‘Shah Rukh Khan can never act as a villager’, says Priyadarshan; Akshay Kumar looks more like a ‘common man’

Priyadarshan explained why he thinks Shah Rukh Khan can’t pull off common man roles. He shared an instance from their previous film Billu Barber, which starred SRK in a pivotal role and was directed by Priyadarshan. He said, “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?’” Priyadarshan recalled something that SRK told him that showed how his style is very urban. “He told me something. I can never relate to a village because I always grew up in Delhi,” the director said. He added, “Shah Rukh can never act as a villager, because his body language is very polished, very urban.”

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“What I call is humour of life, humour of poverty,” he said, explaining that his narratives often centre on characters navigating financial struggles. “Actually, if you ask me, Hera Pheri is a comedy of poverty. Everybody is desperate, no money, nothing,” he added.

Priyadarshan is currently gearing up for the release of Bhooth Bangla, which stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The film also features Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu, and Wamiqa Gabbi in pivotal roles. It is set to release on April 16.