Filmmaker Priyadarshan has shared his perspective on the contrasting screen personas of Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, explaining why he believes Akshay is more convincing as an everyday man on screen. Speaking in an interview with Firstpost about his upcoming film Bhooth Bangla, the director reflected on differences in the actors’ body language and their relatability. Priyadarshan, who has collaborated with Akshay on several films, is set to reunite with him.
Priyadarshan talks about Akshay Kumar’s strength
Talking about Akshay’s strengths, he said, “The plus point of Akshay is that he can look like a common man. His body language, the way he walks, especially when I did Khatta Meetha, I really thought that he looked like a road contractor who is struggling,” Priyadarshan said. He added that the actor’s real-life experiences further help him portray grounded characters with authenticity.
In contrast, Priyadarshan described Shah Rukh Khan’s screen presence as more urban and polished. Recalling their time working on Billu, he shared, “I remember I took SRK to a very remote village, a deep village in the South. So, he asked me, ‘How did you find this place?’ He told me something. I can never relate to a village because I always grew up in Delhi. Shah Rukh can never act as a villager, because his body language is very polished, very urban.”
Priyadarshan also spoke about his approach to storytelling, particularly in comedy, saying many of his films draw from everyday struggles. Referring to Hera Pheri, he said that what he calls the humour of life is the humour of poverty, as everybody is desperate for money.
Shah Rukh and Akshay’s latest projects
Currently, Shah Rukh Khan is focused on his upcoming action thriller King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film, which features a large ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone and Suhana Khan, is slated for a Christmas 2026 release and is being mounted as a high-scale action project. The film boasts a huge star cast, including Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Arshad Warsi, and Jackie Shroff.
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar has multiple confirmed projects in the pipeline. He will next be seen in Bhooth Bangla, a horror-comedy directed by Priyadarshan, scheduled to release in April 2026. The film also stars Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Rajpal Yadav.
