WATCH: Akshay Kumar under fire for ‘treadmill stunt’ to portray the plight of rural women

Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar, has been on the receiving end of anger and outrage after walking 21 kilometers on a treadmill to “feel what rural women go through when they walk long distances to fetch water.”

Akshay performed the ‘stunt’ while hosting a TV show called Mission Paani Waterthon to raise awareness about India’s water crisis.

The actor said, “I wanted to understand the plight of women in rural areas who have to travel long distances for water.

He added while running for a half marathon athletes are given water at every juncture, but the women of rural areas face innumerable difficulties in real life.

However, social media users called out the actor for trivializing the situations that the women in question have to face.

Do physical labour at the farm. Come home to cook, clean, feed kids and rear animals. Get beaten up by frustrated drunk husbands at night. At dawn, walk miles to fetch water in huge vessels. Repeat.

Treadmill? It's a roller coaster jolly ride!https://t.co/7tVvobLCjc pic.twitter.com/6KZMrF73oa

— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) January 26, 2021

Get married off to a man with existing wives ONLY to fetch water. Because the other wives are getting older and can’t carry enough water.

Yes, your dreams, your youth, your entire life is now worth a pot of water. Much like being on a treadmill.https://t.co/nJioBtlop0

— Neeraj Ghaywan (@ghaywan) January 26, 2021

I'm gonna sleep the entire day tomorrow to understand the plight of people in a coma https://t.co/yYqfe19cJb

— Loli Hunter (@shiv_t3ds) January 26, 2021

Akshay Kumar walked 21km on treadmill to understand the plight of women who go to fetch water walking long distances

Koi sense hai is baat ki?? pic.twitter.com/Q9aGwb0UAs

— Anayra Sharma (@AnayraSharma2) January 26, 2021

I went on intermittent fasting for 7 days. Just to understand how the poor go hungry in our country.

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 26, 2021

I switched on the air conditioner all night at 16 degrees. To understand how our farmers braved it out in the cold.

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 26, 2021

Yes and tomorrow I will punch myself in the gut to understand the plight of women going through period cramps https://t.co/mfOjkYdttY

— FK (AidenAzzar) (@SidPedory) January 26, 2021

An example of how NOT to do participant observation based research. https://t.co/J0sXDGmUy7

— South Asia Updates (@southasiaupdat1) January 27, 2021

Because walking on a treadmill in a controlled environment after good food and full night’s rest and with an athletic well cared for body that has not birthed a minimum of 4 to 5 little humans is exactly the same, right? https://t.co/1VYl6p2QfJ

— T a z e e n (@tazeen) January 27, 2021

What are your views on this? Share with us in the comments bar below.