--Akshay wasn't academically inclined. He preferred participating in sport-related activities of his school, Don Bosco. He completed his high school from Khalsa College, Mumbai, before he decided to discontinue studies and pursue martial arts.

--Akshay Kumar relishes Thai cuisine, not to mention homemade traditional Punjabi food, and his favourite holiday spot is Phuket, Thailand. Hardly surprising, considering the actor spent a lot of time in the country perfecting Taekwondo besides working as a part-time waiter in a fast food restaurant.

--Daredevil Akshay loves doing his own stunts. Be it leaping from a 21-storey building in Mahesh Bhatt's Angaarey or standing atop a moving bus in Guddu Dhanoa's Aflatoon or doing death-defying motorbike sequences in Vikram Bhatt's Awaara Pagal Deewana.

--Did you know Akshay almost broke his neck and back after lifting the 350-pound weighing WWF champ Undertaker in Umesh Mehra's Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi? The actor later underwent a prolonged treatment in the US.

--The secret behind Akshay's well-toned physique is a healthy diet, jogging, sprinting and indulging in water sports.

--Akshay Kumar has worked in seven films with the name Khiladi: Khiladi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Mr and Mrs Khiladi, International Khiladi and Khiladi 420.

--The actor has made a special appearance in only two films: Yash Chopra's Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Rajkumar Kohli's Jaani Dushman-Ek Anokhee Kahani.

-- Akshay's biggest dream is set up a school for training martial arts.

-- A great fan of Jackie Chan and Danny Denzongpa, Akshay also adores Amitabh Bachchan, with whom he worked in Suneel Darshan's Ek Rishtaa - The Bond of Love and Vipul Shah's Aankhen. Working with Big B in the former film was an emotional experience for the actor as it reminded him of his late father.