Will Smith in India to Visit His Spiritual Guru. Will He Take a Dip in the Ganges to Wash Away His Sins?
- This is his first public appearance since his infamous slap at the Oscars ceremony that was seen around the globe.
Is India becoming the go-to resort for Bad Boys? After all, India has become the lifeline to the international pariah Vladimir Putin by buying loads of oil, gas and weapons from Russia in defiance of Western and global sanctions against Moscow for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, New Delhi hosted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is barely emerging from “Partygate” scandal after he apologized for participating in staff parties during Covid lockdowns, in contravention of his own government’s policies.
And now, it is the turn of Hollywood star Will Smith to visit India while his infamous slap at the Oscar ceremonies is still not out of the global headlines. The actor was seen arriving at a private airfield in Mumbai on Saturday. This is the first time that the star, who ruled global box office from “Independence Day” in 1996 to “King Richard” last year, was seen in public since the Oscars where he shocked the world by slapping comedian Chris Rock for apparently insulting his wife Jada Pinkett Smith with a joke about her bald head.
It is not clear why Smith chose India to make his first public appearance, but according to a media report from India, the 53-year-old actor was in Mumbai to be with his spiritual guru. “The actor sported a simple white tee along with what appears to be a spiritual thread wrapped around his neck for his visit to the country,” according to a report in Republic World.
On his previous visit to the subcontinent, Smith said his trip to India awakened a new understanding of himself and the world around him. Smith is extremely popular in India and was wildly received by Bollywood and the media on his previous visits. The Atlanta Black Star then reported Smith as saying “traveling to India and Experiencing the colors, people and natural beauty has awakened a new understanding of myself, my art and the truths of the world.”
During his previous Smith visited Haridwar, a Hindu holy city on the banks of river Ganges, where he met with his guru. It remains to be if he will head there again for a dip in the holy river which is believed to wash away sins.