New Delhi, Aug 15, 2023: Actor Akshay Kumar, who often faced criticism over his Canadian citizenship, has been granted Indian citizenship on the 77th Independence Day of the country.
"Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!," Akshay Kumar said on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing the registration document.
Akshay Kumar had earlier said that he felt disappointed when people questioned his "love for the country".
Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani.
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) August 15, 2023
Happy Independence Day!
Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/DLH0DtbGxk
"India is everything to me... Whatever I have earned, whatever I have gained is from here. And I’m fortunate that I get a chance to give back. You feel bad when people say things without knowing anything...," Mr Kumar had said in an interview with news channel Aajtak.
He had applied for the Indian citizenship in 2019, however, the process had been delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Kumar’s Canadian citizenship became a topic of debate after an interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I never thought that I should get this passport changed but now yes, I have applied to get my passport changed and once I get the renounced status from canada...." he had said.
On work front, Akshay Kumar’s "OMG" 2, which also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam, released in theatres last week.