Akshay Kumar on Laxmii reactions, film recording biggest opening of career: ‘I know a lot of critics don’t like my films’

Akshay Kumar has addressed the diverse reactions to his new horror comedy, Laxmii, saying that he prefers to ‘focus on my audience’. As per Disney+ Hostar on which the horror comedy released, the film broke all previous records within hours of landing on the online platform.

Laxmii is about a man whose body is possessed by the spirit of a trans person who wants vengeance. Akshay had earlier described the character as ‘the most mentally intensive role’ he has ever played. The film has been directed by Raghava Lawrence and is a remake of his Tamil hit Kanchana.

Speaking to Mid-Day, Akshay spoke how the film has failed to win over the critics while emphasising how it deals with something pivotal. “I feel great. I know a lot of critics don’t like my films, and I understand it. But my focus is on my audience. I am told it’s the biggest opening of my career. The film achieves something pivotal. Having a transgender protagonist normalises and reinforces the rights of the LGBTQ community. Be it with PadMan [2018] or Toilet: Ek Prem Katha [2017] or Mission Mangal [2019], the idea is to do more than just entertain or deliver a box-office success. I want to make a difference,” Akshay said.

 

The OTT platform had said the film broke all records within hours. “#Laxmii breaks all records to become the biggest opening movie ever on Disney+ Hotstar VIP! Thank you for all the love. Subscribe now to watch the entertainment blockbuster of the year,” the official handle had tweeted.

In another tweet, they said, “Laxmii becomes @akshaykumar’s biggest opening ever! Thank you all for making this happen.” The film also stars Kiara Advani, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Sharad Kelkar, Tarun Arora, Ashwini Kalsekar, Manu Rishi Chadha, Rajesh Sharma and others.