Akshay Kumar's mother Aruna Bhatia died due to age-related issues this morning in Mumbai. The actor took to his social media accounts to inform his fans and followers of the tragic news. A few hours later, the final rites were held at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle. Akshay Kumar and his wife, author Twinkle Khanna, were seen arriving at the crematorium.
Akshay's friends and colleagues from the film industry - Riteish Deshmukh, Rohit Shetty, producer Ramesh Taurani and Sajid Khan, attended the last rites. His and Twinkle Khanna's daughter Nitara and actor Karan Kapadia (the latter's cousin) were also photographed at the crematorium.
Later in the day, Shilpa Shetty - Akshay's co-star in several movies, and John Abraham, his close friend, were seen arriving at his residence to pay their condolences.
Akshay announced his mother's demise in social media posts. He had written, “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. Om Shanti."
On Tuesday, Akshay asked fans to pray for his mother's recovery, after she was admitted to the ICU in the Hiranandani hospital in Mumbai.
Akshay Kumar was close to his mother. In an interview with HindustanTimes.com in 2015, Akshay had said, “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.”
Image Sources: Instagram/akshaykumar, Youtube/spotboyE