Priyadarshan on his casting for Haiwaan: ‘I thought that if Akshaye Khanna refused, I would go to Suniel Shetty.’
Key Points
- Akshay Kumar will play the antagonist in Priyadarshan’s upcoming action thriller Haiwaan, marking a departure from his recent comedic roles.
- The role was initially offered to Bobby Deol and then Akshaye Khanna.
- Haiwaan marks Priyadarshan’s return to the action-thriller genre after 16 years, promising a ‘cat-and-mouse game’ rather than a comedy.
When Priyadarshan unveiled the first look of Haiwaan last week, fans saw a menacing Akshay Kumar opposite Saif Ali Khan.
After a string of comedy films with the filmmaker, Akshay is set to play the antagonist in this action thriller.
But the role was originally not meant for him.
‘I approached Bobby Deol, who wasn’t happy about his role, but I cannot blame him’
In an interview with Mid-Day, Priyadarshan revealed that Haiwaan underwent multiple casting changes before Akshay Kumar came on board.
He first approached Bobby Deol for the villain’s role.
When that did not materialise, he moved on to Akshaye Khanna.
‘When I narrated the film to Saif first, he asked me who would play the antagonist,’ Priyadarshan narrates in the report.
‘I approached Bobby Deol, who wasn’t happy about his role, but I cannot blame him. I thought of Akshaye Khanna and told him that I wanted to narrate a story to him. He invited me over to meet him. I thought that if he refused, I would go to Suniel Shetty. (Before I met Akshaye), I mentioned the film to Akshay casually while shooting for Bhooth Bangla. After I narrated the story to him, he told me, ‘Why can’t I do the movie?’
Eventually, he landed the role.
Priyadarshan admitted that he had not initially considered Akshay because the character was at odds with the actor’s recent on-screen image.
‘I never thought of Akshay because he has been doing humorous, happy-go-lucky roles. This character is the complete opposite,’ the director said.
‘Some people have assumed Haiwaan is a comedy. It’s not’
In the film, Saif Ali Khan is locked in an intense battle with Akshay Kumar’s character, and he’s thrilled about it.
‘While we were shooting, Saif told me, ‘By doing this role against me, Akshay has given me the best gift,” Priyadarshan said.
The director, best known for comedies like Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Garam Masala, clarified that audiences expecting another laugh riot are in for a surprise.
‘Some people have assumed Haiwaan is a comedy. It’s not. It’s about a cat-and-mouse game between the hunter and the hunted. I am returning to an action thriller after 16 years, and it’s one of the slickest movies I have ever made,’ he said.