Bachchan Pandey, starring Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon and Arshad Warsi, is set to hit theatres on the occasion of Holi on March 18. The BellBottom actor is noted for the aggressive promotion of his projects. However, according to reports, Akshay has refused to promote his film on TV’s popular chat show, The Kapil Sharma Show.
This may come as news to viewers, as the Bollywood star is known for making an appearance on the show whenever one of his films is about to be released.
The reason for Akshay’s withdrawal from The Kapil Sharma Show this time is due to his previous participation with Sara Ali Khan to promote Atrangi Re. During the segment, Kapil mentioned an interview Akshay had with a “famous personality” in which the latter inquired about his favourite way to eat mangoes.
Kapil was allegedly referring to an interview the actor had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. According to a Hindustan Times report, this part of their on-screen banter has caused tensions between the two actors.
In the course of their chat, Akshay challenged Kapil to name the ‘personality’ openly. Kapil took a detour from the topic. According to reports, after the shot, Akshay requested the makers that the segment not be aired on the channel. Although this exchange was not broadcasted on television, a clip was leaked on social media that quickly went viral.
Later, the Bollywood star inquired about the matter with Kapil’s staff but received no response. He has now reportedly declined to appear on The Kapil Sharma Show to promote Farhad Samji directorial Bachchan Pandey.
A source close told HT, “Akshay took all of Kapil’s jokes head-on but the dig on the PM interview seemed to mock the dignity of such a high office. So Akshay requested the channel to not air that question. It is the right of the guests to make such a request as the show is not aired live. The channel agreed, but the said scene was leaked on the internet soon after. It was a breach of trust on the part of someone in Kapil’s team, and Akshay sought clarification before he appears on the show again.”
Jacqueline Fernandez and Pankaj Tripathi also star in Bachchan Pandey. The makers have so far released a few posters revealing Akshay’s tough look in the upcoming film
