An Indian man who made headlines around the world after he opened a plane’s emergency exit and jumped 15ft to the ground says he was trying to pull off a stunt like his Bollywood idol. The passenger, Akash Jain, told a Mumbai news agency that he was influenced by his adoration for Akshay Kumar, one of the most famous Indian actors of all time, and dismissed claims that he made the dangerous leap because he was impatient.

The 30-year-old told Mid Day: ‘I wanted to perform a stunt like Akshay Kumar because I am his fan, and hence I jumped off the aircraft.’ Friday’s incident sparked a security scare at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and raised serious questions about how Mr Jain was able to elude police and airport security officers.

Mr Jain opened the emergency exit moments after the Boeing 737, carrying 144 passengers and five crew, pulled up to a gate after arriving from Chandigarh. After leaping off the plane in front of stunned passengers on flight 9W469, he entered the arrivals terminal after asking a ground crew member for directions and left the airport without being apprehended. Having missed his connecting flight, Mr Jain travelled by bus and taxi towards his destination in Goa, but returned to Mumbai after he spoke to his mother by telephone and learned that his father was not feeling well, Mid Day reported.

Mr Jain, who works as a medical representative, planned to travel home to Jalandhar, but was arrested by police in Mumbai on Saturday night after a CCTV image from the airport was circulated by local media and someone reported his whereabouts, the news website reported. The amateur stuntman is being held in custody for a week, but he may spend more time in custody if he is not granted bail.