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Bollywood’s Akshay Kumar calls dowry ‘extortion’, says fathers and brothers pushed to do more than they are capable of

Bollywood’s Akshay Kumar calls dowry ‘extortion’, says fathers and brothers pushed to do more than they are capable of

The actor plays a brother to four sisters in film Raksha Bandhan who struggles to get them married.
11 Aug, 2022

Bollywood’s Akshay Kumar is starring in Raksha Bandhan, a film based on the difficulties faced by women in India and how dowry plays an important part in their weddings. He thinks the entire idea of dowry is akin to “extortion” and a malpractice that continues to plague India till this date.

“We cannot disagree with the fact that dowry is very much there in India. It’s in the layers. Some call it dowry, gift, ‘sankalp’. It has different names,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday, reported The Indian Express.

“Some demand that they want to have the wedding on a large scale. I would call it extortion. The father, the brother are not that capable, and yet they try to do as much as they can so that it [the wedding] happens.”

The actor was speaking at a promotional event for the film that addresses the issue of dowry. Kumar plays a brother to four sisters in the movie who struggles to meet the dowry demands. Calling Raksha Bandhan a “sensitive” film, he said not many movies target such subjects. “If the film works even on 5 to 10 per cent of people who watch it, I’ll feel as if I have made the biggest film ever,” he added.

The film will be releasing in Indian theatres this week alongside Aamir Khan’s Hindi adaptation of Tom Hanks Forrest Gump titled Laal Singh Chaddha.

The actor reiterated that the release of the two films is beneficial for the industry even if they drop on the same day as both need to do well in order for good films to release in the near future.

“I see that the glass is half full, not half empty. There’s no clash, no effect [at the box office]. Both films should work and we support each other,” he said.

Film director Aanand L Rai, who was also present at the event, said that the story of the upcoming film took shape during the initial lockdown amid Covid-19. It follows Raju, played by Kumar, a shop owner who is struggling to get his four younger sisters married. It features Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna and Smrithi Srikanth as Kumar’s on-screen sisters.

Comments

Fast comment Aug 11, 2022 03:19pm
Yes it’s an extortion, which pushed the guardians in awkward situations. They had to buy the demanded things on installment on extra price, and fulfill the demands. The society must revisit the bad tradition, and adopt austerity in marriage expenses.
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M Emad. Aug 11, 2022 03:22pm
The terrible & evil tradition of Dowry ('‘extortion’') still exists in Pakistan society, despite govt make it illegal.
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Jigen.m19 Aug 11, 2022 03:26pm
Akshay Kumar is fake and so is Bollywood. Pity the people who watch Bollywood movies
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Reality Aug 11, 2022 03:47pm
@M Emad. It exists in South asia
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Kumar Aug 11, 2022 03:54pm
@Jigen.m19 Not the greatest of actors, but at least he lends his star power to social cinema, unlike some others
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Aug 11, 2022 04:32pm
Unfortunately, centuries old, bad, racist, bigot, biased, prejudiced, wicked, crooked, cruel, cunning and corrupt habits die hard.
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Uzma Aug 11, 2022 05:07pm
My question is, did the fathers take dowry themselves when they were getting married? Or will these brothers take dowry when they get married? If the answer is "Yes" then they are the problem and not the solution. It's men who are hiding behind women and perpetuating this unjust tradition and each of them will say my mommy wanted me take dowry and I didn't wanted to upset her.
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Baba Aug 11, 2022 05:53pm
Most families refused to pay women their rightful inheritance, and groom families knows this fact. They want women share in the form of dowry. If you can't fix inheritance issue, don't expect dowry issue to be solve as well
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Bunny Aug 11, 2022 06:25pm
In the same way the women should not push their men beyond a limit to buy them luxuries.
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DrCoronaWuhanwala Aug 11, 2022 09:26pm
Sad reality of the subcontinent. Day by day dowry and wedding gifts demands are getting higher.
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Omveer Singh Aug 11, 2022 10:19pm
The movie is a flop with 15 percent occupancy on first day. Dowry days are past with brides openly rejecting marriage and even thrashing the bridegroom and his parents before handing over to police.
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Umer Khawaja Aug 11, 2022 10:20pm
Most evil thing in this world is this stupid and evil tradition of dowry(extortion). i thought it only existed in the lower and uneducated class but the greed is prevalent in the upper and so called educated class! SHAMEFUL!
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riz1 Aug 11, 2022 10:59pm
@Jigen.m19 Exactly. India and Indians are all fake. In fact, there should be no movies at all, especially fake Bollywood. The social messages like toilet, dowry, sanitary pads, honor violence are all fake and if Bollywood shows those, they should be boycotted. Wow, nice message.
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NYS Aug 11, 2022 11:08pm
The dowry given to the bride is actually the compensation for the grooms education ,career and wealth... Dowry is a social menace which is eating our society like termites.
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NYS Aug 11, 2022 11:10pm
@M Emad. Dowry in India by terrible conditions
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Ari Aug 12, 2022 12:22am
Yes it is extortion. But if you supported and allowed as fully independent unmarried single women in society with full inheritance rights in letter and spirit and practice - this extortion will go away. Those scoundrels who demand money will simply not get married and will be shamed...
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Shakil Khan Aug 12, 2022 12:35am
Demand of dowry is extortion on part of insecure cultural values. Bad cultural practices die hard
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Isthisreal Aug 12, 2022 04:55am
Dowry is for cunts
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Vikram Aug 12, 2022 07:21am
The girls who are educated and working support families on their own and have their own independent lives. It is important for our societies to support them fully to be so. That alone will help destroy this horrible practice of dowry
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TPA Aug 12, 2022 07:57am
Useless movie. Akshay is past his prime.
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Anonymouseee Aug 12, 2022 08:42am
@M Emad. Trust me, the dowry tradition will a far more wide spread in your india, than in Pakistan.
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Premal Dave Aug 12, 2022 09:02am
True
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Mittu Aug 12, 2022 09:35am
Where women are educated and doing good jobs, dowry is not there anymore.
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Rash Aug 12, 2022 12:17pm
Women should be given equal share in property. In most Indian families women give up their property rights as they were given dowry during their weddings. This need to change. Most men don't understand that women's right impact them as much as they impact women. Both women and men live in the same society and unequal treatment between the two creates an imbalance that gives rise to evil practices like dowry.
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