While he’s undoubtedly wowed us on the big screen with his daredevilry and rakish looks, off-screen too we can’t help but be secretly charmed by Akshay Kumar. For being the couple of picture-perfectness after 15 years of marriage to Twinkle Khanna, bursting with pride whenever he talks about his kids or being vehement about his views on gender equality. In a candid interview with Farhad J Dadyburjor, the superstar talks about what makes him a feminist, about his relationship with his kids and why he doesn’t consider anyone from Bollywood a fitness icon.
When it comes to social or political issues, Bollywood has often been accused of voicing its outrage selectively—only when it affects them personally. While the recent vandalism on the Padmavati sets and assault on Sanjay Leela Bhansali saw a unified front of actors and filmmakers hit out against this act of barbarianism, not so scathing was the dissent against the horrific sexual assault on women in Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve. One of the few people who did speak out though was Akshay Kumar, angered and disgusted by what he saw on the news. Through a video that went viral he shamed the cowardly nature of those men by saying “a nation which cannot respect its daughters, it doesn’t deserve to be called a human society,” encouraging women to learn martial arts so as to protect themselves and fight back...
What is your advice to women in India as a means of empowerment? Do you think a large responsibility is on parents to bring up their sons correctly?
I believe it shouldn’t be down to just women all the time having to prove their empowerment mentally and physically… Men, parents and grandparents should all be taking responsibility towards making India a better place for their daughters to live in. Children are sponges, they are not born racists or sexists, they are taught these barbarian traits. Women shouldn’t have to scream from the roof tops to be treated equally; they’ve already been fighting for hundreds of years, when are we going to start treating them how we ourselves would like to be treated! Women shouldn’t have to fight to be heard, or to be respected, they deserve it at birth.
Would you consider yourself a male feminist?
Esta historia es de la edición February 2017 de Hi!BLITZ.
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Ranveer Singh: Bollywood's Don Quixote
In an industry falling apart financially at the seams, you sometimes need an entity like Ranveer Singh to remind you of the joyous madness of the movies and why we watch them. He’s the Don Quixote of Hindi cinema, playing out his heart, body and mind, always delivering the unexpected, keeping the audience hooked for the next act, the constantly performing artiste of our times. In this interview with Shalini Sharma the actor talks about how a career threatening health scare liberated him from fear and judgment and empowered him with the conviction that he can do anything he wants.
The Sisterhood
They’ve both been known for their sense of style, good looks and plenty of chutzpah. Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora Ladak have through the years tried their hand at veejaying, films and are now enjoying the role of motherhood and ladies who lunch. In a freewheeling chat with Farhad J Dadyburjor, the glamorous sister-duo take a nostalgic trip down memory lane while talking about how their relationship has evolved over the years, what’s the most annoying habit of each other and the individual relationships they share with their brother-in-law.
Casting A Web
She’s always ready to try something different, whether it’s in her choice of roles or venturing into the relatively new world of web series. The talented and fearless Swara Bhaskar tells Hi! Blitz why she was drawn to a story about extra-marital affairs and the one dream role she’s still hankering for.
being bodacious!
parineeti chopra has reinvented herself, in a slimmer, fitter avatar—with her extreme weight loss causing much buzz around her. in a candid tête-à-tête with farhad j dadyburjor, the actress talks about the fear that’s crept in when she gains a kilo or two, how her last two flops were a blessing in disguise, and the one guy in bollywood she’s besotted by.
Disha Rising
From the small town of Bareilly to the bright lights of Bollywood, Disha Patani has fast become one of the hottest newcomers to watch for post the success of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Now starring opposite Jackie Chan, Bollywood’s newest ingénue tells Farhad J Dadyburjor about how life has changed, her fashion inspirations and a certain Tiger in her life.
Club Med Kani, Maldives
Turquoise, cyan, azure, periwinkle, pantone, ultramarine—are some of the myriad colours at the Club Med Kani, a stunning private island in Maldives. Tucked away in the heart of the Indian Ocean, the colours continue as you enter this place through the warm sun-kissed brown sand and the swaying green coconut palms that lead you to this oasis.
Top Funk Style Tips To Stand Out In The Crowd
The incorrigible but dashing Ranveer Singh is shaking up the fashion stakes for the average Indian male. The desi homme fashion scene has not been the same since he stormed into it with shocking confidence, thumbing his nose at the fashion police doing his own thing with unabashed joy. Inspired? Ranjit Rodricks shows you some funk style tips that will make you stand out in the crowd.
Twinkle Khanna: A Novel Approach
Her widely-read newspaper columns and bestselling book Mrs Funnybones have given her a new lease of life, making Twinkle Khanna a force to contend with in the literary world. The book has gone into its ninth reprint while she gears up for her second release, a collection of short stories that centre around bruised women. Armed with much wit and candour, in a freewheeling chat with Farhad J Dadyburjor she talks about dealing with the sudden success she’s found in her forties, how she’s a lot like her dad Rajesh Khanna and the private scrapbook of family letters that will be her literary legacy.
Sonakshi Sinha: I'm Every Woman
From slaying Twitter trolls to cutting a pop single, Sonakshi Sinha is making news beyond the silver screen. With two action films on the anvil that see her martial arts training put to use, the talented and always candid actress tells Farhad J Dadyburjor why she loves kicking ass (on and off screen), her schoolgirl crush on Hrithik Roshan that still continues and revelling in the power of being a woman.
Revealing family secrets: Zarine Khan
Married to producer/director Sanjay Khan and mother to Sussanne Khan, Farah Khan Ali, Simone Arora and Zayed Khan, Zarine Khan has been part of the original 'Khandan' of Bollywood. As she releases her cookbook Family Secrets, she tells Hi! Blitz about being inspired by her mother-in-laws cuisine, modelling with the likes of Persis Khambatta and how Bollywood was more scandalous in the past.
