Priyadarshan Narrated Haiwaan To Akshay Kumar Knowing He Will Not Do It, Did You know?

 

Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan have worked together in over half a dozen films. After a 14-year gap following the release of De Dana Dan (2009), the actor-director duo reunited with Bhooth Bangla which released in April this year. Within six months, they will be back with Haiwaan, in which Akshay will be seen playing a dark role for the first time in his three decades long career. A glimpse of his menacing character was unveiled in the just released teaser. While Akshay immediately showed interest after hearing the narration, Priyadarshan was unsure if the actor would take on Haiwaan.

 

So far, Akshay and Priyadarshan's collaborations have mostly been for comedy films. However, their upcoming film Haiwaan will be a departure from their signature entertainers. For this very reason, Priyadarshan apparently thought that Akshay won't be interested in doing a dark role. In Haiwaan, Akshay will be charting unknown territory. The superstar will be donning a dark and ruthless role, an avatar that the audience has never seen before.

Ahead of the teaser release, Akshay and Priyadarshan in an interview with a webloid reflected on journey of the film. Akshay shared that the title and his role are in complete sync. “As the title goes, I am playing Haiwaan and my character has no grey shades, he’s out and out evil," Akshay shared speaking about his role in Haiwaan.

"I always wanted to play a psycho on-screen. With my last four-five films, I have tried to switch between completely different genres: comedy, horror, action, drama. This is my first time playing evil in the truest sense. I like to constantly challenge myself and Haiwaan is that challenge for me," said Akshay.

 

The seed for Akshay's look in the film was sown when Priyadarshan spotted the actor wearing a beanie on the sets of Bhooth Bangla. That visual stayed with Priyadarshan and he decided it would suit Akshay's character in Haiwaan. Initially, Priyadarshan was unsure if the crime thriller would interest Akshay. "I remember I was narrating the story of Haiwaan to him one day, knowing he will not do it, and asked who does he think would do the role," said Priyadarshan.

When Akshay asked if he could do the film, Priyadarshan then thought he would have a chance to show "Akshay Kumar" in a different light and explore his potential as an actor.

also stars Saif Ali Khan as a blind martial artist. The film also marks reunion of Akshay and Said after 18 years. Besides Akshay and Saif, Haiwaan features Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Pahal Chaudhary, and Manoj Joshi in pivotal roles.

The technical team includes cinematographer Divakar Mani who worked with Priyadarshan on Bhooth Bangla. Pritam scored the music. Priyadarshan has co-written the film with Abhilash Nair and Rohan Shankar. Abhilash is also credited as co-director, while Rohan wrote the film's dialogues. The film is an official remake of the 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam.

Jointly produced by KVN Productions and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 11.