Akshay’s ‘uncharted territory’ tweet generates political buzz; says not contesting poll

Mumbai, April 22

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Monday said he is getting into “unknown and uncharted territory” with something he had not done before, sparking furious speculation on social media that he is about to plunge into politics.

Akshay followed up his first tweet with another hours later saying he is not contesting elections. But that did little to quell the speculation in this election season.

“Getting into an unknown and uncharted territory today. Doing something I have never done before. Excited and nervous both. Stay tuned for updates,” said the actor, who has starred in a series of patriotic and social issue-driven films in recent years.

The Bollywood actor of films like ‘Padman’ and ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ has also featured in government ads on issues such as menstrual hygiene, anti-smoking and traffic safety rules.

After the first tweet in the morning, the actor said he is not contesting elections but kept the suspense alive with a second, cryptic message in the afternoon.

“Grateful for all the interest shown in my previous tweet but just clarifying in light of some wild speculation, I am not contesting elections,” he said.

Several people on social media said he would enter politics even if he didn’t contest.

Many in the industry believe ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ is a shout-out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’.

With the general election under way, the star’s next moves were hotly debated on social media.

Akshay won the National Film Award for his performance in ‘Rustom’, in which he played a patriotic Navy officer. The award created some furore as many believed his award was a result of his closeness with the government. PTI