Joginder Tuteja / IANS
Mumbai, Sep 3: Akshay Kumar maintains that women are stronger than men when it comes to mental strength and says he chose Twinkle as his life partner because she has the courage to "kick" people in the "butt".
"I didn't fall in love with my wife because she could dance around a tree. I fell for her strength as an independent woman. She kicked butt at school and she could do it now if she wanted. She is fearless to the outside world and I think it's a great perception for women," Akshay told IANS from Italy where he is currently shooting for Sajid Khan's "Housefull".
Akshay is making a comeback on the small screen as the host of level two of the serial "Khatron Ke Khiladi" and reveals there were a number of instances during its shooting when he was simply dismayed with the way male participants performed stunts.
"In fact, I had to shout at the guys for some of their pathetic attempts. You should watch how many times men get rescued by their female partners on this show. On the other hand, women were much controlled in the situations they found themselves in.
"While men tend to believe that brute strength can get them everywhere, the fact is it was women who got them there in the end," said the actor.
He feels that women's mental strength also comes to play in physical activity - something which reflected in their performances when compared to men.
"I have said this quite a few times now that I believe women to be way stronger than men. It's high time that our society gave them credit for this," said Akshay when asked if one of the major reasons for doing "Khatron Ke Khiladi" was that he found it empowering for women to go ahead and face the challenges of life.
"If men were so brave, how come god made sure that it's only women that give birth? We may be able to lift more bricks, but that's about it. Level two is a perfect example of what I am getting at," he added.
Akshay has been in the industry for close to a couple of decades now. Does he feel that women have evolved over a period of time when it comes to stunts?
"I genuinely think if we had proper schools for stunt training and facilities where men and women could train, not only would our heroines be as tough as us heroes but our country would be healthier and more experienced. Most Indians don't know how to swim, though not due to any fault of their own but because they are not given the opportunity to learn," he said.
Regarding the current bunch of actresses, Akshay says, "As for actresses nowadays, they have a much tougher role to play - they are not all sari- wearing beauties any more. They have more demanding roles."
He indicates that audiences should not expect him to hog the limelight as an action hero on the show.
"If you want to see me in action, then watch my movies. That's because 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' is about the 'power of our sexes' and not about checking out what is Akshay Kumar up to this time. My stunts are just a bonus and a little treat for my fans," he said.