The whole world has spoken out about the Shah Rukh-Shirish Kunder spat, and have also decided which camp they would rather be a part of. Even Salman Khan, shooting 20 time zones away in Cuba, has made his opinions on the subject known to everybody. But the one man who many thought would be the first to rush to Shirish’s defence — Akshay Kumar — has maintained a stoic silence on the topic.

“Akshay has not only been a part of all of Shirish’s movies like Jaan-e-mann, Tees Maar Khan and Joker, but they are great friends too,” says a friend of Akshay’s. But if Akki is known for anything, it’s for being politically correct. “He stays away from controversies of any kind, especially those involving Bollywood. Even if there is an unpleasant conversation going on, Akshay’s nature tells him to just move out from there and call it a day. He never tries to patronise or thrust his point of view on someone,” the friend adds.

So what if that somebody is one as close as Shirish. “Akshay thinks of Farah and Shirish as family. He worked with them in Tees Maar Khan, and when that flopped, he stuck to them and believed in Shirish’s directorial skills for Joker as well. But that’s where it ends. Nobody can expect Akshay to intervene, especially in matters as unpleasant as these,” the source adds.