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Box Office: Revisiting Akshay Kumar's previous films with debutant directors ahead of Kesari 2's release
As Akshay Kumar’s Kesari 2 directed by Karan Singh Tyagi is set to release soon, let’s take a look at the last 5 films where Akshay worked with a first-time director.
Akshay Kumar is currently one of the biggest names in the Indian film industry—not to mention one of the most versatile. The superstar has worked with both the biggest and the smallest of directors throughout his career. His upcoming movie, Kesari Chapter 2, is helmed by debutant filmmaker Karan Singh Tyagi. The film also stars R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday in lead roles.
As the film is set to release on 18 April 2025, let’s take a look at the last five films where Akshay Kumar collaborated with debutant directors.
1. Sky Force
The most recent Akshay Kumar film, Sky Force, marked the directorial debut of the duo Sandeep Kewlani and Abhishek Anil Kapur. It also introduced Veer Pahariya in a leading role alongside Akshay Kumar, Sara Ali Khan, and Nimrat Kaur. This war drama, released earlier in 2025, underperformed at the box office with a collection of Rs 109 crore (India net).
2. Good Newwz
The comedy-drama Good Newwz featured an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Diljit Dosanjh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kiara Advani. It was directed by debutant Raj Mehta. The film received a positive response from audiences and stands among Akshay Kumar’s highest-grossing films to date, with a collection of Rs 196.25 crore, making it a superhit.
Watch the Kesari Chapter 2 trailer
3. Mission Mangal
The sci-fi drama Mission Mangal was based on a real-life project by ISRO. The film starred a stellar cast including Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Kirti Kulhari, and Sharman Joshi. It marked the directorial debut of Jagan Shakti and turned out to be a major box-office success, earning Rs 192.75 crore.
4. Entertainment
Released in 2014, Entertainment was one of the most-awaited comedy films of Akshay Kumar at the time. Co-starring Tamannaah Bhatia, it marked the debut of the director duo Sajid-Farhad. Unfortunately, the film proved to be a box-office disappointment, collecting only Rs 64.25 crore (India net).
5. Khiladi 786
In 2012, Akshay Kumar returned to the Khiladi film series after 12 years with Khiladi 786. Directed by first-time filmmaker Ashish R. Mohan, the film featured a cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Babbar, Asin, Himesh Reshammiya, and Mukesh Rishi. Despite high expectations, the film performed moderately at the box office, collecting Rs 64.5 crore (India net).
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
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