Akshay Kumar Calls Out Racism Against Northeast Indians; Reiterates That They Are Indians (EXCLUSIVE)

In an environment where most actors are afraid to take a stand and speak out on social issues, Akshay Kumar recently turned a mainstream entertainment platform into a moment of real accountability. On his TV show “Wheel of Fortune India,” the actor used prime-time television to call out racism faced by people from India’s Northeast.

What began as a contestant sharing her lived experience of racial abuse could have easily been brushed aside as an “uncomfortable moment.” Instead, Akshay leaned into it, acknowledged the issue, and made his stance clear.

He called his makeup artist Kin, who is from Manipur, onto the stage, breaking the invisible hierarchy that often separates “stars” from the people who work behind the scenes. “There is a boy with me, who does my makeup and takes care of me. He is here, Kim,” he said.

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Kin then narrated his own experiences of being mocked, stereotyped, and reduced to slurs like “Chinese,” “Chinky,” and “Momo.”

Instead of diluting the moment with denial, Akshay responded: “After listening to you, I am convinced that these things happen. I want to tell all the people of India… there is discrimination with the people of the North-East. They are all Indians. They are as much Indians as I am, you are, and the people sitting here.”

He went further, reminding viewers that the same people mocked for their features are often the first to defend the nation’s borders. “There is so much contribution for this country. The Naga Regiment… Kargil war, Bangladesh war. They have given their blood. They are Indians.”

By bringing Kim forward and naming the discrimination openly, Akshay used his privilege to remind viewers that racism is not only unacceptable, but deeply unfair. In a country that celebrates diversity in theory, this moment mattered, because it is rarely what India hears on prime-time television.