Seven Deadly Arts with Akshay Kumar

Seven Deadly Arts with Akshay Kumar is a seven-part television mini-series that aired on the National Geographic Channel in 2004. It was hosted by Akshay Kumar.^[1][2][3] Kumar donated his time and talents to the show.^[4]

Description

The series showcases the seven martial arts of kalaripayattu, Shaolin Kung Fu, karate, taekwondo, aikido, Muay Thai, capoeira and .^[5][6] Kumar, who began learning martial arts at age 9,^[4] played the master for taekwondo, karate, and Muay Thai, and played the student of the other forms of martial arts from different trainers.^[7] The series' tagline was "The first thing you learn to kill is your ego".^[8][9] Kumar shared his personal beliefs about martial arts and talked about the benefits it brought to him.^[10]

Broadcast

National Geographic Channel announced the series' launch on 27 April 2004.^[11] The first part was aired on Sunday, 9 May 2004 at 8:00 p.m. The rest of the parts were aired on the following Sundays.^[12] Before the series was launched, National Geographic Channel had planned to broadcast the series' second part in October–November 2004.^[13]

Cast

• Akshay Kumar
• Shifu Kanishka Sharma
• Josette D. Normandeau
• Mehul Vora
• Puran Chauhan
• Luisa Elvira
• Jean Frenette

Production

Kumar and his personal trainer, Mehul Vora, wrote the script.^[14] Vora also choreographed the mini-series.^[15] The series was shot in Manali, Himachal Pradesh and Mumbai in a span of 40 days. The series marked Kumar's television debut.^[16][17]

During the series, Kanishka Sharma taught Shaolin Kung fu to Kumar.^[18] Sifu Kaniska Sharma is the first Indian to be trained in Shaolin Temple Secular Discipline Union in China.^[19] Yogesh Sahu directed the series. Puran Chauhan also trained Kumar. After the series, Chauhan worked as a stunt director in several Hindi films.^[20]