After years of playing the righteous hero, Akshay Kumar has finally stepped into the shoes of a “psycho villain.”
During a conversation with Hindustan Times, the Bhooth Bangla star opened up about his transition into a negative role for upcoming action thriller movie Haiwaan after playing protagonist for decades.
When asked how it feel to step into a role that is “pure, unapologetically evil,” Kumar, who plays a psycho villain in the film, said, “To be honest it was a huge relief, I find playing villains so fascinating, I always have. I feel they get to play way more interesting characters than Heroes do. Heroes most of the time have to be perfect, they can only be good, do good & come across as influential role models.”
“Me, I like to be challenged, easy is nice but it’s also boring (sometimes,) shooting with Priyadarshan for the last 2 years has given me so much new found love for my work, he is like medicine for the working side of my soul,” he added.
In the same interview, the Bhool Bhulaiyaa actor also reflected on reuniting with Saif Ali Khan on-screen after nearly two decades.
“Saif and I have shared the screen quite a few times over the years, and I think we’ve been fortunate that audiences have enjoyed us together whether it was Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Yeh Dillagi, Keemat etc. There has always been a certain familiarity between us, we were often on the same side, playing off each other’s energy, humour and camaraderie,” the actor said.
He continued, “But Haiwaan is definitely a role reversal for us. This time, we’re on opposite sides, and that changes the dynamic completely. Saif is the hero, I’m the villain, so instead of trying to help each other get out of trouble, we’re trying to create as much trouble for each other as possible!”
About Haiwaan
Haiwaan is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language action thriller movie, which is an official remake of the 2016 Malayalam movie Oppam.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Priyadarshan, the project has been produced under KVN Productions and Thespian Films.
Haiwaan plot
The film, which is expected to deliver a suspense-driven story filled with dark themes and edge-of-the-seat moments, follows the story of “A blind martial artist protects a girl child from a psychopath killer,” per IMDb.
Haiwaan cast
Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan led Haiwaan also stars Asrani, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Mohanlal, Saiyami Kher, and Jisshu Sengupta.
Haiwaan release date
Haiwaan is set for a theatrical release on September 11, 2026.
