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Did you know Akshay Kumar wanted to say no to Aankhen even before narration? Here's how he agreed
Aankhen starring Akshay Kumar in the lead is one of the most loved Bollywood films. But did you know, he wanted to say No to the film even before hearing the story? Read on.
Aankhen (2002), starring Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Sushmita Sen, and others, is one of the most cherished Bollywood films. But did you know, Akshay, who gave a highly acclaimed performance in the film, had planned to say no to it even before hearing the script?
Vipul Shah, who made his Bollywood directorial debut with Aankhen, revealed in an interview with Rajshri Unplugged on March 16, 2024, that Akshay didn't want to work with a new director. But the star agreed to hear the narration on being requested by his then-manager. As per Vipul, the story piqued his interest, and he said yes.
"Akshay Khiladi 420 naam ki ek film ki shooting kar raha tha, to usne raat ko mujhe bulaya. Ek to vo raat ko shooting karna pasand nahi karta. Phir bhi usne bola ke chalo isi bahaane meri raat guzar jaayegi, 'aur subah mujhe mana kar dena hai'. Toh bethe woh ham phir poore process se guzre. (Akshay was shooting for Khiladi 420 during that time. He called me to narrate the story during the night schedule of the film. He doesn't like shooting during the night, but decided to hear narration during late hours as it would help him pass the time. 'Anyway, I will say no in the morning.' Then we went through the process," said the filmmaker.
Vipul Shah recalled that the actor would go for the shots in between and come back. Then, early in the morning, Akshay told him that he had made up his mind to say no, but after hearing the script, he was excited to do the film.
Interestingly, Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah collaborated on multiple films after Aankhen. Vipul directed Akshay's Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005), Namastey London (2007) and Action Replayy (2010). He also produced his Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014).
Meanwhile, Akshay is currently gearing up for his awaited film Kesari Chapter 2. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the film is a historical courtroom drama also starring R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday. The trailer of the film was released on April 3, 2025, and received a positive response on social media. The film is slated to hit cinemas on April 18, 2025.
ALSO READ: Box Office: Can Kesari 2 quench Akshay Kumar's thirst for a resounding theatrical success?
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