Akshay Kumar’s Covid-19 ad, shot during lockdown, released: Actor encourages people to go to work, be ‘atmanirbhar’

The Covid-19 awareness advertisement that actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker R Balki shot during the lockdown has been released. Watch it here.

The public service advertisement actor Akshay Kumar shot for during the coronavirus lockdown has been released. The one-and-a-half minute advertisement was shared by the Press Information Bureau on Twitter.

“Our battle with #COVID19 is not over, but we will not be afraid of the virus. We will take all precautions and we are going to move on with our lives,” the tweet read. The advertisement shows Akshay in a village setting, coming across a neighbour who asks him why he has ventured outdoors as soon as the lockdown was lifted.

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Government of India is taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared well to face the challenge and threat posed by the growing pandemic of COVID-19 the Corona Virus. With active support of the people of India, we have been able to contain the spread of the Virus in our country. The most important factor in preventing the spread of the Virus locally is to empower the citizens with the right information and taking precautions as per the advisories being issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. @akshaykumar #AkshayKumar . . . . . . . . . . . . . Follow – @MarketingByRaj : : #AliaBhatt #DeepikaPadukone #rheakapoor #everydayphenomenal #janhvikapoor #bollywoodstyle #bollywoodfashion #bollywoodactress #akashambani #akashloka #urvashirautela #ambani #ambaniwedding #anantambani #neetaambani #mukeshambani #mirarajput #filmybulletin #RoyalWedding #aishwaryaraibachchan #shilpashetty #bobbydeol #marketingbyraj #madhuridixit #thedigitaliving

A post shared by R A J (Rajesh Kumar) (@marketingbyraj) on Jun 2, 2020 at 6:22am PDT

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll catch the virus?” the neighbour asks. “Initially I was afraid, but then I learned that if one takes precautions, catching the virus is unlikely,” Akshay responds.

Akshay then lists the precautions he is taking, which include wearing a mask, washing hands, and maintaining social distance. “If the health service workers are sacrificing so much to save our lives, the least we can do is to make it easier for them,” Akshay continues. The actor also seems to suggest that there is nothing to worry about if one does contract the illness, as the government has enough hospitals ready to treat patients.

“This is no time to worry, it is the time to support each other,” the actor continues. Akshay’s words encourage the neighbour to also go to work. The neighbour says that it would be the dishonourable thing to not go to work. Akshay ends the advertisement by saying that the country needs to be made ‘atmanirbhar’.