People are still talking about the Mumbai Police’s cultural festival Umang 2019 that was held at the MMRDA Grounds on Sunday night. Particularly about Akshay Kumar’s spectacular entry into the annual event. The Bollywood superstar pulled off a high-adrenaline stunt by daringly rappelling down a 12-storey building that was brightly illuminated in saffron, white and green even while the tricolour rose before the august presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other state dignitaries and police bigwigs. As soon as Akshay’s feet hit the ground, the national anthem began to play.
The idea for him to entertain the Mumbai Police in this breathtaking fashion is believed to have come to Akshay through former encounter specialist Daya Nayak. Sources say that Daya, who is now posted as a Police Inspector at the Amboli Police Station, hesitatingly approached the actor with the suggestion. And Akshay, who is playing the Anti-Terrorist Squad supercop Veer Sooryavanshi in Rohit Shetty’s film Sooryavanshi, developed the idea further. He wore his Sooryavanshi uniform for the stunt. And then rode a bike wearing a police helmet and followed by 20 police officers on their bikes onto the stage. There Akshay engaged in banter with Rohit and invited the filmmaker’s other screen supercops, Ajay (Singham) Devgn and Ranveer (Simmba) Singh to join them.
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Akshay Kumar photographed during Umang 2019[/caption]
When PeepingMoon.com approached Daya for comment, the tough police officer refused to take credit for Akshay’s stunt. However, Daya posted a picture of the event on social media in which he saluted “Akshay bhai” for the “greatest support of my department”.
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Akshay Kumar, Daya Nayak, Rohit Shetty and Kartik Aaryan photographed during Umang 2019[/caption]
Daya’s reluctance to join the limelight is as understandable as Akshay’s willingness to boldly step out and do what another actor might find daunting. That’s why he’s referred to as the Khiladi of Bollywood. He is known to support the causes his films are based on.
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Screenshots from Daya Nayak's Facebook[/caption]
In this case, it was the Mumbai Police. Before this, it was and still remains the eradication of open defecation in the country and the necessity for sanitary hygiene among women. Which were the themes of his films Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and PadMan respectively. The actor, who confirmed that Daya Nayak met him, loves to wear a uniform in his films. “Something happens to me. From the way I walk, talk, look at people, my body language changes, it makes me full of pride even though I am only wearing the uniform for a film,” he told PeepingMoon.com.
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File photo of Daya Nayak[/caption]
