Reunion party that goes on and on

Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan. Pics/Yogen Shah, Youtube

Is there such a thing as too many collaborations? Not when it comes to Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan. In April, the two delivered a hit in Bhooth Bangla, and are now readying their September release, Haiwaan. That's not it. mid-day has learnt that the actor and filmmaker will reunite soon after for their ninth collaboration ­­ - a comedy thriller.

Originally, Hera Pheri 3 was on the cards. However, the National Award-winning filmmaker recently announced that he is no longer helming it. That has freed him up to set another project in motion. A source said, "Priyadarshan has written the story, which is a combination of fun and thrills. The film will roll by the year-end, most likely in December. Akki and he are excited about the project because though he has attempted comedies and thrillers in the past, he feels this belongs to a genre that he hasn't attempted before. He will develop the screenplay with Rohan Shankar, who also worked on Bhooth Bangla."

Earlier, it was reported that Priyadarshan would dedicate the second half of 2026 helming a dramedy led by Pankaj Tripathi, following it up with a Mohanlal offering. However, those two projects have been postponed to next year.

"Mohanlal's movie was to kick off in October in Kerala. But its script as well as that of the Pankaj Tripathi-starrer is being reworked," added the source.
When mid-day reached out to Priyadarshan, he confirmed, "My next film is with Akshay Kumar and Tips."

Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan's movies so far:

. ‘Hera Pheri'

. ‘Garam Masala'

. ‘Bhagam Bhag'

. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa'

. ‘De Dana Dan'

. ‘Khatta Meetha'

. ‘Bhooth Bangla'

. ‘Haiwaan' (upcoming)