Did Akshay Kumar cut John Abraham's role in Garam Masala? Filmmaker Priyadarshan reveals the truth
Filmmaker Priyadarshan refuted rumours about Akshay Kumar cutting John Abraham's role in Garam Masala and talked about their upcoming movies.
Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and John Abraham impressed everyone with their comic timing and bromance in Garam Masala. However, there were long-standing rumours that Akshay had cut his co-star John’s role in the film. Now, the film’s director, Priyadarshan, has finally refuted those claims.
Priyadarshan calls rumours ‘nonsense’
In an interview with Subhash K. Jha for The Times of India, Priyadarshan heaped praise on Akshay’s performance in the movie and said, “He was a laugh riot. Once again, Akshay displayed his comic timing under my direction after Hera Pheri, and the audience loved it! Personally, I think Akshay’s comic timing in Garam Masala was as good as Hera Pheri.”
When asked about the rumours that Akshay had cut John’s role in Garam Masala, Priyadarshan set the record straight, saying, “All nonsense! Do you think Akshay needs to be insecure about any actor? Such rumours were started by jealous elements just to tarnish his image. Akshay has lasted so long due to his honesty, hard work, and talent.”
He further spoke about working with Akshay in two of his upcoming movies and revealed that the actor is “seriously funny” in Bhoot Bangla and “dead serious” in Haiwaan.
About Garam Masala
The 2005 comedy-drama film, directed by Priyadarshan, featured Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav in lead roles. The story revolved around two photographer friends whose carefree lifestyle spirals into chaos when they juggle multiple girlfriends without each other’s knowledge.
Akshay’s impeccable comic timing and John’s humorous screen presence, along with their endearing bromance, made the film a commercial success. It remains a fan favourite among classic 2000s Bollywood comedies.
Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan’s upcoming movies
Akshay and Priyadarshan are set to reunite for Bhoot Bangla. The film, which also stars Paresh Rawal and Wamiqa Gabbi in lead roles, has completed shooting and is scheduled to release in theatres on 2 April 2026.
The duo are also working together on Haiwaan, which stars Saif Ali Khan in a lead role. Akshay is set to play the antagonist in the film, which is slated for release in 2026. They also have Hera Pheri 3 in the pipeline, alongside Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty.
