People called me a furniture when I acted: Akshay Kumar

Mumbai: He is riding high on critical acclaim and box office success with his recent films but actor Akshay Kumar says there was a time when people used to call him a "furniture" based on his performances.

Earlier this year, the actor was praised for his role in "Airlift" as a businessman who carries out the evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during an invasion crisis.
The 48-year-old "Baby" star then acted in a comic role in the recently released "Housefull 3".

When asked about how he strikes a balance between diverse roles, Akshay told reporters, "I like the scripts, I just go ahead with it. Anybody can do it. When I came in the industry I was called a furniture when I used to act. So if I can do it, anyone can do it."

The actor was speaking at the success party of "Housefull 3" last night. The film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri.

While "Airlift" managed to cross the Rs 100 crore at the box office, "Housefull 3" is also nearing the benchmark. The actor will be next seen in "Rustom" and hopes he strikes a hattrick of 100-crore films at the box office.

"I hope so. We made a good film with 'Rustom' also. I hope people like it. Keeping the kind of product we have made, I hope so."

The film is reportedly based on the 1959 Nanavati case where Naval officer Kavas Maneckshaw Nanavati was tried for the murder of his wife's lover, Prem Ahuja.
Akshay plays a Naval officer in the film which also stars Ileana D'Cruz and Esha Gupta.