In recent times, our Bollywood stars have said or done things that left many of us disappointed. From making regressive and sexist statements to be called out for their abusive behavior, Bollywood stars have been anything but heroes.
Most recently, netizens found themselves disappointed by the leading actor Akshay Kumar, during his gig to build awareness about water scarcity.
Water scarcity is one of the biggest problems that many impoverished families are facing in India. In fact, many women and young children in rural India, walk long miles in search of water every day under the scorching heat. The difficult plight of these women and children brings so much pain and agony in their lives that no one could even imagine.
So, when Akshay Kumar decided to walk 21 km on a treadmill in the air-conditioned set-up with his branded sneakers to understand the plight of women, it didn’t sit well with many netizens. The actor’s attempt to build awareness about water scarcity as a part of the Network18 initiative Mission Paani Waterthon was heavily criticized by the netizens
Akshay Kumar walked 21 kilometers on the treadmill to feel the pain of women who walk 21 kms and more everyday to get safe drinking water. Join him at #MissionPaani Waterthon, a @CNNnews18 and @harpic_india initiative towards water conservation and hygiene. pic.twitter.com/fqxiUKQ5tg
— Mission Paani (@MissionPaani) January 26, 2021
Sharing their disappointment on how Akshay Kumar equated his treadmill walk to those underprivileged families agony, many netizens took to social media:
akshay kumar walking on treadmill to understand the plight of village women carrying water long distance
— ???? (@sadelokeshi) January 26, 2021
????
chetan bhagat waxing his legs to understand women
AC mein, sports shoes pehen ke, khaali haath treadmill par chal ke @akshaykumar is trying to empathise with barefooted women who walk on broken rural terrain with pots of water on their head in 40 degrees Celsius.#KuchBhi #Canadian https://t.co/HSTvK5RPGr
— Mango Man (@__MangoMan__) January 26, 2021
Get married off to a man with existing wives ONLY to fetch water. Because the other wives are getting older and can’t carry enough water.
— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) January 26, 2021
Yes, your dreams, your youth, your entire life is now worth a pot of water. Much like being on a treadmill.https://t.co/nJioBtlop0
Now don’t play paint ball and say it’s to understand struggle of soldiers ????????????????
— Asura (@THE_LIT_) January 27, 2021
Put aside the treadmill, come out of the ac room. Walk for hours barefoot on uneven roads & desert areas with more than one water container, only then u will understand @akshaykumar https://t.co/S9Ypr2mv0d
— мєєиαкѕнι (@Meenakshiiik) January 27, 2021
@akshaykumar ji why this drama? You can’t imagine pain of those women who walk so many kilometers in distress just to get some bucket of water, merely by walking on treadmill.????
— Dr.Deepa Sharma (@deepadoc) January 27, 2021
Go to such places personally, help those women/families to get a solution on ground with help of govt. https://t.co/BtPOWz7sYR
Walking on a electricity powered treadmill inside an air-conditioned studio wearing sneakers and talking about the plight of women who have to walk kilometres to fetch water. ????????♂️
Hypocrisy thy name is Akshay Kumar. pic.twitter.com/TUznZmFx9R— JayJay (@JamProlio) January 26, 2021
Im still pissed at this.. So let me get this straight, he’s gonna walk on a treadmill, in the comfort of his home, with comfy shoes, and he thinks thats equivalent to Women fetching water barefoot from long distances, in the scorching heat?? @akshaykumar Get the fuck out of here! https://t.co/rxwhKBsupK
— Amyy80 (@Amyy_80) January 26, 2021
We are surrounded by a bunch of jokers, who identify themselves actors/politicians/activists/heroes.
— Subhakeerthana (@bhakisundar) January 26, 2021
https://t.co/SoZhX4obmP
Though the event had the best intention to shed light on a very important issue of water scarcity, it is heartbreaking how the unfair comparison left many disappointed. In the end, it doesn’t take much to understand that walking on the treadmill with comfortable shoes in a well air-conditioned room is not even close to what our rural women and kids go through as they walk barefoot in the scorching heat while carrying pots of water on their head.