Akshay Kumar backs Wamiqa Gabbi against Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif comparisons; 'She has her own identity'

Akshay Kumar teams up with Wamiqa Gabbi in Priyadarshan’s latest release, ‘Bhooth Bangla’. In a recent interview, he expressed strong support for Wamiqa, pushing back against ongoing comparisons to Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif. Many social media fans anticipate that Akshay and Wamiqa's fresh pairing will echo the spark he had with Katrina on screen. Wamiqa is frequently compared to Aishwarya due to her captivating eyes. In response, Akshay highlighted how Wamiqa has found her unique journey in the industry.

Akshay Kumar on Wamiqa Gabbi's identity

In a recent chat with Shubhankar Mishra, Akshay said, “Her (Wamiqa’s) eyes are like Aishwarya Rai’s, but she has her own identity. She is doing things her own way. She entered the film industry after a lot of struggle. She worked in Punjabi films, and now she is working across Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema, exploring every genre.”

Wamiqa Gabbi's witty reply to comparisons

Wamiqa has also tackled these comparisons with her signature wit in the past. Social media buzz has led some to dub her “Aishwarya’s daughter” over their uncanny resemblance. When an influencer grilled her on the PR angle of it all, she fired back: “Talented aur khoobsurat bhi? Uff, thaaaank you. And baaki sab ka pata nahi, but we did try ‘Wamiqa for next President!’ approve nahi hua (Talented and beautiful too? Thank you. I don’t know about the rest, but we did try ‘Wamiqa for next President’, but that wasn’t approved).”

Akshay Kumar's ‘Bhooth Bangla’ details

Directed by Priyadarshan, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ features Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta, and Tabu in pivotal roles alongside the leads. This horror-comedy reunites Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan after a 14-year gap. Despite mixed reviews at launch, it has grossed approximately Rs 35 crore domestically so far. The plot centers on London resident Arjun (Akshay) and his sister, who suddenly inherit their grandfather's wealth and a palace. Arjun heads to Mangalpur, India, to ready the palace for his sister's wedding but a village legend warns that no nuptials there ever finish, thanks to the bride-snatching spirit Vadhusur.

Akshay Kumar's next film ‘Welcome To The Jungle’

On the work front, Akshay Kumar's next film is ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, directed by Ahmed Khan. It stars Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, and many more. The movie will hit theaters on June 6, 2026.

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