee’s No Problem, an action comedy, and then Hera Pheri 4.

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