"Meri bhakti ko koi galat samjhe...": Akshay Kumar on hugging Shivling controversy

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 27 : Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has reacted to the controversy surrounding his recently released devotional song 'Mahakal Chalo'.
Last week, ahead of Mahashivratri, Akshay unveiled the track in collaboration with Palash Sen. However, a priest association reportedly raised objections to certain visuals in the song.
Akshay addressed the controversy during press conference for his upcoming movie, Kannapp.
"Since childhood, my parents taught me that Bhagwan hamare maata pita hai. (God is our parents). So, if you hug your parents, what is wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with it?" he asked.
"Absolutely not. Meri agar shakti wahan se aati hai, toh meri bhakti ko agar koi galat samjhe, usmein mera koi kasoor nahi. That's it. (If my strength comes from there, then if someone misunderstands my devotion, it is not my fault)," he added.
Meanwhile, on the acting front, Akshay will be seen as Lord Shiva in the Telugu film Kannappa.
Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, the film will be released on April 25, 2025, and marks Akshay Kumar's debut in Telugu cinema.
During the event, producer and actor Vishnu Manchu talked about Akshay, saying, "I didn't have a personal connection with Akshay Kumar. But I am grateful to have met him through this film. He's a wonderful human being. I am a junior to him as an actor, and I have a lot to learn from him."
"All of the people on the poster, including Mohan Babu, Mohanlal, and Prabhas, have an unwavering spirit and a never-say-die attitude. That was what I learnt from them. They all acted in the film out of love and respect for my father. I must express my gratitude to Mr Mohanlal. He is already a legend in his own right. Prabhas is one of my brothers. He didn't hesitate (before accepting the role)."
Expressing his gratitude, he also revealed that Akshay rejected the role twice, "I am grateful to all of them, including Mr Akshay Kumar...It wasn't easy getting him on board. He rejected the role twice.."
To this, Akshay replied, "As he mentioned, I turned down the part twice. Now, let me explain why. I didn't know Vishnu ji. I know his father (Mohan Babu) for certain. To suddenly phone 'aaya mujhe pata nahi chala aur phone bhi kisi aur ko kiya tha' and it came through Sudha ma'am, so 'pata nahi chala'. There are times when actors or their managers get hoax calls (and hence I turned the offer down)."