Key Points
- He requested to play Raju instead
- He wanted to break from his action and gentle roles
- Suniel Shetty was then cast as Shyam
Mumbai, March 24. Actor Akshay Kumar, who is all set to be seen in 'Bhoot Bangla', has revealed an unknown fact about his superhit film ‘Hera Pheri’ and his character Raju. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, ahead of the release of his film ‘Bhoot Bangla’ Akshay Kumar and director Priyadarshan spoke about their long association, about horror-comedy genre, about ‘Dhurandhar-2’ and more.
When asked about Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar’s association and how it started with the film 'Hera Pheri', Priyadarshan said, “I was telling him about the role. It was a natural hero–heroine concept, and when I narrated the whole thing, he said, ‘I don’t want this. I will play the other guy.’”
Further clarifying, Akshay Kumar added, “Actually, he wanted me to play Shyam’s role because there was a heroine opposite him and everything was there.”
Priyadarshan continued the conversation and revealed, “Suddenly, he said, ‘I don’t want to play this role. Let Suniel Shetty be the hero; I will play the other guy.’” Akshay Kumar further added, “I told him I would play second fiddle to him. So, I played Raju’s role.”
Why Akshay Kumar Chose Raju Over Shyam
When probed further on why he chose to play Raju instead of Shyam in ‘Hera-Pheri’, Akshay Kumar answered, “Because I had never done such a role before, someone so mischievous. I had mostly done action roles and ‘seedha’ (gentle) roles in films like Dhadkan and Ek Rishta. When he was narrating ‘Hera Pheri’, I found that the character was crazy about money. So I requested him, ‘Can I try this role?’”
For the uninitiated, 'Hera Pheri' marked the first collaboration between director Priyadarshan and actor Akshay Kumar. The film went on to become a massive hit and gave a fresh boost to Akshay’s career. Its sequel, Phir Hera Pheri (2006), also turned out to be a big success.
—IANS
Priyadarshan's Reaction to the Role Switch
Ak/
Looking ahead: Fans now wonder if Akshay Kumar will revisit such a mischievous character in future projects or if a Hera Pheri reunion is possible.
