Akshay Kumar on joining Rohit Shetty's Golmaal 5: 'Ajay Devgn is the hero; I have no insecurity'

Golmaal 5 production begins with Akshay Kumar joining Ajay Devgn and Sharman Joshi returning. Akshay discusses his supporting role, career resilience, and his upcoming 2026 film, Bhooth Bangla.

Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn on the sets of Golmaal 5

With the formal commencement of production of Golmaal 5 by Rohit Shetty, the Indian comedy scene is about to undergo a tremendous expansion. Last week, on the filmmaker’s 52nd birthday, a loud announcement was made. Since then, the film has been all over the news because of its A-list cast and the unexpected addition of Akshay Kumar to the series.

Which original star is making a nostalgic return for the 20th anniversary of Golmaal?

This landmark fifth installment of the smash comedy series arrives exactly 20 years after the original 2006 film. Sharman Joshi, who is returning to the fold after 20 years, has stirred up nostalgia among long-time fans, even though franchise regulars Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Kemmu, and Shreyas Talpade are confirmed to be returning as well.

The real star of the show, though, has been Kumar's involvement. Fans have been speculating about the star’s character ever since the first announcement video surfaced, featuring him with a striking bald appearance. The actor has been mum about details, but those in the know say he could play the lead villain in a film involving a treasure hunt.

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How did Akshay Kumar respond to Ajay Devgn’s joke about his "franchise hopping"?

While discussing the project, Kumar responded to a clever comment made by Devgn, a long-time collaborator of his, who joked that Kumar "never leaves any franchise". “But isn’t it a great thing? It’s nice that whenever there’s any franchise, they want me,” the actor told News18.

Kumar has been very forthright about the fact that, despite his fame, he is not the film's protagonist; that honour goes to Devgn. “I’m happy that they think I was good enough to be a part of Golmaal. Ajay is the main hero. I’m not playing the main part. But what’s wrong with it? I look at a film as a film and never think, 'Ki main kya kar raha hoon uss film mein' (what I am doing in that film). For me, it’s far more important what the film is setting out to achieve. If I like the story, I’ll do it,” he stated.

Is there any professional rivalry between these two action icons?

Following their collaboration in Singham Again in which Kumar's Sooryavanshi had a well-received cameo, Devgn and he now team together. The actor insists there is no animosity between them as professionals, even if they have both achieved success as top-tier action performers.

“Mera role badhiya hai Golmaal mein (My role is great in Golmaal), but Ajay’s the hero. I’ve no insecurity. Uski koi zaroorat nahi hai (There is no need for it),” he remarked.

How does Akshay Kumar view the current "reset" in Bollywood?

Kumar will have been a working actor for 35 years in 2026. While Bollywood is experiencing a "reset" at the moment, he feels hopeful about the creative chances that are on the horizon.

“I see fresh scripts and ideas coming to me all the time. Main yeh dekhna chahta hoon ki main kya alag kar sakta hoon aur kaise kar sakta hoon (I want to see what I can do differently and how I can do it). You’ve to choose among the five or six roles that come to you. The rest go to other actors,” he shared.

How did Akshay Kumar overcome a streak of 16 consecutive flops?

Kumar reflected on his career and how, despite a notorious run of 16 straight flops in the 1990s, he went on to produce some of his most successful works from ideas that his colleagues had written off.

He went on to say, “Sabke hisse mein kuch na kuch aata hai (Everyone gets something or the other). Sometimes this too happens, that a role goes through multiple actors and then comes to you. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha for instance. The script was taken to multiple actors over a period of five years, but everyone said no to it. Then one day, it came to me, and I liked it, and I decided to do it. The same thing had happened with OMG 2. It’s a film about sex education. A lot of actors said no to it.”

What other major project is on Akshay Kumar's 2026 horizon?

Even though production on Golmaal 5 is ongoing, Kumar will be seen in Priyadarshan's horror comedy Bhooth Bangla which is set to release in theatres on April 10, 2026.

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