Akshay Kumar’s mother dies after illness: ‘I feel an unbearable pain’

"She was my core. And today I feel an unbearable pain at the very core of my existence. My maa Smt Aruna Bhatia peacefully left this world today morning and got reunited with my dad in the other world. I respect your prayers as I and my family go through this period," he wrote.

On Tuesday, Akshay had said that it was a 'tough hour' for his family and asked fans to pray for his mother. "Touched beyond words at your concern for my mom's health. This is a very tough hour for me and my family. Every single prayer of yours would greatly help," he wrote on Twitter.

Akshay, who was shooting for his upcoming film Cinderella in the UK, returned to Mumbai on Monday morning to be with his ailing mother. She was said to be unwell for a few days and was admitted to the Hiranandani Hospital.

In 2015, Akshay talked to Hindustan Times about his relationship with his mother. "The bond between a mother and her son is so strong yet so gentle...nothing could come between us, no amount of miles or continents can keep us from letting each other know every day that I would be nothing and no one without her."

Akshay was recently seen in the spy-thriller, BellBottom, which was the first major Bollywood film to release in theatres after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The film also starred Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta.

Akshay's other upcoming projects include Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi with Katrina Kaif, Aanand L Rai's Atrangi Re with Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan, Prithviraj with Manushi Chhillar, Bachchan Pandey with Kriti Sanon and Jacqueline Fernandez, and Raksha Bandhan with Bhumi Pednekar.