Priyadashan reveals his first choice for Haiwaan’s villain wasn’t Akshay Kumar, but THESE actors
20 July,2026 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBR
Priyadarshan gets candid about approaching Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna as Haiwaan`s antagonist, it was later that Akshay Kumar joined the film instinctively
Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol. Pics/Instagram, Youtube
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
Last week, Priyadarshan unveiled the first look of Haiwaan, showcasing Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in gritty avatars. After four back-to-back comedies, Kumar portrays a menacing antagonist in the movie. But what if we told you that the superstar wasn’t originally meant to be a part of Haiwaan? Priyadarshan revealed to mid-day that his original choice for the villain was Bobby Deol.
(L-R) Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar’s first looks from âHaiwaan’
The filmmaker recalled, “When I narrated the film to Saif first, he asked me who would play the antagonist. I approached Bobby Deol, who wasn’t happy about his role, but I cannot blame him for that. 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, âWhy can’t I do the movie?'”
Priyadarshan hadn’t initially considered Kumar as he felt the role would go completely against the superstar’s current image of a humorous, happy-go-lucky guy. But the actor was certain that he wanted to bet on the role. The filmmaker added, “Akshayloved the character. While we were shooting, Saif told me, âBy doing this role against me, Akshay has given me the best gift’.”
Comedy may be the filmmaker’s forte, but with Haiwaan, he is glad to shift gears. He said, “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.”
“Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!” Click here!
akshaye khannabobby deolsaif ali khanAkshay Kumarpriyadarshanbollywood newsEntertainment News
-
Amaal Mallik says ‘I was fighting the system alone’ amid Tanishk Bagchi row
-
Watch: Shabana Azmi visits Jantar Mantar, extends support to NEET protesters
-
Watch: Nick Jonas’ sweet birthday peek into Priyanka Chopra’s Spain vacation
-
Ikka: Tillotama Shome says women-led films are unfairly judged at the box office
-
Watch: Jasmine Sandlas touched inappropriately at Dehradun concert
-
72nd National Film Awards: Sanjay Mishra reacts to Best Supporting Actor win
-
Incognito review: Who watches the watcher? Ravi Muppa’s thriller has the answer
{{#allowed}}
{{#config.logo.enabled}}
{{/config.logo.enabled}}
{{/allowed}}
