Mumbai, Sep 19 (IANS): 'Bhagya Lakshmi' actor Akash Choudhary has broken his silence over the incident where a fan physically confronted him, while attempting to pose for a selfie, and called it a truly traumatic experience.
Last weekend, Akash unexpectedly found himself at the centre of attention, but not for the reasons he would have ever imagined. In a startling turn of events, individuals who feigned fandom took things too far, physically confronting Akash, while attempting to snap selfies with him. The disturbing video of this incident quickly went viral across social media platforms.
While the incident ignited the ire of celebrities like Bharati Singh, Prince Narula, and millions of concerned netizens, there remained an eerie silence from Akash. Now, after almost three days of the incident, Akash has shared his perspective on the incident that had left him initially lost for words.
Recalling the incident Akash expressed, "Life has a way of testing us, doesn't it? Last Friday, I was having an early dinner with my friends when things took an unexpected turn. There were paparazzi and, I believe, some fans who wanted my attention."
"While I truly appreciate the love and support, I also cherish my personal space. I hoped they'd understand that I needed a moment to talk to the media before posing for photos together."
"Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Despite my best intentions, the situation became uncomfortable, and one of the supposed fans even threw a water bottle at me. It was a truly traumatic experience, and it took me a while to come to terms with it. Emotions have been swirling within me - shock, anger, and self-reflection," he said.
While the actor was deeply shaken by the incident itself, what startled him even more was the reaction of people on social media, singling out a specific community.
He shared, "As I tried to make sense of it all, things escalated further when a video surfaced, and some people wrongly associated the incident with a specific religious group. I want to make it clear that what happened had absolutely nothing to do with religion. It's important not to jump to conclusions or spread hate based on misunderstandings."
Akash disclosed that matters have been resolved and appealed to everyone to let bygones be bygones.
The actor said, "The young 18-year-old who was involved in this incident realised his mistake and apologised to my publicist. Despite my shock, I've forgiven him, and I urge everyone to rise above hate. I must say, I've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of messages and love I've received. It's truly heartwarming.”
Akash also welcomed Lord Ganesha into his home on Ganesh Chaturthi.
Talking about the same, he said: "Ganesh ji is known as Vighnaharta, the divine force that eradicates obstacles from our lives. This year, I'm praying more intensely than ever before. I'm praying that all the hurdles I've faced in my life, from the accident to this recent fan incident, will be swept away by Ganesh ji's divine grace."
"I pray fervently to Lord Ganesh that he takes away all the Vighnas I've faced and shields me from any future adversities," he added.
On the work front, he is currently playing the role of Viraj Singhania, Malishka's former best friend and ex-fiance in Zee TV's ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’.