Akshay Kumar seems to be facing a whole lot of heat for his role as Lord Shiva’s messenger in OMG 2. The online crowd isn’t exactly thrilled with how his character’s shaping up, actually calling it a bit of a diss to the Hindi deities. It’s gone beyond just online chatter too – seems like one Hindu group has slapped a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone brave enough to give Akshay a good ol’ slap. Talk about patience, huh? Word has it that a Hindu outfit in Agra is even offering a bounty for anyone who dares to slap or spit on the Bollywood superstar, all thanks to the character he’s playing and how it’s ruffled some feathers.
On the flip side, we’ve got the Rashtriya Hindu Parishad Bharat, who’ve taken things up a notch. They’ve gone ahead and burned effigies of Akshay Kumar and posters of the film, and they’re not stopping there. They’ve pledged to take their protest right outside the theaters and it looks like they’re in it for the long haul. As for the movie’s numbers, well, it had a lukewarm start, earning just 10 crore rupees on day one. With all this drama, it’s anyone’s guess if it’ll stick around in the theaters for long.
And then there’s Akshay Kumar himself, stepping into the shoes of Lord Shiva’s messenger. He’s really been catching some heat from Govind Parashar, who’s leading the charge against him. Parashar’s even offered up that slap-for-cash deal, all because he feels that Akshay’s portrayal disrespects Lord Shiva. From the dreadlocks to the kachodis and even a scene of bathing in a less-than-pristine pond while wearing a saree – it’s all raised eyebrows. People are saying it’s a disservice to the divine image. The film’s not getting off lightly either, being called out as a kind of sacrilege for playing around with religious sentiments.
Of course, you’ve got the Akshay Kumar fans too. They’re patting him on the back for taking on subjects that are pretty relevant and for stepping into the shoes of Lord Shiva on the big screen. But hey, opinions are seriously divided on this one, and it’s causing quite the stir.
