Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar once again stepped into the interviewer’s chair, rekindling the viral stir he caused in 2019 when he famously asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his preferred way of eating mangoes. This time, the actor took the stage at the FICCI FRAMES 2025 event in Mumbai to interview Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, posing a regional twist on his signature quirky query — this time about oranges.
The lighthearted segment began with Akshay reflecting on the unique position he found himself in. “It is a lovely day… 25 years of FICCI… Humare saath humare chief minister sahab hain,” Akshay began. “Aaj mujhe mauka mila hai… yeh zindagi mein mera second time hai jo main kissi ka interview le raha hai hun… Pheli baar mujhe mauka mila tha Pradhan Mantri ji ka interview lene ka. Aur ab humare chief minister sahab ka interview lene ka mauka mila hai (We have our Chief Minister with us today. This is the second time in my life that I’m taking someone’s interview… First, I got a chance to interview the Prime Minister and now I’ve got the chance to interview our chief minister).”
Acknowledging the social media frenzy that followed his last high-profile interview, Akshay pre-empted any criticism with a joke. He continued, “Sir, maine unse ek question kiya tha Pradhan Mantri sahab se ke aap aam kaise khante hain toh logun ne mazak udaya tha, lekin sir main nahi sudhrunga (Sir, I had asked the Prime Minister how he eats mangoes, and people made fun of me, but sir, I won’t change).”
That set the stage for the crucial question for the Chief Minister, who hails from a region famous for the fruit. Akshay asked, “Aap Nagpur se hain aue Nagpur is famous for its oranges. Main yeh puchna chahtha hun ke aapko orange acche lagte hain (You’re from Nagpur, and Nagpur is famous for its oranges. I wanted to ask if you like oranges)?”
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis initially responded with a simple “yes” to the question of whether he likes oranges. However, Akshay Kumar pressed for more detail, asking if he prefers to peel them or drink the juice.
Fadnavis then revealed his surprising method, drawing a parallel to the question Akshay had asked the Prime Minister years earlier. The Chief Minister revealed that he enjoys eating oranges by slicing them into halves, sprinkling some salt, and eating them just the way one would with a mango. “Only OG people know this style of eating an orange,” he joked, winning over the audience and the interviewer with his regional twist on the culinary preference.
Akshay Kumar was visibly amused by the revelation, laughing and admitting, “I have learnt a new thing today and I am surely going to try this.” The exchange successfully replicated the light-hearted, non-political tone of Akshay’s previous interview, achieving his stated goal of focusing on relatable, personal details about high-ranking political figures.
The 2019 interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi became instantly viral, not just for the unexpected questions but for the casual, non-political setting. Conducted at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg (the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi), the interview saw the two cracking jokes on topics like mangoes, as well as the Prime Minister’s unique habit of sleeping only 3-4 hours every night.
The moment when Akshay asked about mangoes specifically triggered a massive social media meme fest and, at times, criticism.
However, Akshay had defended his approach in an interview with Hindustan Times, explaining his rationale for sticking to “frivolous” questions. “I have no hesitation in admitting I couldn’t have asked any complicated questions about government, policies, or politics. All the big time editors interviewing him anyway ask him questions which have ‘depth’, right? All I wanted to do was ask about lighter, relatable things which a common person would want to know about the man behind the powerful designation of the Prime Minister,” he had stated.
He concluded his defense by saying, “I asked him if he likes eating mangoes. Some may find it frivolous but I really wanted to know if he indeed did. What’s wrong with that?” By deliberately repeating the format with Devendra Fadnavis, Akshay has effectively turned his most-trolled interview moment into a signature move, emphasising his connection with common people’s curiosity.
Akshay Kumar was last seen in Jolly LLB 3. He has had multiple releases this year, including Sky Force, Kesari Chapter 2, Kannappa, and Housefull 5. His next major release, Welcome to the Jungle, is slated for release later this year in December.
