‘Salman and I weren’t in competition over our shows’

Akshay Kumar flagged off his reality show MasterChef India three weeks before Action Replayy opened, and will end it with another film release, Tees Maar Khan, this weekend.

Akshay Kumar flagged off his reality show MasterChef India three weeks before Action Replayy opened, and will end it with another film release, Tees Maar Khan, this weekend.

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“It’s pure co-incidence. The channel had a fixed schedule for the show and I’ve simply adhered to it. And I don’t interfere with the release plans of my films,” reasons the actor, who admits he hasn’t watched much of MasterChef Australia that ends at the same time.

“I didn’t copy the Australian version. I’m happy with my show that is ending on a high note. There have been tears, laughs, and some great recipes. We’ve gone from a royal palace and a dhaba to a flight kitchen.”

The show’s opening ratings were 2.6 TVRs and have fluctuated between 1 and 3 since.

Didn’t Salman Khan who comes on Bigg Boss 4 on Fridays and Saturdays give him stiff competition? “We had a laugh about these rumours while shooting Wallah wallah. We’re actors, we’ll do our best. It’s the channels that are in a race to outdo each other,” he asserts. “TRPs don’t decide the course of our personal equations.”

Kumar is now looking forward to the launch of the MasterChef cookbook, then it’ll be back to the movies. Mid-next year, his Canadian co-production, Breakaway, opens. “We’ve just completed two schedules with Rob Lowe, and also shot a song with Ludacris. I’m launching Vinay Verma, an exceptional ice hockey player,” says Kumar.

He’s just shot a cameo for friend Lara Dutta’s debut production, Chalo Dilli, in Jaipur: “Lara is a close friend and I simply asked her when to report for duty. And I didn’t charge a rupee.”