Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan have reunited for Priyadarshan's Haiwaan.
It marks their first film since Tashan (2008).
Akshay plays the villain in Haiwaan, but he wasn't the first choice.
Haiwaan, starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, is one of the most-anticipated movies. The makers unveiled the first-look posters of the film last week. The posters showed Kumar and Khan in intense avatars. Akshay is playing an antagonist in the upcoming movie. But did you know he wasn't the first choice to play the villain in Haiwaan? Priyadarshan revealed that Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna were considered for Akshay's part.
Why Akshay Kumar was cast as villain in Haiwaan
Priyadarshan told mid-day, "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, 'Why can't I do the movie?'"
Priyadarshan initially felt that the role would go against Akshay's current image as he has been playing light and humorous roles. "Akshay loved the character. While we were shooting, Saif told me, ‘By doing this role against me, Akshay has given me the best gift’," added the Hera Pheri director.
Priyadarshan, who is known for making comedies, clarified that Haiwaan is a completely different genre.
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."
It is the official Hindi remake of the acclaimed 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam. Rohan Shankar and Abhilash Nair co-wrote the screenplay, while Pritam composed the music. The film is set for theatrical release on September 11, 2026.
