The "action star" played himself in 'Kambakkht Ishq'.

"It was great working with Mr. Sylvester Stallone, as an actor I'd be greedy & want that opportunity again." - Akshay Kumar

In Satyajit Ray's 'Nayak', the protagonist, a superstar of Bengali cinema, says about his upcoming film's USP, "I am there. Isn't that enough?" Now, if you are a fan of Sylvester Stallone, you may agree that this applies to almost all his films. Precisely, it never mattered whether the film was good or not; his presence alone could keep us hooked to the screen throughout the runtime. Especially during the 70s and 80s, he stood tall in Hollywood as the biggest action star, delivering one hit after another at the box office. Whether it's the 'Rocky' franchise, the 'Rambo' series, 'Cobra', 'Cliffhanger', or 'Demolition Man' - his films set the bar higher in the industry and how!

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo

Born on July 6, 1946, Sylvester Stallone made an entire generation of cinephiles fall in love with the 'action' genre. And he continues to reign supreme in the hearts of one and all. But did you know the Hollywood legend also has a connection with Bollywood?

Today, to mark the superstar's 78th birthday, let's have a throwback to when he appeared in a cameo appearance in 'Kambakkht Ishq'.

When Sylvester Stallone Made A Cameo Appearance In The Bollywood Film, 'Kambakkht Ishq'

Released in 2009, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor's romantic comedy 'Kambakkht Ishq' performed average at the box office, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. However, the film is still remembered today for one reason: Sylvester Stallone's cameo appearance.

The Hollywood legend appears during a fight sequence in the film, and saves Kareena's character, Simrita, from goons. His entry here is, as they say, 'dhaamakedar', and gives us the ultimate high! And the entire fight sequence is so much fun that you can't look away even for a second! It ends with him saying the name of the film in his trademark accent.

Besides Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, and Holly Valance also made cameo appearances in the film, playing themselves.

About The Film

'Kambakkht Ishq' is directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Tamil film 'Pammal K. Sambandam', which is based on the 1999 American film 'The Bachelor'. Besides Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, it also stars Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora, Jaaved Jaafrey, and Kirron Kher in supporting roles.

Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor

Renowned critic Rajeev Masand gave the film 1 star out of 5, saying that it's a "loud, vulgar, and seriously offensive film". Noyon Jyoti Parasara, on the other hand, wrote, "The film has nothing going for it. It has a worryingly bad script, horrible screenplay, traumatizing dialogues and unpleasant music."

Some Interesting Facts To Know

According to a report by The Guardian, the Hollywood legend received a whopping £347,000 (approximately Rs 3.6 crores) for his work in 'Kambakkht Ishq'.

Stallone admires Bollywood star Salman Khan and often praises him in the media. Back in 2018, he took to his social media handle to promote Khan's film, 'Race 3'. He wrote, "OK, EVERYBODY let’s try this AGAIN, good luck to the very talented SALMAN KHAN on his upcoming new film RACE 3 ! ( if this is wrong I give up ! ) LOL."

He is not the only international star to have worked in Bollywood. The list also includes Elizabeth Russell (Lagaan), Bárbara Mori (Kites), Ali Larter (Marigold), Akon (Ra. One), and Kylie Minogue (Blue).

Happy Birthday, Sylvester Stallone. Thanks For All The Amazing Films!