Akshay Kumar Monologue on India From ‘Namastey London’ under debate
Akshay Kumar Monologue on India From ‘Namastey London’ under debate
When Akshay Kumar’s Bollywood career took a “nationalism” arc, the actor featured alongside Katrina Kaif in the 2007 film ‘Namastey London’ that featured a monologue by him, lecturing Brits on India’s cultural diversity, religious harmony, and its massive influence and accomplishments.
Katrina Kaif repeats a translated version of her co-star’s iconic line.
“We come from a nation where we allow a lady of Catholic origin to step aside for a Sikh to be sworn in as Prime Minister by a Muslim President to govern a nation of over 80 percent Hindus,”
Notably, .17 years later, the once-celebrated scene has become fodder for debate on social media.
Katrina Kaif essays as Jazz while Akshay Kumar plays Arjun Singh in Namastey London.
Akshay as Arjun Singh, delivers this powerful speech in response to the famous “snake charmers” comment by Katrina Kaif (Jazz’s or Jasmeet’s) fiancé at a dinner party on a yacht.
The monologue, as translated by the lead actress, goes,
“When they greet one another, they
fold hands in namaste because we believe that God resides in the heart of every human being.
They come from a nation where they allow a lady of Catholic origin to step aside for a Sikh to be sworn in as Prime Minister by a Muslim President to govern a nation of over 80 percent Hindus. It may also interest you to know that many of the origins of your English words come from Sanskrit. For example, ‘maatra’ becomes ‘mother’, ‘bhratra’ becomes ‘brother’ , ‘giamiti’ becomes ‘geometry’ , and ‘trikonniti’ becomes ‘trigonometry’. They ..have 5,600 newspapers, 35,000 magazines in over 21 different languages with a combined readership of 120 million. We have reached the moon and back yet you people still feel that we have only reached as far as the Indian rope trick. We are the third largest nation in the world of doctors, engineers, and scientists. Maybe your grandfather didn’t tell you that we have the third largest army in the world. And even then, I fold my hands in humility before you because we don’t believe that we are above or beneath any individual.”
News Edit KV Raman.
