Why did only Akshay Kumar survive as a top lister actor when more popular stars like Sunny Deol, Sunil Shetty, and Sanjay Dutt faded who were more popular than him?

 Akshay Kumar stayed fit and stayed out of nonsense throughout his career. He had a versatile portfolio where he can do a completely comic role and also a serious action hero role.

If you see the timeline of Akshay’s movies, in the early 90s, he played mostly action oriented movies with some romance. The likes of Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Khiladiyon ka Khiladi, Mohra and Yeh Dillagi.

In between, 1997–1999 he acted in 9–10 movies which flopped. He even did cameo in Dil Toh Pagal Hai which was an out and out SRK movie. Only Dhadkan was a hit in 2000 which was a serious movie.

Starting 2000, Akshay shifted to comedy movies such as Hera Pheri, Aawara Paagal Deewana, Namastey London and the types. His market was steady from 2003 - 2010 when he did movies like Bhagam Bhag, Heyy Baby and Welcome. Most of these were mindless double meaning comedies with the combination of Paresh Rawal, Tushhar kapoor. The genre was nevertheless a hit.

His peak was the Bhool Bhulaiya, the Housefull series and Tees Maar Khan which ran just for the songs and comedy. Akshay was a bankable actor and many producers were willing to bet on him.

Compared to that, Sunny Deol and Sunil shetty can do only serious action roles. The trend of bashing up 20 people or firing guns in border faded out in mid 90s and definitely in the 2000s. Romcoms and the Khans dominated the Bollywood market from 2000 till 2012. Akshay found the sweet spot where he could do romcom and comedy which was appreciated by the Bihari, Rajasthani, UP audiences.

Sanjay Dutt was doing fine until he attempted the remake of Tamil and Telugu movies. He managed to sustain his market with the Munnabhai series but often ended up in jail due to the 1990s arms case. In my opinion, he spent more time in jail for the crime of having a weapon which he told he had to protect his family from underworld. His drug addiction also ruined his prospects. He is a good actor.

So, Akshay by switching to comedy and romcom genre when the need was there and sticking to perfection and healthy lifestyle continued to be successful well until 2015. After that, his movies have been failing except for 1 or 2 movies. In the last 3–4 years almost all his movies have failed.

Did Sunil Shetty's choice of films negatively affect his career growth compared to his peers like Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar?

 Suniel Shetty couldn't maintain his stardom what he had attained in 1990s. Like his contemporaries Ajay Devgn or Akshay Kumar he failed to show his versatility in acting, failed to select the right scripts and to select the roles which are appropriate to him.

Suniel Shetty attained stardom by working mainly as an action hero and people liked him to see him in that image rather than in other genres. But he couldn't give constant box office hits, many of his films failed at the box office. Gradually he switched on to do supporting roles and also negative roles in a number of films.

In an interview he stated that his last 30 years in the industry was purely because of his action image that gave him an opportunity to do comedy films.

He admitted that staying away from his established image as an action hero didn't always work in his favour.

Suniel Shetty tried to do different types of roles rather than action roles but people didn't welcome it. The audience or his fans preferred to see him as an action hero, so his decision to switch over to other various roles had become a main reason for his downfall. He also accepted with wrong scripts, it became a blow for him, he lost his stardom and also his films miserably failed at the box office. Suniel Shetty also felt that, it's better not to do anything.

When his films failed, he started to concentrate more on his business, he gave more importance to his business when he didn't get good opportunities and so he couldn't work consistently in the films. He also failed to give quality films, so because of all these reasons a gap generated between him and the audience.

Even in the initial stage of his career Suniel Shetty faced rejections from several actresses and producers due to his dark complexion. He was also advised by the industry people not to get married so early which may affect upon his career. He got married even before when his first film got released.

Since 2000 he began to do negative roles with the first negative role in the film Dhadkan in 2000, for that he won Filmfare Award also. After the film Dhadkan he did negative roles in a number of films like Khel: No Ordinary Game in 2003, Baaz: A Bird In Danger in 2003, Mai Hoon Na in 2004, Rudraksh in 2004, No Problem in 2010 and A Gentleman in 2017.

One cannot forget that Suniel Shetty was one among the most successful actors of 1990s. He gave big hits like Mohra in 1994, Gopi Kishen in 1994, Dilwale in 1994, Border in 1997 and comedy films like Hera Pheri in 2000, Aawara Pagal Deewana in 2002, Phir Hera Pheri in 2006, One Two Three in 2008 and De Dana Dan in 2009.

Suniel Shetty has acted in over 100 films in 3 decades of his filmy career, he made his acting debut in 1992 with the film Balwaan.

He became a producer in 2003 with the film Khel: No Ordinary Game, further he produced, Rakht, comedy film Bhagam Bhag, Mission Istaanbul EMI and Loot.

Apart from Hindi he acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, English and Turkish films.

Though he couldn't maintain his stardom in the film field, as an entrepreneur he is very successful by becoming the owner chain of restaurants, he owns clothing boutiques, R House, a luxury furniture and home lifestyle store and owns many other business ventures.

Rishte Naate (De Dana Dan) Lyrics

 

Movie Name : De Dana Dhan

Song name : Riste Naate

You and I will be together till the end of time

I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me
You and I will be together till the end of time
I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me

Chalu main tere peeche peeche baki saare bandan tod doon
Jo tere tak na jaaye uss raste ko chod doon
Har khwab mera umeed meri main tujh se jod doon
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon jod doon
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon

You and I will be together till the end of time
I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me
You and I will be together till the end of time
I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me

Jud gayi jud gayi tujh se ye meri zindagi
Maine to paayi tujhme meri har khushi
Keh gayi keh gayi mujhse khud ye baatein teri
Aksar khayalon mein hoon tere main kahin
Dekhu tujhe main lamha lamha har pal apne seenay mein rakhu
Har subah tujhse milne ki chahat mein main jagun
Ik tu hi to hai honthon ki hassi chehre ka noor tu
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon jod doon
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon

Bas gayi bas gayi mujhme mein ab hai ye bas gayi
Saanson se aaye har dum khushboo jo teri
Cha gayi cha gayi mujh par ye jo hai cha gayi
Badli hai shayad ye to tere ishq ki
Yehi hai mere dil ki hasrat pehron tujh se baatein main karoon
Ho saari baatein tujhpe khatam ho aur tujhse ho shuru
Phit waqt bhi ye ruk jaaye wahi ho jab bhi saath doon
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon jod doon
Sab rishte naate hasske tod doon
Bas tujh se dil ka rishta jod doon

You and I will be together till the end of time
I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me
You and I will be together till the end of time
I promise i will never let you go now that i know you love me