In a recent interview to news channel Times Now, Akshay Kumar claimed that whenever he visits a country abroad, the immigration officers there look at his Indian passport with a lot of respect. He then added that the officers then say, 'Oh, you come from the land of Modi'. Ever since this interview came out, this particular clip is going viral, though there are not many fans of Akshay's statement. While Akshay's fans are praising him for what they see as a patriotic statement, others are calling him out for this needless display of sycophancy. Akshay Kumar Ditches Canadian Nationality and Shows Off His Indian Citizenship on Independence Day 2023, Says ‘Dil Aur Citizenship, Dono Hindustani’.
Whether you want to believe Akshay's experience is up to you, but there is another claim going around the superstar that feels exaggerated. There are some netizens who claim that ever since Akshay got back his Indian passport, the Mission Raniganj star has not visited anywhere abroad since then. So his claim about immigration officers fawning over his Indian passport is false, they claim. Which is not exactly true.
For a little context here, Akshay Kumar used to hold a Canadian passport till very recently, and he finally regained his Indian citizenship after months and months of getting trolled. It was on August 15, 2023, that Akshay posted on social media about receiving the Indian citizenship.
Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani.
Happy Independence Day!
Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/DLH0DtbGxk
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) August 15, 2023
Now check out the posts that claim he is lying about his abroad trips since he got his Indian Passport:
Akshay Kumar got his Indian passport just 2 months back, on the 15th of August 2023.
He hasn't travelled abroad since then, as he has been busy shooting.
Now listen to what he's saying here 😂 pic.twitter.com/W2RiwzzvyS
— PuNsTeR™ (@Pun_Starr) October 9, 2023
Not Travelled to Any Country Since Then
Akshay Kumar got his Indian passport on 15th August 2023. He has not travelled to any country since then.
But here, he is saying that the immigration department at foreign airports gives him respect after seeing the Indian passport and they say that you are from Modi’s country.… pic.twitter.com/paMSVvPeMP
— Shantanu (@shaandelhite) October 9, 2023
'Massive Expose'
[MASSIVE EXPOSE]: Akshay Kumar's propaganda for BJP.
-Akshay Kumar had Canadian citizenship for the last 12 years.
-He received his Indian passport on 15th August, 2023 after approval of Indian citizenship.
-Since then he never travelled foreign with an Indian Passport.
-On… pic.twitter.com/mVg4gpJBLK
— Amock (@Politics_2022_) October 9, 2023
Here's the real clip shared by Times Now on their X account:
When we stand with the Indian passport in the immigration office abroad, people there look at us with a lot of respect, and they say, "Oh, you come from the land of Modi": @akshaykumar@TheNewshour | @navikakumar pic.twitter.com/OBkTwW3KWM
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 9, 2023
Okay, first of all, we are not sure if Akshay actually got his Indian citizenship on August 15 itself. The actor, who is known for displaying nationalist sentiments, might have only used the occasion of Independence Day to make the announcement.
Even if we assume that Akshay did get his Indian citizenship on August 15 and got a passport for the country soon enough, it is fallacious to say he has not visited abroad since then. There are quite a few news articles that covered his and wife Twinkle Khanna's London trip in September recently. They had even met British PM Rishi Sunak at an event there, and posed for pics, which Twinkle had shared on her Insta.
View this post on Instagram
In fact he had missed the muhurat of Singham Again in September, that was attended by director Rohit Shetty, and other male stars of the film, Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh. Akshay cited that he was out of the country as the reason for his absence, per his social media post. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna Strike a Happy Pose With UK PM Rishi Sunak in London.
View this post on Instagram
So whether you agree with Akshay's statement or not is on your own personal beliefs and experience. However, the claim that Akshay Kumar never visited a foreign country since he got his Indian citizenship, presumably in August 2023, is not exactly true. Though we would like to point out that despite the 'lot of respect' for Indian passport as Akshay claims, we are currently ranked 86th as per Henley Passport Index.
Fact check
Akshay Kumar Has Not Visited A Foreign Country Since He Got His Passport in August 2023
He Had Gone to London With His Wife and Met the British PM There At An Event. So News is False!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2023 11:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).