Akshay Kumar is an extremely religious man. Apart from celebrating festivals at home with great fervour, he was also a regular visitor at the Vaishnodevi mandir in Jammu.
However, the self-proclaimed mata ka bhakt says he will stop visiting religious shrines from now on. Apparently, his latest film, where he plays God, has changed his perceptions of religious practices.
Akshay Kumar tells us, `I want to ask everyone their definition of a mandir! The real meaning of the term is mann ke andar, which means that God resides within us.
When I was watching the play Kanji Virrudh Kanji (the film is based on it), I was laughing throughout and when it ended I was stunned. That's when I underwent this profound change. I regularly visited shrines and temples all across the country.`
And the actor feels that each trip would mean big bucks. He adds, `I realised that I used to spend as much as Rs 4 to 5 lakh on each trip. I used to travel first class, have security, give huge donations and stay in five-star hotels. Now I dedicate this amount to the cancer patients at a Parel hospital.`
On why he made a film that touches on religious issues, the actor says, `It is a small effort from my production house to try and inform people about the real significance of God. Today, I myself am a changed man.`
