Akshay Kumar proves his 'Indianness'

Akshay Kumar

Having once said he never thought he needed a document to prove his love for India, Akshay Kumar on Friday said he is replacing his Canadian passport with an Indian one, following a controversy over his citizenship. The actor, 52, who made headlines for his interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April, was the subject of intense speculation about his citizenship after he did not vote in Mumbai during the Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar, in a statement at the time, had said he never denied that he held a Canadian passport. He opened up about the circumstances behind him getting a Canadian passport. "There was a time when 14 films of mine flopped, and I thought I might have to take up something else to support myself. One of my closest friend stays in Canada and he asked me to come there. He said we will work together on something. I started my process, got my passport and other stuff, because I thought my career has ended and that I would not get work here anymore. But my 15th film worked, and after that, I never looked back. But I never thought of getting my passport replaced," Kumar said.

Following the controversy, he decided to apply for an Indian passport. "I have now applied for it because I feel sad that people have stuck to this point that I have to show my passport to prove that I'm an Indian. I don't want to give anyone an opportunity [to criticise me]. My wife [Twinkle Khanna] is Indian and my son [Aarav] is Indian. I pay my taxes here. My life is here."

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