Akshay Kumar turns 53: Top 3 films of the 'Khiladi of Bollywood' completely based on sport

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar celebrated his 53rd birthday on Wednesday. Touted as one of the fittest actors of the film industry for years now, the 'Khiladi Kumar' is known to be an ardent sports enthusiast. He has expressed his love for cricket on several platforms and was also seen commentating alongside Kapil Dev and Akash Chopra during India's warm-up game against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Over the years, Akshay Kumar has proven himself to be amongst India's bankable film actor, who is known for his versatility. With films from various genres to his name, let us look at the top three Bollywood movies based on sports featuring Akshay Kumar. 

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53rd Akshay Kumar birthday: 'Gold' The Film marks the actor's latest sports film

Akshay Kumar played the role of Tapan Das, who was instrumental in the Indian Men's Hockey Team winning their first-ever Gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. Released on August 15, 2018, Gold The Film turned out to be a bumper success for the actor. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Reema Kagti, Gold The film went on to collect over ₹158 crore across India and international markets. The opening day collection of the Akshay Kumar-starrer was a whopping ₹25 crore, despite a box-office clash with John Abraham's Satyamev Jayate. 

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53rd Akshay Kumar birthday: Patiala House was actor's first sports film

Starring Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, the Nikhil Advani-directed film is a must-watch for cricket fans. It depicts the journey of an England-based cricketer of Indian origin, who is not able to follow his dream of being a cricketer due to his father not wanting him to play for the British. Akshay Kumar plays the role of a fast bowler in the 2011 released movie.

The movie is a testimony of Kumar's acting prowess as he is effortless in the emotional scenes as well as the cricket scenes. Patiala House gained limelight due to the reel debut of real-life cricketers such as Nasser Hussain, Shaun Tait, Andrew Symonds and Herschelle Gibbs. Though Patiala House did not fare well at the box office, such was Akshay Kumar's performance that legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath reportedly claimed that he wanted the Indian actor to play him if there was a biopic made on him.

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53rd Akshay Kumar birthday: Brothers featured Siddharth Malhotra as well

Akshay Kumar featured in a sports drama by director Karan Malhotra (of Agneepath fame) that revolved around Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The movie showcased the journey of two brothers, Kumar and Siddharth Malhotra, who are professional MMA fighters. Akshay Kumar's character progresses from an amateur street fighter to a professional one amidst an emotional turmoil. The movie was moderately successful, having collected ₹100 crore worldwide. The film also starred Jacqueline Fernandez, Jackie Shroff and Shefali Shah with a special appearance from Kareena Kapoor. 

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