Bollywood star Akshay Kumar plays a Canadian in 8 x 10 Tasveer

Will Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar have a critical hit on his hands with his new thriller 8 X 10 Tasveer?

Not likely, judging by the reviews thus far.

However, it does appear that he is strengthening his ties with Canada.

When Kumar was in Vancouver to promote Singh is Kinng, Straight's Paul Dhillon reported that Kumar mentioned his Toronto home, which he said he would like to retire in one day. Kumar also attended the Canadian premiere of Chandni Chowk to China.

In his latest film (which opens in Vancouver today), Kumar plays a Canadian forest ranger who chases after poachers through the wilds of our Great White North.

However, his character also has a special ability (that's a warning sign right there). When he looks at a photograph, he has the special ability to travel back to the time when the photograph was taken.

Yet Aa Dekhen Zara, which is still playing in Surrey, also features a similar time-warp camera plot-gimmick (a camerman is able to take photos of the future).

After the likes of the bumbling Singh is Kinng, and the convoluted chop-socky masala mess of Chandni Chowk to China, Kumar could benefit from  his name being tied to a  more critically praised film.

That may be the case when he  starts work on in Canadian director Deepa Mehta's latest project Exclusion,  about the Komagata Maru incident in Vancouver in 1890.

The historical drama will recount what happened when a cargo ship of 300 Indian passengers was blocked from docking in Vancouver and denied immigration to Canada.