Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival after testing positive for Covid. Photo: AFP
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival after testing positive for Covid. Photo: AFP
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival after testing positive for Covid. Photo: AFP
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival after testing positive for Covid. Photo: AFP

Akshay Kumar to sit out of Cannes Film Festival after contracting Covid again


Razmig Bedirian
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Akshay Kumar will be unable to attend the Cannes Film Festival after the Indian actor tested positive for Covid-19.

The Airlift star revealed on his social media on Saturday that he had contracted the virus for the second time and won’t be able to fly to France to represent his native country at the event, which starts on Tuesday.

India is the country of honour at Marche Du Films, the business aspect of the festival and one of the top film markets in the world.

Indian celebrities including Kumar, Shekhar Kapur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pooja Hegde and AR Rahman were invited by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur to be part of the Cannes Film Market. Kumar was scheduled to appear on the red carpet of the opening day of the festival.

"Was really looking forward to rooting for our cinema at the India Pavilion at #Cannes2022, but have sadly tested positive for Covid,” the actor wrote on Twitter. “Will rest it out. Loads of best wishes to you and your entire team, @ianuragthakur. Will really miss being there."

The actor has been hospitalised as a precautionary measure. He had previously tested positive for the virus in April 2021.

Kumar's highly anticipated historical drama Prithviraj will be released next month. The film is based on the 12th-century epic poem Prithviraj Raso, about the life of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. Kumar plays the leading role.

The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood, Manushi Chhillar, and Manav Vij. It explores the clashes between Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori, a ruler from the Ghurid dynasty. The film faced several production setbacks due to the pandemic. It began in November 2019 and, after a series of delays, wrapped up in February 2021.

It is scheduled for a June 3 release in India.

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How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Updated: May 16, 2022, 9:43 AM`