Akshay Kumar’s first co-star Shanti Priya recalls his comment on her ‘dark skin’; reveals he never apologized

Shanti Priya played the leading lady of Akshay Kumar in the latter’s debut film Saugandh and also in the 1994 film Ikke Pe Ikka.

While matters of skin colour, remarks on body, etc., are considered to be serious issues currently, the 90s actors have often spoken about how these things were taken rather lightly during those days. Recalling one such time, South and Bollywood actress Shanti Priya, who acted with Akshay Kumar in his debut Saugandh and later, in Ikke Pe Ikka, revealed about the time he commented on her ‘dark’ knees, which impacted her deeply. In fact, she also mentioned that he never apologized for the same.

Akshay Kumar’s first co-star Shanti Priya recalls his comment on her ‘dark skin’; reveals he never apologized

In an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Shanti Priya opened up about the time when everyone on the sets were laughing and assumed that Akshay’s comments were a joke. She recalled the incident saying, “It is a sensitive topic; he must have not realised. In front of everybody, he pointed out my knees and he said, ‘Oh, see how dark they are. Did you get hurt or something? Did you fall down somewhere?’ I said, ‘No, why?’ He said, ‘What happened, dude? Why are your knees so dark and black? Is it a blood clot?’”

Talking about how the comment impacted her, Shanti Priya continued, “I went into a shell. My mom was a strong pillar for us because we already faced these things in our industry down South. There are a couple of magazines in the Hindi industry where they wrote about didi (Bhanu Priya) when she had pimples. They used to write that the number of pimples she has, that much amount she charges for a movie. We went through a lot for colour. Me and my sister, and not only in the ’90s but even now, my sons go through it. My elder son, yes, goes through it.”

Reacting to the incident, Shanti Priya revealed that nobody on the sets ever realized that it was a serious issue until she decided to move away from them. “Initially, they were all laughing, and everything was flowing smoothly. Then, I was like, ‘Okay, did you really mean it?’ Then I looked at my mom. I quietly went and talked to her, as she used to accompany me. So, I went quietly, and then they realised that it was quite serious.”

Further, in the same interview, the actress also revealed that she was confronted by the director who tried to assure her that it was said in a light manner and Akshay too told her that it was joke. However, the actress maintained that Akshay Kumar never apologized to her about making that remark.

Also Read: “I don’t think Juhi Chawla will remember me,” says her 90s co-star Shanthi Priya