Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra Jonas are two of the biggest names in Bollywood currently. The actors were once a beloved on-screen pair, and fans loved their chemistry. They also sparked real-life romance rumours, even though Akshay was already married to Twinkle Khanna. Akshay and Priyanka worked together in hit films such as Andaaz, Mujse Shaadi Karogi, Aitraaz, and Waqt: The Race Against Time. After that, they were set to rock the big screen once again in Barsaat. However, the collaboration didn’t work out, as Akshay walked out mid-project due to an alleged feud between the two stars. Recently, the film’s director, Suneel Darshan, revealed unknown details regarding Akshay and Priyanka’s fallout.
Why did director, Suneel Darshan drop Akshay Kumar from Barsaat?
Filmmaker, Suneel Darshan confirmed he replaced Akshay Kumar in the 2005 film, Barsaat with Bobby Deol due to a fallout between Akshay and Priyanka Chopra. Suneel alleged that it was a “mistake” on Akshay’s part and that he didn’t want Priyanka to “suffer” for it. The director recalled being called on set by Akshay, in a rare occurrence, when the actor informed Suneel that he would not be able to work with Priyanka. Although it was a financial loss for the director, he had to make his pick because the two actors could not continue working together. It made Waqt: The Race Against Time the last joint project of Akshay and Priyanka. Suneel Darshan stated:
“A lot of things then transpired behind the scenes, unfortunate things, and at one point I realised that I wouldn’t be able to do this movie with the both of them; I had to choose. He added that his decision was based on principle. Waqt waqt ki baat hoti hai… Whatever happened back then, my argument was simple, if you have made a mistake, then why should the female star suffer for it? I said, ‘I’ll go with Priyanka, and it was very heartbreaking for me.'”