"Can you believe I will finish my second film tomorrow amid the Coronavirus pandemic," asks Akshay Kumar, who hasn't let the unusual circumstances come in the way of his work. Having shot for Bellbottom in the UK, the actor is currently wrapping up the period drama, Prithviraj.

The excitement in his voice, however, has to do with his latest release, Laxmii. While the Raghava Lawrence-directed venture may have been slammed by a section of the audience, Disney+ Hotstar announced that it broke the viewership record previously held by Dil Bechara to register the highest opening on the platform, on Monday. "I feel great. I know a lot of critics don't like my films, and I understand it. But my focus is on my audience. I am told it's the biggest opening of my career. The film achieves something pivotal. Having a transgender protagonist normalises and reinforces the rights of the LGBTQ community. Be it with Pad Man [2018] or Toilet: Ek Prem Katha [2017] or Mission Mangal [2019], the idea is to do more than just entertain or deliver a box-office success. I want to make a difference," states the actor.

The film's team hosted a screening in Delhi with transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, who has lent support to the horror-comedy. "Her words of appreciation mattered to me. She lauded me for playing the character. There were 100 transgender women. They all stood up and clapped at the end of the film. The ostracization of the community has been horrific, and it's time we collectively stood up and promoted equality."