Just ahead of the festivity that celebrates the eternal bond of a brother and a sister, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar stepped in Kolkata towards the earlier half of the day today to promote his upcoming film Raksha Bandhan. The family comedy drama will see the actor pair up with newcomers Sadia Khateeb, Smrithi Srikanth, Sahejmeen Kaur and Deepika Khanna. Helmed by Aanand L. Rai of Tanu Weds Manu and Raanjhanaa fame, the film explores life through Lala Kedarnath’s (Akshay Kumar) lenses who is bestowed with the responsibility of getting his sisters wedded off before his own marriage.
“This film is a fragment of our hearts and I can vouch on the fact that this is one of the best films of my entire career spanning 30 years. Raksha Bandhan is a family drama and it’ll only make the bond you share with your family stronger. This film also sheds light on the age-old tradition of dowry prevalent till this date, but talks about its solutions as well,” shared Akshay while speaking about the film's U accreditation.
Lala is similar to many elder brothers from humble families around the country, who are looked upon as a guardian figure in the absence of one’s parents. Akshay will be breathing life into Lala who puts his own love story at stake with Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar), to fulfil a promise he made to his mother on her deathbed. A humble chaat shop owner, Raksha Bandhan upholds the values of Lala who remains firmly aimed towards his goal.
Speaking about the bond he shares with his real life sister Alka Bhatia, Akshay exclaimed “I share one of the deepest bonds out there with my sister Alka and the most treasured memory I have of her is from the day she was born. I was a kid aged 4 years, yet the memories of my mother bringing her home and referring to her as a goddess is as vivid as ever. She is a constant in the journey of my life, and will remain so till the end of days.”
Akshay also shared his views on working with absolute raw talents as his on-screen sisters, and referred to his co-actors as the simplest and most uncorrupted colleagues he has had.
Raksha Bandhan happens to be the second film where Akshay Kumar has joined hands with Aanand L. Rai after Atrangi Re (2021). “The fact is, women don’t need brothers to protect them, and instead it is us who need sisters. We often forget or ignore the fact that women are the driving force of our society. I believe strong women shape the country, and provide strength for a better tomorrow. I was aware of what I was making, and wanted to do something extremely family oriented so that people understand how important women are to maintain societal balance. Instead of portraying a man as the sole protector, this film clears up this prevalent notion,” shares Aanand when asked if it is at all a man’s responsibility to carry every responsibility towards the women in his life.
“It’s a free country and nobody can force anyone to watch a particular movie. However, my opinion is just like the functionalities of any other industry, films maintain the economical harmony of the film industry. Boycotting films certainly do not make any sense to me as they only harm the economy as a whole as one of its effects. We are at the verge of making our country one of the greatest, and acts of protest like boycotts will not do any good to our country’s future,” concludes Akshay.
Raksha Bandhan is slated to release on August 11.