Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar became an Indian citizen on the country's 77th Independence Day after being granted the nationality by the Home Ministry of India.
"Dil aur citizenship, dono Hindustani (Heart and Citizenship, both Indian). Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!," Akshay Kumar posted on X, previously Twitter.
Why Did Kumar's Citizenship Cause Controversy?
Kumar's citizenship, who previously carried a Canadian passport, has been a topic of hot debate in India, ever since he interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
With social media questioning the rationale behind giving a "Canadian citizen" access to the Indian leader's official residence, Kumar who has been a part of the Hindi film industry for more than three decades, said that he was dismayed by the negative comments from people over his love for India.
"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," he told an Indian publication following the controversy.
The actor applied to become an Indian national in 2019. However, as COVID-19 struck the world the following year, the process experienced a prolonged delay. But Kumar finally became an Indian citizen on Tuesday.