“Akshay Kumar has shown the industry what camaraderie is all about,” say co-producers Prernaa Arora & Arjun N Kapoor about the decision to postpone Pad Man

By Subhash K. Jha -

January 22, 2018 - 10:49 AM IST

On Friday evening, Akshay Kumar got together with Sanjay Leela Bhansali to announce the postponement of Pad Man so that Bhansali’s Padmaavat can get a solo release. Akshay’s entire team is with him on this decision. Says his co-producer Prernaa Arora of Kriarj Films, “What Akshay Sir did on Friday evening is unheard of. Just a week before our film’s release, without any prior intimation or warning Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a legend in his own right, came to Akshay Sir requesting that we postpone Pad Man. It takes a lot of humility for a man of Bhansaliji’s stature to come forward with such a request. It takes an equally great artiste to comply to such a startling request. It was a very unusual request considering we were days away from release. But Akshay Sir agreed immediately. It says a lot about this generous heart.”

“Akshay Kumar has shown the industry what camaraderie is all about,” say co-producers Prernaa Arora & Arjun N Kapoor about the decision to postpone Pad Man

Prernaa also scoffs at filmmakers and produces who deliberately pitch their films against one another. “They should learn from this experience. By moving ahead by two weeks at the last minute Akshay has shown there can be solidarity in the film fraternity. His gesture will be remembered for a very long time.”

The entire Pad Man team is with Akshay on this issue. “We are all in agreement on Akshay Sir’s decision. There are so many big stars who deliberately look for box office clashes by pitching their films against other big films. Akshay Sir has shown the way to a peaceful co-existence in the film industry.”

Adds Prernaa’s partner Arjun N Kapoor, “Somehow Akshay Kumar has played a very big hand in Prernaa and my career as producers. Our first film as producers Rustom starred Akshay Sir. Our second film as producers Toilet - Ek Prem Katha also starred Akshay Sir. And look at destiny. Our third film was going to be Pari which did not feature Akshay Sir. But that’s now postponed to March and our third film Pad Man is also with Akshay Sir. It’s destiny.”

Arjun says Akshay has shown the film industry the value of solidarity. “I am from outside Bollywood. Before I became a producer I used to hear stories of the dog-eat-eat mentality in the film industry. But a gesture like the one Akshay Sir showed toward Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali makes up for all the self-interest that rules our entertainment industry.”