After Akshay Kumar's citizenship row, critics question his Best Actor Award win in 2017, 'Raees' director posts clarification

After Akshay Kumar's video clip saying that he is an 'honorary citizen of Canada' went viral on social media, the actor issued a statement on his Twitter handle. "It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India and pay all my taxes in India.While all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone", read an excerpt from his post. 

READ: Controversy Over Akshay Kumar's 'honorary Citizen Of Canada' Claim, Netizens Highlight His Name Being Missing From Official List

However, even after his public admission, Akshay Kumar's citizenship row continues to be a talking point. And now, critics have questioned his 'Best Actor Award' win for 'Rustom'. Their reasoning is that the actor is not an Indian National and so how is he eligible for a National Award. 

Rahul Dholakia, the director of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees (2017), has an answer for them. Dholakia, in a tweet posted on Saturday afternoon, clarified that “film professionals & technicians of foreign origin” can also be considered for the National Film Awards, which looked like a low-key attempt to silent Akshay’s detractors.

READ: Now, Actor Siddharth Asks US President Donald Trump If He Can Interview Him Before Next Elections; Mocks Akshay Kumar

Meanwhile, Kumar was in news only a few days ago for his "non-political" interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the hero of films like "Kesari", "Toilet Ek Prem Katha" and "Airlift" which had nationalistic overtones, gave voting a miss on Monday. At a special screening of the film "Blank" on Tuesday, the actor interacted with the media, lauding the movie and the performances of debutantes. However, when the actor was asked why he skipped voting, Akshay simply walked off, saying "Chaliye chaliye (lets go, lets go)."