Akshay Kumar on Antagonistic Turn in ‘Haiwaan’ and ‘Golmaal 5’: ‘I’m Not Trying to Protect the Hero Image Anymore’ (EXCLUSIVE)

With back-to-back antagonist roles in Priyadarshan’s “Haiwaan” and Rohit Shetty’s “Golmaal 5,” Akshay Kumar is stepping away from the familiar hero mould. He says the two anti-hero characters offer completely different opportunities as an actor.

“I’ve always believed that as an actor, you have to keep surprising the audience and more importantly, yourself,” Kumar tells Variety India. “‘Haiwaan’ is out-and-out evil, there are no grey shades there, while ‘Golmaal 5’ allows me to explore the negative side in a completely different, comic space.”

Akshay Kumar’s turn in “Haiwaan” marks a particularly sharp departure. The Priyadarshan directorial, which reunites the actor with Saif Ali Khan, casts Kumar as the antagonist opposite Khan’s protagonist. The film is an official remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller “Oppam” and is scheduled to release in theatres September 11.

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The actor says the chance to approach villainy through contrasting tones is what makes the experience exciting. “For me, that contrast is exciting,” Kumar says. “A villain doesn’t always have to be dark and intense; sometimes there can be humour, madness and unpredictability in the way you play him.”

That philosophy extends to “Golmaal 5,” where Akshay Kumar has been cast as the lead antagonist opposite Ajay Devgn and the franchise’s returning ensemble. Variety India had earlier reported the casting coup, with the fifth instalment going into production in February.

The tonal difference means Kumar is not simply repeating the same villainous performance across two films. Notes the actor, After so many years of playing the hero, getting into these shades has been refreshing because I’m not trying to protect the image of the hero anymore,” he says. “I’m simply trying to have fun with the character.”

The change is particularly striking in “Golmaal 5,” where Kumar is sharing the screen with Ajay Devgn in a franchise built around comic ensemble performances. His casting also gives him the opportunity to play against the expectations attached to his star persona without necessarily abandoning his comic instincts.