Bollywood hero Akshay 'Khiladi' Kumar is returning to romance after a brief stint as a villain and he's likely to set female hearts fluttering once again.

But even as his eagerly-awaited new film, Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya (Yes, I too have loved) gets set to blitz the box office, the actor is marvelling not at his rise to stardom but at the happiness he has found in marriage to fellow star Twinkle.

After years romancing gorgeous co-stars including Pooja Batra, Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty, Akshay settled down with screen legends Dimple and Rajesh Khanna's stunning daughter. The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

The 34-year-old has an air of childlike dreaminess as he talks about the love of his life.

"It's a marriage made in heaven and I hope it stays that way. I would not mind Twinkle continuing to work in films, but she is trying to move away from it.

"I can't believe we've been married for a year. We still feel like newly-weds."

With Twinkle staying at home in Bombay during Akshay's current tour of the United Kingdom, the star is concentrating all his attention on promoting the film.

"I especially enjoyed working with Dharmesh Dharshan again, the director of this film, after Dhadkan (Heartbeat).

"I also got on very well with my co-star Abishek. It was great working with him. He's a very intense actor, especially his eyes, which are always full of emotion."

Akshay, who earned his sexy reputation in one of his first movies, Mohra (Used Piece), is often cast as one of the players in a love triangle, such as in Aarzoo, Dhadkan and the forthcoming Mere Jeevan Saathi (Life Partner).

However, Akshay says Haan Main Bhi Pyar Kiya is a different story as it focuses on three people who have very different views on love.

He plays film star Raj Malhotra in the emotional drama, which has generated a lot of publicity because of the off-screen romance between his co-stars Abishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor.

But this suits Akshay, whose real name is Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, as he has never been one to steal the limelight.

"I don't mind working alongside another hero, as it's the kind of role I'm playing that matters," he says diplomatically.

His villainous role in the recent hit Ajnabee (Stranger) left many of his fans stunned, because it was such a change from the charismatic Romeo roles for which he won initial acclaim.

But, despite the mixed response, Akshay's convincing portrayal saw him nominated for best performer at this year's prestigious Filmfare Awards.

Stretching himself as an actor obviously appealed to the star, who has recently filmed Awaara Paagal Deewana (Madness), which sees him play an underworld don, Talaash (Search), in which he's a distraught man searching for his missing sister and Aankhen (Eyes), which also stars Bollywood stalwart Amitabh Bachchan and sees Akshay portray a blind bank robber.

So with a string of almost guaranteed hits on the way, could Akshay make himself the hero of 2002?

"Let's hope so," he says cheekily. "I'm working on a lot of films this year so hopefully at least one of them will be a success."

Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya is on general release at Cineworld Multiplex Cinemas.