Akshay Kumar Was Never Planned for ‘Haiwaan’: Priyadarshan Reveals How He Joined Film

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has revealed that Akshay Kumar was never part of the original plan for Haiwaan. He further revealed it was only Saif Ali Khan as the actor he had confirmed for the film before an unexpected conversation with Akshay Kumar changed everything. Speaking exclusively to IANS, the director shared that casting the antagonist proved to be a challenge as many actors turned down the role. “Basically, you first decide whom you want in the script and then think about who fits the character. At the same time, you also consider the market value of a film like this.

All these factors matter while casting,” Priyadarshan said. He added that while Saif was locked in from the beginning, finding the film’s antagonist became difficult. “In this film, Saif is the only actor I had confirmed. I tried to get the antagonist with many people, and I failed,” he revealed. Priyadarshan went on to recall that during the shoot of Bhoot Bangla, he casually mentioned the role to Akshay Kumar. “While I was shooting Bhoot Bangla, I casually told Akshay that I was looking for a character like this and many people were not agreeing. He immediately said, ‘I will do it.’” He added, “I thought if he is ready to do it, that’s fine. I can see another Akshay Kumar in my film, which I have never seen before.

That excited me the most.” Priyadarshan further added, “He said that he always wanted to play a psycho character, and that’s how it happened,” Priyadarshan said. Summing up the casting journey, the filmmaker said, “If you ask me, this film with Saif and Akshay was not planned, but it happened.” For the uninitiated, Haiwaan marks the reunion of Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar after 18 years of many successful collaborations. The movie is slated to release on September 11.

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