Akshay Kumar is set to portray a character unlike his usual screen roles in ‘Haiwaan’. After playing a fun character in his previous film ‘Welcome to Jungle’, the actor plays a psychopath in the upcoming thriller directed by Priyadarshan. He recently revealed how he approached the challenging part and prepared to portray the antagonist.The actor discussed his role during an appearance on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Amitabh Bachchan asked Akshay Kumar about his preparation for playing such a dark character. The actor explained that his understanding of psychopaths came partly from conversations with friends in the police force.Akshay Kumar also described the unusual dynamic between his character and Saif Ali Khan‘s role. While Saif Ali Khan plays the protagonist, Akshay Kumar takes on the villainous part. The actor said his character has a backstory that explains his transformation.
Akshay Kumar plays a psychopath in ‘Haiwaan’
Akshay Kumar clarified the nature of his role while speaking about the film. He revealed that the character’s past plays a major part in explaining how he becomes a psychopath.“Sir, I am the villain of the film and Saif is the hero and Sir mera kirdaar 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.”
Police friends helped Akshay Kumar understand psychopaths
Akshay Kumar said his preparation was influenced by people with first-hand experience dealing with criminals. Several of his friends work in the police force. Their experiences helped him understand how psychopaths may behave in real life.The actor said their insights changed his perception of how such characters should be portrayed. He noted that cinema often uses exaggerated expressions to indicate that someone is dangerous or mentally disturbed. According to Akshay Kumar, his police officer friends explained that real-life psychopaths can behave very differently. They may attempt to appear normal and interact naturally with the people around them.
Akshay Kumar avoids exaggerated expressions
The advice also influenced Akshay Kumar’s physical performance in ‘Haiwaan’. Instead of using dramatic facial expressions, he decided to keep his portrayal understated.“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 was that I have quite a few friends in the police, and they have encountered psychopaths at times. From the way these people behave, they taught me one thing: unlike how we show psychopaths in films, where they make all kinds of strange facial expressions, they don’t actually behave like that. They don’t do that at all because they want to blend in with us.They mix with people so well that nobody can figure out what is going on in their minds. That is something I understood. Priyan Sir also told me that there was no need to make any facial expressions. So, in this film, I am just sitting quietly, while Saif is doing more of the talking. I am completely blended into the audience, and that is how I got into the character.”)Akshay Kumar explained that staying quiet became an important part of his approach. His character does not need to constantly announce his intentions. Instead, he remains blended into the surroundings.
Priyadarshan guided Akshay Kumar’s performance
Director Priyadarshan also played an important role in shaping Akshay Kumar’s portrayal. The filmmaker reportedly told him that exaggerated facial expressions were unnecessary for the character.‘Haiwaan’ brings Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together in contrasting roles. Their characters are positioned on opposite sides of the story. The project is directed by Priyadarshan. ‘Haiwaan’ is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 11.
