December 18, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar will probably be paid a whopping amount of Rs 27 crore by the Balaji Telefilms production house next year. According to reports circulating in the media, this is the amount that has been demanded by the daredevil actor from Ekta Kapoors production house after he was approached to play the role of Dawood Ibrahim in the sequel to this years successful movie Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. The latest reports claim that Ekta Kapoor has requested Akshay Kumar to reconsider his fees because such a huge amount will make it difficult for the makers of the film to rake in any profits. But if reactions on the actors part are anything to go by, Akshay Kumar will not change his mind for Ekta Kapoor!

While most producers would have done away with the actor, Ekta Kapoor is not someone to accept defeat. The producer seems keen to work with only Akshay Kumar in her much awaited sequel. This means that Akshay Kumar will take over from where Emraan Hashmi had left the character of Shoaib Khan in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. Emraan Hashmis character in the film had been loosely based on real life underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

The media is already abuzz with news of various people from within the industry questioning Akshay Kumars sudden fee hike even though he has not generated a hit for a long time. And it is not only the Khiladi Kumar, several other actors in Bollywood are also opting for a rise in their remuneration in the coming year. Akshay Kumars good friend Salman Khan is also among them.

-- Sampurn Wire