Ekta Kapoor calls ‘tabloid culture’ insensitive, supports ‘most reliable’ Akshay Kumar as Selfiee records low opening
Producer Ekta Kapoor has called the tabloid culture ‘insensitive’ and come out in support of actor Akshay Kumar.
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Saturday, Ekta praised Akshay calling him the ‘most reliable, dependable actor’. Without naming anyone, Ekta Kapoor wrote, “Akshay Kumar is the most reliable, dependable actor to work with!!! Depressing tabloid culture of bringing someone down to highlight his lows is a hugeeeeee low in itself!!!” She also added the hashtag–insensitive.
Ekta’s statement on Akshay comes a day after the release of his latest film Selfiee. Directed by Raj Mehta, the film also stars Emraan Hashmi, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty. On Twitter, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the figures from multiplex chains on Saturday.
He wrote, “#Selfiee at national chains… *Day 1* biz…#PVR: 64 lacs #INOX: 43 lacs #Cinepolis: 23 lacs Total: ₹ 1.30 cr Nett BOC. Shockingly low numbers.” He also shared first day, national chains figures for other major releases of the year so far including Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada. “2023 releases… national chains only – *Day 1* biz… #Pathaan: ₹ 27.08 cr #Shehzada: ₹ 2.92 cr Nett BOC,” he tweeted.
Ekta shared her post a day after actor Kangana Ranaut criticised Selfiee, which is co-produced by filmmaker Karan Johar. Kangana had reacted to a box office report of Selfiee which compared her with Akshay. Comparing the first-day business of her last film Dhaakad (2022) indirectly with Selfiee, Kangana had written, “Karan Johar movie Selfie has hardly made 10 lakhs on the first day I don’t see even one trade or media person talk about it forget mocking or bullying him the way they harass me…”
She also wrote re-sharing an article the headline of which read, “Male version of Kangana Ranaut! Netizens react as Akshay’s Selfiee fails to impress viewers, may be his 6th flop film in a row.” The actor added, “I was looking for news about selfie flop I found all the news is about me…yeh bhi meri hi galti hai (this is also my fault),” with some laughing emojis. She added, “Wah bhai Karan johar wah (Congrats).”
Selfiee is the official Hindi remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Driving License, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Akshay and Emraan Hashmi play a superstar and a cop respectively. Selfiee is backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Production along with Magic Frames, Prithviraj Productions, Cape of Good Films, and Star Studios.