Irrfan Khan recommended Akshay Kumar for Airlift, told director ‘you won’t get the money with me’, he recalls

But then Menon revealed that even producer Nikkhil Advani had a similar concern. “Nikkhil also suggested that I should approach an A-lister. He and Vikram Malhotra (co-producer) met Akshay for some other project. During that narration, Akshay asked if they had any different and exciting scripts. That’s when they told him about Airlift. He asked for a narration. Nikkhil told me, ‘I know you are considering Irrfan, but please meet Akshay.’ I was unsure, wondering why any big Bollywood star would work with me. I was a bit scared and uncomfortable.”

Despite his hesitation, Menon met Akshay, and everything fell into place. “Nevertheless, I met him. 40 minutes into the narration, he told me, ‘Chalo, banate hai picture.’  (Cool, let’s do it). I couldn’t believe my luck!”

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Interestingly, Nikkhil Advani had recounted a similar instance years earlier, noting that it was Irrfan who had suggested Akshay, believing the project could secure a bigger budget with him. Speaking to Galatta Plus, Nikkhil said, “Airlift’s director Raja Menon wanted Irrfan, which was fine for us because he was working on D-Day. I told them I would set up the meeting with Irrfan, and Irrfan overheard me. He told me, ‘Boss, mere sath mat kar ye picture (Don’t do this film with me). It is a fantastic film but don’t do it with me because you will not get the budget. Go to Akshay. You know Akshay.’”

Nikkhil also recalled his first meeting with Akshay, “So, I went to Akshay with another film, and he called that rubbish. Then I narrated Airlift and told him that Irrfan didn’t want to do it. He asked me, ‘Why have you come to me then?’ I told him, ‘You can’t do it because it is a very serious film and you will have to memorise all the lines, and the director Raja Menon wants to do workshops.’ He told me that he wanted to do it. I told him Raja doesn’t want you, but Akshay did the film. He sat for workshops after workshops.”