In a recent interaction, Priyadarshan spoke about working with Akshaye Khanna and how the filmmaker was told about the actor being moody.
Akshaye Khanna is enjoying the current limelight after the tremendous success of his last film, Dhurandhar. Akshaye, who portrayed the character of d*ug mafia, 'Rehman Dakait', did complete justice to the role with his nuanced performance. However, the actor recently walked out of Drishyam 3 after some creative differences with the makers. This is not the first time that Akshaye has received a reputation for his choices.
Akshaye Khanna has been very choosy about the roles he picks, which has earned him a reputation among various filmmakers. In a recent interaction with Mid-day, Priyadarshan revealed how people asked him not to cast Akshaye Khanna in Doli Saja Ke Rakhna. Citing the reason behind the same, Priyadarshan revealed
“In my first film with Akshaye Khanna, Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998), everybody had discouraged me from signing him on. They said he is difficult and moody."
Despite being cautioned by his colleagues, Priyadarshan went ahead and cast Akshaye Khanna. However, unlike what he was told, Priyadarshan had a completely different experience while working with the actor. Speaking about the same, he said:
“But I fell in love with him from the first film itself. I never found him difficult. If I called him at 5am, he would be there on time. He is a darling, and we’ve never had a bitter moment together in (the six films we did). He is least bothered by criticism.”
After the success of Dhurandhar, people were excited for Akshaye’s next venture, Drishyam 3. However, the actor made his exit from the much-awaited project. According to reports, Akshaye Khanna demanded a remuneration hike after the success of Dhurandhar, which didn’t sit well with the makers. In addition to a fee hike, Akshaye also suggested a few changes to his on-screen look for Drishyam 3, including wearing a wig for his role.
His sudden fee hike came as a shock to the makers, who couldn’t comply with Akshaye’s demands. According to a source:
“Akshaye decided to revise his fees. Accordingly, he asked for Rs 21 crore from the makers of Drishyam 3. The makers of Drishyam 3 were taken aback. They tried to reason with him that if he's paid a bomb, the film would go over-budget. But Akshaye Khanna felt that he was justified in his demand. He knew that his presence now significantly enhanced the excitement for a film.”
What do you think about Priyadarshan’s take on Akshaye Khanna?
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