1.2193182-3268718393
Actor Akshay Kumar Image Credit: IANS

Actor Akshay Kumar, who is busy with the shoot of his upcoming film Kesari, says wearing a turban for the role fills him with pride.

Kumar attended the trailer launch of the film Nanak Shah Fakir in Mumbai on Thursday.

After Singh Is Kinng and Singh Is Bliing, Kumar will be seen sporting a turban in Kesari yet again.

“I have been shooting for Kesari since the last one and a half months, and every time that I wear the taaj [turban] on my head, I am filled with pride,” he said.

Earlier, Kumar had shifted the release date of Pad Man because of Padmaavat. Kumar let the controversial Padmaavat get a solo release, and now he has stepped in to support Nanak Shah Fakir.

“I am not doing this because of any kind of thing, I am doing it because I believe in it,” said the actor, who believes in the concept of “Ik Onkar”, which means ‘one God’.

Kesari is a war drama based on the Battle of Saragarhi in which an army of 21 Sikhs fought against the Afghans in 1897. It stars Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles and is directed by Anurag Singh.

The film Nanak Shah Fakir released in 2015 after having a tough time getting clearance from the censor board. Within a week of its release, the film was banned by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).

The SGPC has now vetted the film that has been modified based on their feedback, and it is being distributed for release on April 13 via Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

On the film’s re-release, Kumar said it is a “blessing in disguise”.

Nanak Shah Fakir is based on the life and teachings of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev.

It is produced by Harinder S. Sikka. The original score of the film was composed by Tuomas Kantelinen.