Akshay Kumar, who had announced a film, Gorkha, ostensibly based on the heroics of Major General Ian Cardozo during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, has decided to back out of the project. The Aanand L Rai production was announced in October 2021 and fans have been asking the actor for an update, wondering if the project has been put on the back-burner.

A source reveals that Kumar decided to walk out of the film after questions were raised about the authenticity of the story. “Some veterans from the unit that Major General Cardozo was attached with during the war reached out, putting major question marks on his version of the events. Akshay has utmost respect for the armed forces and does not want to associate with a story that may have a shadow of doubt,” says the source.

Major General Cardozo is said to have amputated his own leg with a khukri after stepping on a landmine during the war. In August last year, when asked about the film, Rai had said that it will go on floors once the script is locked.

When contacted, Kumar’s spokesperson confirmed that he is not doing the film anymore, without giving any further details.