NEW DELHI - Bollywood star Akshay Kumar announced that he was auctioning the "actual naval officer uniform" he wore in the film Rustom for charity, he rubbed many people the wrong way link>. His wife, Twinkle Khanna, who shared his tweet, also drew their ire.
Indian Army Lt Col Sandeep Ahlawat was one of the loudest voices of dissent, and slammed Twinkle in a Facebook post for her "nauseating idea" and wrote that what Akshay wore in Rustom was merely "a piece of costume and not uniform".
Now, Ahlawat and his batchmates will file a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Bombay High Court against Akshay and Twinkle for besmirching the sanctity of an uniform by attempting to sell a piece of film memorabilia as an "actual naval officer uniform".
Recently, when Akshay was asked to comment on the controversy at an event, he said, "I support my wife link> on that matter. I and my wife are doing some work with good intention for a good cause. That was a costume that I used in the film. It is going for (auction for) a good cause. I do not think we have done anything wrong."
Ahlawat emphasised in his Facebook post that the uniform was "not a piece of cloth that a producer hands over to cinestars for enacting roles and make some quick bucks".
It is not the costume going under the hammer that those opposing this decision are fighting against, but wrongfully advertising it as an "actual naval officer uniform" link> .
In another Facebook post, Ahlawat wrote those in the armed forces were "touchy" when it came to "the wrongful representation of military uniform and regalia".