In a fascinating revelation about Bollywood's working methods, veteran character actor Gopi Bhalla has shared an intriguing anecdote from his time working with superstar Akshay Kumar on the sets of the 2010 film Action Replayy. Bhalla disclosed that Kumar often relied on unconventional methods to deliver his dialogues, including reading lines written directly on the backs of people present on set.
The Action Replayy Incident: Dialogues on Display
Speaking in a recent interview, Gopi Bhalla recounted a specific incident that occurred while filming a scene in a vegetable market setting for Action Replayy. Bhalla, who played a fruit vendor in the film, described how he delivered his lines quickly during a take, only to have Kumar immediately request a pause.
"He said, 'Wait, wait. I can't say so many dialogues. We'll shoot the scene by breaking it into parts,'" Bhalla recalled. "That's when I realized that as we were filming in the vegetable market set, he had dialogues written on someone's back."
A Humorous On-Set Moment
The actor shared a particularly humorous moment that occurred during the same scene. "During the shot, the person on whose back the dialogues were written bent down," Bhalla explained. "Akshay instantly said, 'Cut, yaar.' He pointed out that the person with the dialogues written on his back had bent down. Then Akshay told him not to bend and to stand straight, because he was reading the lines while delivering the scene."
Despite this unconventional approach, Bhalla was quick to praise Kumar's professionalism and character. "But I have to say Akshay Kumar is truly a gem of a person," he emphasized.
A Common Practice for the Superstar
Bhalla further elaborated that this wasn't an isolated incident. According to his observations, many times during Akshay Kumar's shoots, people around him in the scene have dialogues written on their backs, or they hold placards with the lines written on them, to help him deliver.
The character actor highlighted one remarkable aspect of Kumar's technique: "One thing about him is that he never lets you realize that he is reading and then speaking his lines. That, in itself, is a remarkable quality, he doesn't let the audience know."
Historical Context and Industry Perspective
This revelation adds to ongoing discussions about Akshay Kumar's dialogue delivery methods. For years, observers have noted that the actor frequently uses teleprompters and other aids during filming. Social media users have particularly highlighted this practice in recent years through various reels and clips from his films.
Bhalla's account echoes similar observations from other industry professionals. Last year, filmmaker Suneel Darshan, who worked with Kumar on films like Jaanwar, also spoke about the actor's challenges with memorization.
"It's very good if an actor can memorize his lines, but for him, it was always difficult to remember complete pages of dialogues," Darshan stated. "It was manageable in the beginning because he was doing less work, but it became an issue in the later years when we worked together. We used to put placards for him to read from, and he is not the first person to do it."
The Mumbai Connection
The Action Replayy shoot that Bhalla referenced took place in Mumbai, where much of Bollywood's production activity is concentrated. The vegetable market setting mentioned in his anecdote reflects the diverse locations used for film shoots across India's entertainment capital.
This behind-the-scenes glimpse into Bollywood's working methods offers fascinating insight into how actors navigate the challenges of their craft, particularly when dealing with extensive dialogue requirements in fast-paced production schedules.
