Director Priyadarshan reveals several actors rejected Haiwaan before Akshay Kumar pitched himself to play the dark “psycho” character.
Director Priyadarshan has shared an exciting secret about his upcoming movie Haiwaan. He revealed that Akshay Kumar was not the first choice to play the lead role. In fact, many other actors had turned down the offer before Akshay pitched himself for the part.
Speaking to India Today, the famous director explained how a casual chat on a movie set unexpectedly led to Akshay signing up to play a dark, psychopathic character.
It all happened while the two were shooting another movie, Bhoot Bangla. Priyadarshan recalled telling the actor in between takes that he was struggling to cast a particular “psycho” character because every actor he approached had turned it down. Some actors even went as far as suggesting major script rewrites to fit their comfort zones, leading the filmmaker to temporarily shelve the idea.
However, after finishing his shot, Akshay walked back to the Hera Pheri director and surprised him by asking if he could play the role himself. When a stunned Priyadarshan asked if he was joking, Akshay revealed that he had always wanted to play a psychopathic character on screen.
“So, in a way, he pitched himself for the role,” Priyadarshan was quoted as saying.
Priyadarshan chose not to name the actors who originally rejected the movie, saying it wouldn’t be nice to reveal their identity. However, he praised Akshay for trusting him completely. Having worked together on many hit films over the years, the director explained that Akshay simply comes to set, asks what needs to be done, and does it.
For Haiwaan, Priyadarshan instructed Akshay to completely avoid playing the villain with overt, sinister tropes,
The filmmaker shared, “When you talk about people like Jack the Ripper or the Boston Strangler, they were supposed to be among the most polished people, and then they would change their face at night. So that was the kind of approach I explained to him. He immediately understood it and did it correctly.”
Reflecting on the importance of strong storytelling, Priyadarshan also quoted legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan’s famous remark that “actors are beggars” who rely heavily on great writers to build their legacy. The director emphasized that even the most talented actors cannot save a project if the foundation isn’t solid, asserting that a powerful screenplay remains an actor’s greatest asset.
Starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, Haiwaan tells the story of a blind caretaker who, after being falsely accused of a judge’s murder, must rely on his heightened senses to battle a calculating serial killer. The film is a remake of 2016 Malayalam film Oppam, originally starring Mohanlal and P. Samuthirakani.
