Shah Rukh Khan vs Akshay Kumar: Priyadarshan on who fits the common man role on screen better

Filmmaker Priyadarshan compared the relatable on-screen persona of Akshay Kumar compared to Shah Rukh Khan's polished presence for playing common man.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has shared his perspective on the contrasting screen personas of Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, explaining why he believes Akshay is more convincing as an everyday man on screen. Speaking in an interview with Firstpost about his upcoming film Bhooth Bangla, the director reflected on differences in the actors’ body language and their relatability. Priyadarshan, who has collaborated with Akshay on several films, is set to reunite with him.

Priyadarshan talks about Akshay Kumar's strength

Filmmaker Priyadarshan gave his two cents on who can play a common man onscreen while comparing Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar,

Talking about Akshay’s strengths, he said, “The plus point of Akshay is that he can look like a common man. His body language, the way he walks, especially when I did Khatta Meetha, I really thought that he looked like a road contractor who is struggling,” Priyadarshan said. He added that the actor’s real-life experiences further help him portray grounded characters with authenticity.

In contrast, Priyadarshan described Shah Rukh Khan’s screen presence as more urban and polished. Recalling their time working on Billu, he shared, “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?’ He told me something. I can never relate to a village because I always grew up in Delhi. Shah Rukh can never act as a villager, because his body language is very polished, very urban.”