Akshay Kumar REACTS to similar stunt scenes in Khiladi franchise and Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible: 'I am inspired by Tom and Jerry'

Time of India

17-06-2025

Akshay Kumar, Bollywood's action star, revealed that his stunt inspiration comes from the cartoon Tom & Jerry, not Hollywood. He humorously pointed out the cartoon's relentless action and chaos, recalling recreating scenes like hanging from a helicopter and clinging to a plane in his films. Kumar's daring 20-year-old plane stunt recently resurfaced, drawing comparisons to Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible.
Before
Tom Cruise
stunned the world by hanging off airplanes in Mission: Impossible, Bollywood's own daredevil
Akshay Kumar
had already done it—and with signature flair. In a recent interview, the Khiladi star reflected on his viral stunt legacy, surprising everyone by crediting Tom & Jerry—not Hollywood—as his true action inspiration.
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Housefull 5 star addressed the buzz around his viral 'aeroplane' stunt, which many compared to Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible action scenes. Surprisingly, the actor revealed that his real inspiration often comes from classic Tom & Jerry cartoons, not Hollywood thrillers.
The actor amusingly credited Tom & Jerry as a surprising source of inspiration for his stunts. He pointed out that while the cartoon is meant for children, it's packed with relentless action and chaos—calling it one of the most violent shows he's seen.
He further went on to reveal how several of his stunts were directly inspired by Tom & Jerry. He recalled scenes like Tom hanging from a helicopter to grab Jerry—something he recreated in Sabse Bada Khiladi—and clinging to a plane, which he pulled off in Khiladi 420. He even remembered doing a version of the cartoon's quirky mid-air wine scene in Khatron Ke Khiladi.
Akshay joked that Tom & Jerry is actually one of the most violent shows kids watch, laughing as he pointed out how much chaos and destruction is packed into each episode.
Akshay Kumar's daring 20-year-old stunt—where he hangs off a flying plane and confidently stands atop it—recently resurfaced and went viral amid the buzz around Mission: Impossible 8. Fans pointed out that Akshay pulled off the high-risk move long before Hollywood's Tom Cruise made it iconic, proving once again why he's called the Khiladi of Bollywood.