Boycotting films is not felt in a free country like India as cinema as an industry also contributes to nation-building, Bollywood celebrity Akshay Kumar said on Monday. The actor was speaking at a press convention where he was asked to comment on social media boycott calls against his upcoming movie ‘Raksha Bandhan’ like ‘Lal Singh Chadha’ starring Aamir Khan. Both videos are slated to launch on Thursday.
“If you don’t like the movie, don’t. It’s a free country and the movie is released there, so if one wants to watch it or not, it’s up to them. I want to tell you, it doesn’t matter what industry it is, whether it is apparel industry, film industry or anything else, all these help the economy. But doing things like boycotting movies, it doesn’t make any sense,” Akshay said.
The actor, who was once in town to promote ‘Raksha Bandhan’, also appealed to people not to indulge in such tendencies. “We are on the verge of making our country the biggest and greatest. So I would just request them not to get involved and I would also request you (the reporter) not to read into it. It will only be good for our country,” he added.
Hashtags calling for a boycott of ‘Lal Singh Chadha’ were trending on social media last week. Asked to comment on the social media trend, Aamir said he was saddened by the use of boycott calls and requested the audience not to drop his film. Later, comparative hashtags against Akshay’s ‘Raksha Bandhan’ also popped up on online platforms.
Directed by Anand L Rai, the film follows Raju (Akshay), a shop owner who struggles to marry off his four young sisters. It refers to Sadia Khatib, Sahajmin Kaur, Deepika Khanna and Smriti Srikanth as Kumar’s on-screen sisters.
One of the themes at the center of the upcoming movie is dowry abuse, which the actor says is “unfortunately” yet accepted in society. “In the name of gifts to the groom’s family, some girls’ mothers and fathers give dowries… My movie talks about the problem. It has many factors that are related,” he said.
Akshay likewise said that he supported the name by using Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hoist the tricolor in every household from August 13-15. “On the 75th 12 months of our independence, I call upon the assistance of our honorable Prime Minister. Every patriotic Indian must do the same,” he added.
