Actor Akshay Kumar has postponed the release of his upcoming film Padman in favour of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat.
In a gesture that will earn him plenty of plaudits even from his detractors, Akshay said, “He (Bhansali) has gone through a lot. It is essential for them to release the film at this time, their stakes are higher than mine.”
Akshya’s gesture has indeed moved Bhansali, who said that he will be grateful to him for a lifetime.
“This is how we stand with each other,” he was quoted by NDTV.
Actor Shahid Kapoor too thanked Akshay for being so ‘gracious.’ He wrote, “Thank you @akshaykumar for being ever so gracious. Can’t wait to see #padman. Much love and luck. From team #padmaavat.”
Thank you @akshaykumar for being ever so gracious. Can’t wait to see #padman. Much love and luck. From team #padmaavat
— Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) January 19, 2018
Padmaavat was originally scheduled to be released as Padmavati on 1 December, but the film was mired in controversies following violent protests from the right-wing Hindu brigade. The Indian censor board too had refused to issue a certificate to the film forcing the maekrs to postpone its release. It only approved the film after advising the change in the name of the film to Padmaavat.
The film has Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
Akshay’s Padman is inspired by the life of Coimbatore-based Arunachalam Muruganantham, who found a way to make affordable sanitary napkins for women in his village. “Padman” also features Radhika Apte.
Akshya’s wife, Twinkle Khanna, had earlier this week called Padman a movement. Speaking at the Oxford Union, Twinkle had said, “If the woman is strong, then the country is strong.” Twinkle further added: “And that’s the global issue. PadMan is not just a film, it’s a movement. I hope now woman will not be held back or embarrassed by their biology.”