Portraying Parsi 'Rustom' was a cakewalk for Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar, who essays a Parsi character in his forthcoming film Rustom, says it wasn't tough.

"I have lots of friends who are Parsis. One of my best friends in school was a Parsi. My manager is also a Parsi. So I have a lot of Parsi friends and I know people from the community. Therefore, it wasn't a difficult role to portray," Kumar told the media while promoting Rustom on Monday.

In Rustom, Kumar plays a naval officer. He has previously donned the uniform as an army officer in Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014), an anti-terrorism secret agent in Baby (2015), an Indian Air Force officer in Andaaz (2003) and a police officer in films such as Aan: Men At Work (2004), Khakee (2004), Mohra (1994), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) and Khiladi 786 (2012), among others.

Kumar says that in real life, he had tried to get into the merchant navy but things did not work out. "My father was in the army, so there was one time when I could have been in the merchant navy, but things did not work out... Something else was written in my destiny, so here I am in front you," Kumar said.

Rustom is based on the theme of infidelity and extra-marital relationships. It is based on the sensational Nanavati case of 1959 in which Indian Navy commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati was tried for the murder of businessman Prem Ahuja, his wife's lover.

Also starring Ileana D'Cruz, Esha Gupta, Arjan Bajwa and Pavan Malhotra, among others, the film is set to release on 12 August.