Before becoming one of the most bankable actors of Bollywood, Akshay Kumar reportedly came close to walking down the aisle with actress Shilpa Shetty, according to filmmaker Suneel Darshan. In a candid conversation, the director opened up about the couple’s relationship, the misunderstanding that ended it, and how his film gave Akshay’s sinking career a much-needed turnaround.
Suneel Darshan on Akshay Kumar-Shilpa Shetty’s almost-wedding
Talking to Minutes of Masala, Suneel Darshan looked back at a phase when Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty’s romance seemed headed toward the altar. He said, “During that time, Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty’s relationship was also going strong, and I thought they were almost getting married. But there were some misunderstandings, and they broke up.”
More about ‘Jaanwar ‘, the film that turned the tide for Akshay Kumar
Suneel Darshan also spoke about a rough patch in Akshay’s career, when a string of flops, ‘Sapoot’, ‘Lahoo Ke Do Rang’, ‘Insaaf: The Final Justice’, ‘Daava’, and ‘Taraazu’, among them, had put his future in jeopardy. Everything changed with the 1999 release of ‘Jaanwar’, which Darshan directed and which paired Akshay with Shilpa. “By then, Jaanwar released and emerged a hit. That was the first time when Akshay Kumar’s stardom took its first jump,” he recalled.He added that the film’s success revived several shelved projects. He said, “The producers of all his films that were on hold, including ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Dhadkan’, etc, geared up for release. For 25 years, his career kept soaring, and there was no looking back for him. I did a total of 7 films with him.”Darshan also shared a lighter memory about a misunderstanding involving Hrithik Roshan. Akshay had heard he was being replaced and confronted Darshan, who clarified it was a miscommunication. The filmmaker said, “He took a promise from me to make 100 films with him. I said, ‘wonderful’.”
Akshay Kumar’s next projects
Akshay now awaits the release of ‘Haiwaan’, a Hindi remake of the Malayalam hit ‘Oppam’. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film reunites him with Saif Ali Khan after 17 years and also stars Boman Irani, Sharib Hashmi, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar. It is set to hit theatres on September 11, 2026.
