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The 2016 film Airlift is among the most celebrated films of Akshay Kumar. In a recent interaction, Nikkhil Advani, the co-producer of the film, spoke about how the film’s director, Raja Menon, was initially reluctant to cast Akshay Kumar and instead wanted Irrfan Khan to play the lead role. However, it was Irrfan who suggested Akshay’s name, believing that Nikkhil might get a bigger budget to make the film if Akshay starred in it.
Speaking on Galatta Plus, Nikkhil recalled the instance, saying, “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.'”
After hearing about Airlift, Akshay became adamant about starring in it and even participated in the many workshops that Raja organised. Nikkhil continued, “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.”
Airlift received massive praise from critics and audiences alike and was a commercial success.
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