Both films made between Rs 45-50 crore at the box office. Akshay also proved to critics that he could do a tragedy like Waqt and also manage a comedy like Garam Masala well.

To his bad luck, Number One status is still some distance away. Shah Rukh is way ahead. Although his film outdid Paheli as well as Salman Khan's Kyon Ki, producers and distributors still prefer the Khans to our macho hero, at least for now.

Overseas sensation: Akshay Kumar