Akshay Kumar opens up about playing a psychopath in Haiwaan on Kaun Banega Crorepati 18

Mumbai: The upcoming episode of Sony Entertainment Television’s Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 witnessed the host Mr. Amitabh Bachchan welcoming Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and director Priyadarshan for the promotion of their upcoming film Haiwaan. During a candid interaction, Akshay Kumar speaks about taking on a darker role and shifting dynamics with co-star Saif Ali Khan.

Opening up about his dynamic role in the movie, Akshay Kumar clarifies the character dynamics by stating, “Sir, I am the villain of the film and Saif is the hero and sir mera kirdhar is of a psychopath and there is a history behind it and how I turn into it and what all I go through and then the film follows ahead.” (Sir, I am the villain of the film and Saif is the hero. My character is that of a psychopath, and there is a history behind it, how I turn into one and everything I go through, and then the film moves forward from there)

Intrigued by the actor’s transition into such a dark character, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan asks Akshay about his preparation process for portraying an antagonist. Drawing a parallel from his own career, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan recalls his own intensive preparation for the film Black, where he trained for four months under director Sanjay Leela Bhansali to prepare for his interactions with Rani Mukerji’s character, who was visually impaired.

Responding to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan’s query, Akshay Kumar shares how real-life inputs from his friends in law enforcement and guidance from director Priyadarshan shaped his performance by sharing, “Sir, aisa tha ki mere kaafi mitr police mein hain unka kabhi koi psychopath se bhidna hojata hain and the way they work, toh unhone mujhe ek baat sikhayi thi jaise hum filmo mein dikhate hain ki psychopath alag tarike ke munh banate hain waisa nahi hota hain. Bilkul bhi aisa nahi karte hain because woh humse ghul milna chahate hain aur woh aise ghul mil jaate hain ki kisiko bhi pata nahi chalta ki unke dimaag mein kya chal raha hain. Toh yeh baat mere samajh mein aayi aur Priyan Sir ne bhi bola mujhe ki koi munh banane ki jarurat nahi hain, toh main iss film mein chup-chap baitha hua hoon, Saif is doing more of the talking and I am completely blended into the audience and thats how I got into the character.”

(Sir, the thing is, I have quite a few friends in the police force who have encountered psychopaths at some point, and from the way they deal with them, they taught me something. The way we show psychopaths in films, where they make different kinds of facial expressions, that isn’t how it actually is. They don’t do that at all because they want to blend in with us, and they blend in so well that nobody can tell what is going on in their minds. So, I understood this, and Priyan Sir also told me that there was no need to make any facial expressions. So, in this film, I am sitting quietly, Saif is doing more of the talking, and I am completely blended into the audience. That’s how I got into the character)

This deep dive into character research showcases the nuanced approach of Akshay Kumar behind Haiwaan, promising viewers a compelling cinematic face off on screen.

Don’t miss Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18, every Monday to Friday at 9:00 PM, only on Sony Entertainment Television!