Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has taken on a new role as the public face of Maharashtra’s Cyber Awareness campaign. On Oct. 3, he joined Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai to inaugurate the initiative, telling the audience that his daughter had been approached by a stranger online with demands for nude photos.
Kumar used the account to urge the government to introduce weekly “cyber safety periods” in secondary schools, warning that harassment and grooming are becoming commonplace in digital spaces.
A Personal Incident With Broader Lessons
The episode unfolded while his daughter was playing a multiplayer game. After casual exchanges, an anonymous player pressed her for photos — prompting her to quit and tell her mother. Kumar described it as the kind of predatory approach that can escalate into serious cybercrime if unchecked.
Experts note that while such incidents often go unreported, his disclosure highlights how pervasive online risks have become for children and teenagers.
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The State’s Response
Launching the campaign, Fadnavis urged citizens to report cybercrime with the same urgency as physical crimes, pointing to hotlines 1930 and 1945. He emphasized that swift reporting can help authorities block fraudsters and recover stolen funds.
The initiative seeks to create awareness across schools, workplaces, and communities, though Kumar’s proposal for dedicated classroom time would require significant curricular and policy changes.
Awareness, Advocacy, and the Challenge Ahead
Kumar’s testimony gives a human face to digital threats, but experts stress that awareness campaigns alone cannot solve the problem. With evolving tactics by cybercriminals, solutions will demand better reporting systems, teacher training, and stronger coordination between police and schools.
For now, his star power has brought urgency to the issue — and a reminder that cyber safety may be as important in classrooms as mathematics or history.
