Emotional Akshay Kumar chokes up at Prithviraj trailer launch, wants film shown in schools

Akshay Kumar has said Prithviraj, in which he will star opposite Manushi Chillar, is an education film. The movie is scheduled to release in the theatres on June 3.

Akshay Kumar, who will be next seen in the historical war drama Prithviraj, has hailed it as an educational film. The actor even said that the government should make it mandatory for the school students to watch the film. Prithviraj, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi and produced by Yash Raj films, is based on Prithviraj Raso, a Braj Bhasha epic poem about the 12th-century ruler Prithviraj Chauhan.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar poses for pictures during the trailer launch of his upcoming Hindi language movie Prithviraj.(AFP)

Speaking at the trailer launch event for the film on Monday, Akshay explained why he believes every child should watch the film. He said, "Doctor Sahab (director Chandraprakash) asked me to read Prithviraj Raso, and asked me to read it slowly. Reading that, I realised that Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan was such a great warrior. And when we read history books, there was only a paragraph about him. I would want that every children, not only from this country but from all over the world, see this film. It's an educational film. When you will watch it you will realise that you will want to show it to your children."

Akshay said that he is very proud of the film, and began to choke up as he thought about how his mother Aruna Bhatia, who passed away in September last year, would have reacted to it. He said, "I wish agar meri maa hoti to she would have been so proud (I wish if my mother was here, she would have been so proud)," but could not continue anymore.

He added, "It's an educational film. Mai chahunga ki baccha-baccha is film ko dekhe. Aur sarkaar se bhi nivedan karunga ki is film ko- ek compulsary chij hai, schoolon mein dikhaya jaaye. Hamari history ke baare mein btaya jaaye, ki kya hua tha kaise hua tha (I would want every child to watch this film. I would also request the government that this film is shown in schools as a compulsory thing. and that the children are told about our history, and how it happened)."

During the event, Akshay was also asked if he would host a special screening of the film for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In response, he said, "Main kya dikhana chahunga, unko dekhna hoga wo apne aap hi dekh lenge, main kaun hota hu dikhane waala (Who am I to show the film to him? If he wants to watch it, he will)."

Prithviraj is scheduled to release in the theatres on June 3. The trailer of the film showed Akshay as Prithviraj facing invader Muhammad Ghori of Ghurid dynasty on the battlefield. It also featured former Miss World Manushi Chillar opposite him as Sanyogita, Sanjay Dutt as his uncle Kaka Kanha, Sonu Sood as Chandravardai, Manav Vij as Muhammad Ghori, and Ashutosh Rana as Sanyogita's father Jayachandra.