Akshay said he loved shooting with Mufasa the lion
In the songs of the upcoming
Singh is Bliing, Akshay Kumar has a couple of lovely ladies around him - Amy Jackson and Lara Dutta - but perhaps it's the blonde in this particular song that deserves the most mention: (Also Read:
Akshay's Love For Amy Lost in Translation in New Singh Is Bliing Song)
We're not surprised he was skipping, especially when we discovered that that was, in fact, not a lioness, but a lion with a rather radical haircut. Akshay, who plays a security guard at a zoo in the film, said he loved shooting with-wait for it-Mufasa. Yes, that's his name. "We shot in Cape Town and it was a lovely experience working there," Akshay said. (Also Read:
On Akshay Kumar's Birthday, a New Singh Is Bliing Song)
Even if it led to this anecdote: "I don't want people to think it's a green mat. Not at all. I shot with it, I sat with the lion and I was shit-scared! Actually, in the middle of a shot, the lion got angry and broke some glass. Because he saw his own reflection and thought it was another lion."
Or, he saw his newly-trimmed head and wasn't pleased. It's a standard rule, after all, for filmstars all over the world (felines included!): you don't mess with the do.
And we have to give Akshay extra props-it's a massive lion (he's not called Mufasa for nothing), with possibly a mild identity crisis, and closer quarters than most would be comfortable with. You see this is a cat that knows how to call shotgun: "The whole scene is shot in a car. He's sitting next to me. Next to me."
Where was his trainer? "He was far away. I said what will happen, can you save me? And he said there's not time, if he decides... but don't worry he's in a good mood today. We have fed him properly."
And yes, add to the memos: if you're going to play with wild cats, it's best to choose the ones that are well-fed. As for Akshay, always hungry for new adventures, it seems only fitting that the Singh who is
Bliing, who once was
Kinng, be hanging cool with the King of the Jungle. Make that the Singh of the Jungle.