Ahead of the release of Priyadarshan’s Bhooth Bangla, actress Wamiqa Gabbi has been drawing comparisons to Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif for her light-colored eyes and striking features.
Co-star Akshay Kumar has now addressed those comparisons, making it clear that Wamiqa stands on her own.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube podcast, Akshay said, “Her eyes are like Aishwarya Rai but she has her own identity. She is doing it her own way”. He pointed out that Wamiqa entered the film industry after significant struggle, working in Punjabi films before moving into Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil projects across genres.
The comparisons resurfaced as Bhooth Bangla pairs 58-year-old Akshay with 32-year-old Wamiqa, sparking the wider Bollywood age-gap debate. Addressing that, Akshay asked, “Toh kya hai? Humne pehle dekha nahi hai kya kabhi? It happens in Hollywood as well. Sometimes, it’s the requirement of the script. In real life too, so many people get married to partners older or younger than them”.
He also praised Wamiqa’s work ethic, noting she constantly rehearses and takes her scenes seriously, comparing her dedication to Tabu’s while calling Vidya Balan a “free actor”.
Director Priyadarshan backed the casting too, saying there’s a difference between “chronological age and screen age” and that audiences accept actors for their screen age.
Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, Tabu, and Wamiqa Gabbi, is slated for a theatrical release.