Akshay Kumar's mother, Aruna Bhatia, passed away on Wednesday morning. She was admitted to the ICU at Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai and was reportedly critical. Earlier this week, Akshay flew back from the UK shoot of Cindrella to be with his mother.

Akshay mourned the loss in a social media note, writing, "She was my core. And today I feel an unbearable pain at the very core of my existence. My maa Smt Aruna Bhatia 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.”

In an earlier note, Akshay had urged fans to pray for his mother's health. "Touched beyond words at your concern for my mom’s health. This is a very tough time for me and my family. Every single prayer of yours would greatly help," he had written.

Akshay, whose birth name is Rajiv, was born to Hari Om Bhatia and Aruna Bhatia in Amritsar, Punjab. His father was an army officer. In 2000, his father passed away after succumbing to cancer.