The Maharashtra Director General of Police (DG) office this week hosted the launch of Cyber Awareness Month 2025 which caused a powerful impact regarding online safety, exemplified with a story from actor Akshay Kumar which was personal to him.
The event was held with the official launch by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, senior police officials and Akshay Kumar himself to raise awareness of increasing cybercrime and speak directly about not only raising awareness but urging families to be cautious.
Akshay Kumar spoke at the event disclosing an incident with his teenage daughter, Nitara, which shocked the audience. A few months ago, while his daughter was playing an online video game, she encountered a stranger that seemed harmless.
‘The stranger was sending encouraging messages to my daughter “well played and wow, fantastic”. It was normal friendly banter,’ said Kumar. But that changed quickly. When the stranger inquired about whether Nitara was a boy or a girl, the tone of the conversation changed and shortly after had asked Kumar’s daughter for nude pictures.
Kumar stated his daughter was smart. ‘She exited the game and talked to my wife about her experience. The most important element about my daughter’s experience is that she shared it with everyone,’ he told the crowd. Kumar focused on how important it is for children to be able to communicate with someone when they feel uncomfortable with a cyber interaction.
