Directors Sajid and Farhad knew Akshay Kumar from the time they wrote Housefull 2 . But that’s not how they got the actor to agree to do Entertainment .
“I have heard the script and seen the film through their eyes at least four to five times,” says Akshay, as the rest of the Entertainment team (including the dog) assembles at the Comedy Nights with Kapil set in Goregaon Film City.
“A golden retriever called Junior is the hero of the film,” says director Farhad.
“The dog is used as a metaphor for entertainment in the film,” Farhad explains why the dog (and the film) is called Entertainment . “It was Akshay’s idea that we name the film after the dog’s character. Otherwise, Akshay’s films are mostly named after him… all the Khiladi films, for instance. ”
Akshay apparently had no problems playing second fiddle to the dog. Even if it meant waiting and shooting according to the golden retriever’s moods.
“Not even one CG shot,” insists Akshay. “It is all about waiting patiently to get the right expressions that would match the situations that we had. The dog didn’t work for more than 3-4 hours a day,” he adds, crediting the directors for the patience.
Akshay and the dog have been actively involved in the promotions of the film. Apart from going on Comedy Nights with Kapil , Akshay and dog even walked the ramp for a fashion show.
A line in the film translates to: “The next time someone calls me a dog, I wouldn’t take it as an insult but thank them for it.” And animal activist Maneka Gandhi was so impressed with the pet-friendly theme of Entertainment that she hosted the premiere in Delhi on Thursday.
As director Farhad says, “Love your pets. They will entertain you all your life.”
