Akshay Kumar also argued that a piece of paper cannot decide how much one loves their country. One might be very much Indian on paper but won’t love the country.

Akshay Kumar feels it is an honour to hold an Indian passport. (Photo: Akshay Kumar/instagram)

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, known for his inclination towards nationalist cinema, is finally an Indian passport holder. He gave up his Canadian citizenship after being trolled for it incessantly. But the actor says that he did not take the decision due to any kind of ‘pressure’. Instead, this was something he himself had been wanting to do for a long time.

While speaking to ANI recently, Akshay shared, “I never thought that people would catch a travel document. For me, it was just a travel document. I pay my taxes here. I am the highest taxpayer. I have been here and I haven’t even been there (Canada) in the last 8-9 years.”

The actor also argued that a piece of paper cannot decide how much one loves their country. One might be very much Indian on paper but won’t love the country. “Let’s face the facts. It’s not about the passport. It’s your mind, heart and soul that has to be Indian,” Akshay said.

Akshay Kumar renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2019, but the process could not be completed due to the pandemic. He finally received the letter of Indian citizenship on August 15, 2023, a photo of which the actor shared on social media. The official paper referred to the actor as Akshay Hariom Bhatia and his father’s name is mentioned as Brijmohan Bhatia and his mother’s name as Aruna Bhatia. While his place of birth is Delhi, his previous nationality was noted as Canadian.

The Mission Raniganj actor said that he received the letter on August 15. “It so happened that I got my citizenship on August 15 only. I got my letter that day only,” Akshay said.

Akshay added how he feels proud to be an Indian citizen now. “To hold the Indian passport is the best thing. When you show it to the immigration office, they are like, ‘Oh, Indian, Bollywood, Modi,” They say like that. They don’t even know who I am. To hold an Indian passport is an honour,” the actor concluded.

Akshay Kumar had applied for Canadian citizenship back in the 1990s when his 15 films tanked at the box office in a row.