Kamal Haasan Reveals Reason Behind Rejecting Rajinikanth’s ‘2.0’

At one point, Shankar wanted Kamal Haasan to play Pakshirajan in ‘2.0’. ‘Ulaganayagan’, however, refused the offer as he was not interested in essaying a negative role.

Kamal Haasan is one of the biggest names in Indian cinema. The veteran actor enjoys a strong fan following because of his striking screen presence and versatile performances. While everyone is aware of his contribution to the industry, not many may know that he was offered a role in Rajinkanth’s ‘2.0’ but turned it down.

Kamal Haasan Opens Up On Turning Down Rajinikanth’s ‘2.0’

Shankar’s ‘2.0’ was one of the biggest hits of 2018. A sequel to ‘Enthiran’ (2010), the sci-fi thriller featured Rajinikanth in the lead and proved to be a game-changer for him. It also starred Akshay Kumar as Pakshirajan, the antagonist, and marked his Tamil debut. The ‘Khiladi’, however, wasn’t the first choice for the role.

At one point, Shankar wanted Kamal Haasan to play the part. ‘Ulaganayagan’, however, refused the offer. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Kamal Haasan said that take up the part as he “wanted to be a hero for some more time”

Interestingly, Kamal Haasan was Shankar’s first choice for Enthiran when he first worked on it in the 90s. However, the project failed to materialise.

Busy Time For Kamal Haasan

Coming to the present, Kamal Haasan is awaiting the release of ‘Indian 2’. The film is a sequel to Indian (1996) and centres on a freedom fighter’s war against corruption. The vigilante-thriller has an ensemble cast that includes Rakul Preet Singh, Siddharth, Gulshan Grover, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and the late Vivekh.

ALSO READ | Birthday Special: When Aamir Khan Refused to Star in 2.0

The official trailer of ‘Indian 2’ was released a few days ago and it became the talk of the talk in no time. Kamal Haasan is seen in different getups in the video. Indian 2 is set to open in theatres on July 12. This will be the ‘Vishwaroopam’ star’s first release after the Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan-led Kalki 2898 AD, which was released in cinemas on June 27.

Kamal Haasan also has Mani Ratnam’s ‘Thug Life’ in his kitty.