Akshay Kumar defends Wamiqa Gabbi amid comparisons with Aishwarya Rai: ‘She has her own identity’

BOllywood worker Akshay Kumar is currently starring alongside Wamiqa Gabbi in Priyadarshan’s Bhooth Bangla. In a recent confabulation with Shubhankar Mishra, the worker defended Wamiqa amid haunt comparisons with Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif.Akshay Kumar reacts to Wamiqa Gabbi face of the earth compared to Aishwarya RaiSeveral social media users have been expecting the new on-screen duo of Akshay and Wamiqa to recreate the magic he once shared with Katrina. Meanwhile, Wamiqa has often been compared to Aishwarya because of her striking eyes. Addressing these comparisons, Akshay emphasised that Wamiqa has carved her own path in the industry.He 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, too, has previously responded to such comparisons with humour. Many on social media have even gone as far as calling her “Aishwarya’s daughter” due to the resemblance. When an influencer questioned her PR strategy behind these comparisons, Wamiqa hit back, writing, “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).”About Bhooth BanglaHelmed by Priyadarshan, Bhooth Bangla also stars Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta and Tabu in key roles. The horror-comedy marks Akshay and Priyadarshan’s reunion after 14 years. While the film opened to mixed reviews, it has so far collected around ₹35 crore at the domestic box office.The story revolves around London-based Arjun (Akshay) and his sister, who unexpectedly inherits a fortune and a palace from their grandfather. Arjun travels to Mangalpur, India, to prepare the palace for his sister’s wedding. However, a local legend claims that no wedding in the village is ever completed, as a mysterious entity, Vadhusur, abducts brides. What unfolds next forms the rest of the narrative.Akshay Kumar’s upcoming filmsAkshay will next be seen in Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Ahmed Khan. The film features an ensemble cast including Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, among others. It is scheduled to release in theatres on June 6, 2026.