Celebrating India’s 77th Independence Day, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar made a significant announcement by officially regaining his Indian citizenship. The actor, who had faced criticism and controversy over his Canadian citizenship in recent years, took to social media platform 𝕏 to share the news, stating, “Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind! 🇮🇳.”
Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani.
Happy Independence Day!
Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/DLH0DtbGxk— Jolly Mishra – Asli Jolly from Kanpur (@akshaykumar) August 15, 2023
The decision to renounce his Canadian passport and restore his Indian citizenship comes after a period of scrutiny and public discussions regarding his nationality. Earlier this year, Akshay Kumar had openly declared his intention to relinquish his Canadian passport, emphasizing his deep-rooted connection to India. In a candid interview with Aaj Tak in February, he expressed his emotional attachment to the country and his dismay at the unwarranted criticisms he had faced.
“India is everything to me… Whatever I have earned, whatever I have gained is from here. And I’m fortunate that I get a chance to give back. You feel bad when people say things without knowing anything,” Kumar said during the interview.
The topic of Akshay Kumar’s citizenship had gained prominence in 2017, when he proclaimed himself an honorary citizen of Canada. The matter was further highlighted after an interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2019, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Known for his diverse filmography, which includes notable titles like “Namastey London,” “Good Newwz,” “Selfiee,” “OMG 2,” and “Ram Setu,” the actor-producer also reflected on a challenging phase in his career during the 1990s. He recounted an instance when his films faced a string of disappointments, prompting him to seek opportunities abroad.
“I thought that ‘bhai, my films are not working and one has to work.’ I went there for work. My friend was in Canada and he said, ‘come here.’ I applied and I got in,” he reminisced. However, a twist of fate turned the tide for Kumar, as the last two films he had in the pipeline turned out to be resounding successes.
“I had just two films left for release and it is just luck that they both became superhit. My friend said, ‘go back, start working again.’ I got some more films and I kept getting more work. I forgot that I had the passport. I never thought that I should get this passport changed but now yes, I have applied to get my passport changed and once I get the renounced status from Canada,” he explained.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
