Akshay hurt by ruckus over unbuttoning episode

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar is miffed with Anil Naik, who filed a case against him and his wife Twinkle for obscene behaviour in public during the recent Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW). The actor feels Naik tries to seek publicity by harassing celebrities like him, Milind Soman and Mamta Kulkarni, says a close friend.

"Akshay is very hurt by the whole episode especially since the man behind the campaign had earlier harassed a very dear co-star Mamta Kulkarni. This man Anil Naik had earlier filed similar obscenity complaints against Milind Soman and Madhu Spare. He apparently thrives on getting publicity from seeking out celebrities from the entertainment world and harassing them," a close friend of the actor told IANS.

During the LIFW in early April, Akshay had made his wife unbutton his jeans while walking the ramp for Levi’s (pictured above). Akshay's unbuttoning act had kicked up a storm with some private individuals lodging police complaints, accusing Akshay of immoral and indecent behaviour in public.

On Monday morning when Akshay returned from Singapore after shooting for Priyadarshan's "Dan Dana Dan", he was quickly taken to the police station, arrested and released on bail.

"When he reached Mumbai, press persons called to ask if he had been captured, as though he was a dangerous fugitive. But what had he done? Opened one button of his jeans, and that too by his wife," said the friend.

After being released Akshay drove off to Karjat to join Aishwarya Rai for the shooting of Vipul Shah's "Instant Replay".

Bollywood backs Akshay

Akshay Kumar’s sexy catwalk gimmick at the Lakme Fashion Week may have got him arrested, but the industry is standing four square behind the star

Does being a celebrity get you into trouble where others might escape?

That's what Bollywood thinks firmly. Akshay Kumar was booked, and then released, for having his wife Twinkle unbutton the top of his Levi's. Nothing was seen, no harm done. But a case for obscenity was filed and Twinkle was arrested and charged, and then Akshay also was.

"It's a small matter and one should overlook it," said Anees Bazmi. Bazmi directed Akshay in his two biggest hits, Singh is Kinng and Welcome. He feels that there was nothing in the act that merited someone feeling offended.

"This is the price for being famous," said Sonu Sood, a friend of Akshay's, "controversy follows you if you are an actor." He said the issue was "totally blown out of proportion."

Asked for a comment, a family member of Salman Khan's said that the star had nothing to say on this, but in general agreed that actors were judged differently.

Marc Robinson, the choreograoher for the Tarun Tahiliani Levi's show, the event where the 'offending' act happened, offered sympathy but had no comment: "I can't say anything about this because I was the producer of the show."

Akshay himself has refused to apologise for the act and said that it was spontaneous and not vulgar.

The incident itself appeared to have been harmless when shown on TV and in newspaper photographs. Akshay sashayed down the ramp and then asked his wife to undo the top button of his jeans, which she smilingly did.

A social worker then filed a case claiming the act was obscene.

Akshay Kumar arrested and released on bail

It was not a happy homecoming for Akshay Kumar who was returning home after nearly a month of staying abroad. Akki, who arrived in Mumbai late last night, was arrested by cops at the Vakola police station early today morning. He was, however, subsequently released on bail.

It may be recalled that the actor was embroiled in a huge controversy when his wife Twinkle Khanna unbuttoned his jeans at the recently held Lakme India Fashion Week. An activist Anil Nair had taken offence and filed a case against the couple.

Akshay was arrested for the same case early today morning. However, since his case was a bailable one he was sanctioned bail. Earlier even his wife Twinkle was arrested and released on bail. One hopes this is the last of all miseries for Akki and Twinkle.

Akshay Kumar and Twinkle miss son Aarav while shooting in Singapore

Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle, who are currently in Singapore, are missing their son Aarav. Reason? The seven-year-old could not accompany his mom and his dad, who is shooting for Priyadarshan's De Dhana Dhan. Aarav is staying with his daadi here.

Explains Akki, "Aarav had to be in Mumbai because of school. I don't want him to miss his studies even for a day. I want him to excel at everything from studies to sports."

Akshay does miss his son a lot, though. "But I want him to learn to be self-sufficient early in his life."
Akki's kid is quickly becoming a karate champion. But he isn't learning the art from his dad, who's a martial arts expert himself. Akshay has hired a karate guru for Aarav.

Explains the actor, "It's a known fact that children are shy and reluctant to learn any skill from their own parents. That's why you have even renowned classical musicians sending their own children to another guru rather than train the next generation themselves. Aarav is learning from a professional guru, and is quickly becoming a champ."

The proud father has himself been learning a new skill in Singapore. "I picked up cable skiing, a very tough water sports here in Singapore. The way to survive and be the fittest among the competition is to keep learning all the time. That's what I want my son to understand."

As he is shooting mostly in the nights, Akshay spends the day playing dutiful husband to Twinkle taking her shopping to the swankiest of malls of Singapore.

"I myself have been away from home for two months now," says Akshay. "I do miss home but it's good to work away from Mumbai as more work gets done. In 15 days, we've covered a month's work in Singapore."

Dimple defends Akki's 'unbuttoning' act

Akshay Kumar has a very spunky defender – his mother-in-law, Dimple Kapadia

The actress doesn’t mince words when she’s asked for her opinion on the controversy over Twinkle unbuttoning Akki’s jeans at a Mumbai fashion show.

“F*** all this news!” she says. “By God’s grace, both my girls are happy and doing really well. If the world wants to presume things – let it. So many times, such things have been shown on television, and nobody says anything. They should either stop doing this moral policing or stop what’s being shown on TV first!”

But hasn’t she gotten used to these things yet? Many would have said many different things about her donning a bikini in Bobby and scorching the silver screen in 1973. “No, not at all. In fact, nobody even raised an eyebrow,” pat comes her reply. If things were so cool then, she must be finding it really hard to digest all this now. “I am not only shocked but also stunned at people’s reaction. What Akshay and Twinkle did was just for fun. It was just humour, not anything lurid, there was no vulgarity or any display of physical assets!” she adds.
What would she tell the moral policing experts, then? “Maybe their wives don’t open the buttons on their pants. I think they should try that. I know I’ve made a tall statement, but I stand by it,” she says.

Twinkle shy to come out of the house

Waiting for Akshay to return before they can head to police station

After the controversial unbuttoning of hubby Akshay Kumar's jeans in public, Twinkle Khanna is too shy to come out of her house. So much so that she even dreads to venture into her balcony!

Mumbai police had registered a case against them and the organisers of the Lakme Indian Fashion Week after Twinkle unbuttoned her husband’s jeans during a Levi’s fashion show at the just concluded LIFW in Mumbai.

This stunt was aimed at highlighting the Levi’s Unbuttoned campaign but social campaigner Anil Nair found it “vulgar and indecent” and lodged a complaint against Akshay and Twinkle.

Subsequently, they were summoned to the police station. But Twinkle has still not gone there.

It seems Akshay is in Cape Town shooting for a commercial and Twinkle does not want to go to the police station alone. She is waiting for hubby to come back so they can go together.

Meanwhile she is keeping herself under house arrest so that no one spots her, including the cops!