When the Chopper Became a Daily Commute: Farah Khan’s Anecdote from the Sets of Tees Maar Khan

Director Farah Khan recalls how Akshay Kumar’s unconventional travel routine during a remote film shoot left the crew both amused and out of pocket.

The Malshej Ghats, known for their winding, treacherous roads and stunning monsoon vistas, were the backdrop for the 2010 caper Tees Maar Khan. For a film crew tasked with a strict 8:00 AM call time, the location was a logistical nightmare. While the rest of the cast and crew opted to stay in nearby accommodation—avoiding the gruelling two-and-a-half-hour commute from Mumbai—Akshay Kumar had a different strategy. He chose to treat a helicopter like a suburban local train, turning the skies into his personal taxi service to ensure he could sleep in his own bed every night.

The story surfaced during a recent promotional event for Bhoot Bangla, where director Farah Khan sat alongside Akshay Kumar, Priyadarshan, and Rajpal Yadav. Reflecting on the chaos of the Tees Maar Khan set, Farah revealed that the actor would finish his day’s work, fly back to the city, and reappear at the Malshej location by 7:45 the next morning, sharp.

The Cost of Convenience

Rajpal Yadav, clearly unaware of the logistical acrobatics happening behind the scenes, was left visibly stunned when the revelation was made. When asked how he managed such a feat, Akshay’s nonchalant response—"I came by helicopter"—brought the room to laughter.

However, the levity masked a point of contention between the director and the star. Farah, who co-produced the project, jokingly remarked that the helicopter runs practically drained the production budget. "I have never seen an actor use a chopper like a taxi in my life," she quipped, adding that while the punctuality was commendable, the financial impact on the film's coffers was significant. Akshay, never one to let a jab slide, retorted that Farah had profited the most from the film’s eventual release, sparking a lighthearted, familiar banter between the two veterans of the industry.

Why it matters

This anecdote serves as a candid window into the high-octane, big-budget era of Bollywood in the late 2000s. While it is easy to view this as a quirky celebrity story, it highlights the intense pressure and financial stakes involved in Indian filmmaking. For producers, balancing the demands of A-list stars with the harsh realities of location shooting remains a delicate tightrope walk. The Tees Maar Khan incident reflects a time when star power often dictated the operational logistics of a set, a practice that has evolved as production management and studio systems have become more disciplined in the years since.

The film, which also starred Katrina Kaif and Akshaye Khanna, remains a distinct chapter in both Farah and Akshay’s filmographies. As recent Asianet reports highlight, these behind-the-scenes insights continue to captivate audiences, proving that the original stories from the primary sources—the directors and actors themselves—often hold more intrigue than the final cut of the film. Whether viewed as a display of professional discipline or an extravagant indulgence, the episode remains a definitive piece of industry trivia.