Akshay Kumar’s horror-comedy Laxmii has premiered on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. Directed by Raghava Lawrence, the film follows the spirit of a trans woman who haunts a man to avenge her past.

Netizens have accused Laxmii of being ‘Hindu-phobic’ and undermining religious sentiments. Here are some of these reactions:

Earlier, Twinkle Khanna, Akshay's wife, had reacted on Instagram to a morphed photo of her on the film’s poster.

While many have questioned the film’s portrayal of India’s transgender community, trans rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi feels the effort should be lauded. “Any transgender person is equal to any man or woman, which comes out in the film in a very strong way,” Laxmi said after the film was screened for the transgender community in Delhi. “I believe it is wonderful, and instead of criticism, we should appreciate Akshay ji for being such a strong man and doing such a strong film.”