'Mahakal Chalo' row: Akshay breaks silence on 'shivling' hug debate
What's the story
Akshay Kumar has defended his controversial devotional song Mahakal Chalo, which recently courted controversy for certain visuals.
A priests' association found these visuals inappropriate, sparking a public debate.
At a press conference about his upcoming film Kannappa, where he plays Lord Shiva, Kumar addressed the criticism, asking, "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?"
Defense
'If someone misunderstands my devotion, it's not my fault'
Further defending his actions in the song, Kumar said, "Absolutely not. Meri agar shakti wahan se aati hai, toh meri bhakti ko agar koi galat samjhe, usmein mera koi kasoor nahi (If my strength comes from there, then if someone misunderstands my devotion, it is not my fault). That's it."
His comments came after the association's president Mahesh Sharma disapproved of Kumar embracing the Shivling and offering bhasma (sacred ash) in an apparent non-traditional manner.
Upcoming film
'Kannappa' set to release on April 25
To celebrate Maha Shivratri, Kumar's song Mahakal Chalo was released. Teaming up with Palash Sen and Vikram Montrose, his powerful rendition infused the song with the divine essence of Mahakal.
This aside, Kumar also recently took a dip at the Maha Kumbh, at the Sangam ghat.
His upcoming film Kannappa co-stars Vishnu Manchu and is set to release on April 25. The film will see Kajal Aggarwal playing Parvati Devi opposite Kumar's Lord Shiva.