Mumbai: Former Bollywood producer Shailendra Singh recently rekindled discussion on Akshay Kumar’s money-minded image, alleging that the actor had hiked his fee and refused to compromise even after delivering a flop. Shailendra further claimed that Akshay is a businessman first and actor later as he never compromises with his fees, irrespective of the film’s box-office performance. The producer disclosed that after the losses, he approached Akshay requesting a partial refund of his fee. Explaining how strategic Akshay is when it comes to money, Shailendra said, “He starts slow, then increases his quote step by step. Rs 15 crore becomes Rs 21 crore, then Rs 27 crore, then suddenly it’s Rs 36 crore because of his lucky number 9.