Akshay Kumar is clearly the busiest actor these days. Riding high these days on the success of ‘Bell Bottom‘, he has clearly given theatres a chance to get back into business. Even as the actor is gearing up for his releases, ‘Prithviraj’, ‘Sooryavanshi‘, ‘Bachchan Pandey’ and ‘Atrangi Re’, as well as currently filming ‘Cinderella’, ‘Ram Setu’, ‘Raksha Bandhan’ and ‘Oh My God 2’ (Yes! That’s the list!), news of his next project is already doing the rounds! Titled ‘2XL’, this film will be his first collaboration with director Mudassar Aziz (of ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ fame) and according to a prominent media publication, this film will most likely also star Sonakshi Sinha. ‘2XL’ is touted to be a comedy flick and is expected to go on floors by early next year.
From the title, one can guess that the script has something to do with a comical take on an obese character, though sources tell us that it’s going to be Akshay who will be seen in this new avatar. Known for his fitness, this rather unconventional role will come as a surprise to his fans. Is there anything else left that the actor hasn’t done? (Come on, he’s even played God)! Produced by Ashwin Varde, ‘2XL’ is expected to be on the lines of the 1996 Hollywood superhit ‘The Nutty Professor’ and will see Kumar in the role of Eddie Murphy. Apparently, an international make-up and prosthetics artist will be roped in for the film, since the makers do not want to leave any stone unturned in the authenticity of the project. Incidentally, this is the third collaboration between director Aziz and Sonakshi, after the two films in the ‘Happy Bhaag Jayegi’ franchise.
Interestingly, the last Bollywood films to be made around overweight characters was 2015’s ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’, that was the debut of talented actress Bhumi Pednekar and 2002’s ‘Badhai Ho Badhai’, that featured Anil Kapoor in the lead. Though with all the heat these days surrounding body shaming, we hope this film adds an interesting angle to it. Although no official announcements have been made as yet, we can expect one to follow soon.