Actor Akshay Kumar said that he hasn’t even been to Canada in nearly a decade, as he defended himself against the social media attacks he has received over the years for his citizenship.

Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna

Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna got married in 2001. (Photo: Twinkle Khanna/Instagram)

Actor Akshay Kumar explained why the process of renouncing his Canadian citizenship and regaining Indian citizenship took so long. In recent interviews, Akshay also dismissed the suggestion that his wife Twinkle Khanna was bothered by the attacks made against him on social media, particulary those pertaining to his citizenship, and also addressed the ‘coincidence’ of receiving his new Indian passport on August 15, Independence Day.

In an interview with India Today, Akshay said that Twinkle isn’t bothered by the attacks directed at him online, and that they don’t talk about it. “Nothing, what is there to have a conversation about?” he asked. Akshay said that in his opinion, people attack him only ‘for effect’, and that they eventually get bored of it. The actor also commented on the disintegration of India-Canada relationship in recent weeks, after Canada accused India of having a hand in the death of accused terrorist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He said that he chooses to hope that the relationship mends itself, instead of dwelling on the negativity. He made an analogy about cricket, and said that it is his responsibility to trust in the Prime Minister’s decisions, regardless of his personal feelings about them.