Akshay Kumar in Gold
Akshay Kumar approached for Indian 2.PR Handout

Ajay Devgn, who was the first choice to play the villain in Kamal Haasan's next movie Indian 2, has backed out of the project due to other commitments. The offer has reportedly gone to none other than Akshay Kumar, who is currently working with Rajinikanth in 2.0.

There are rumours doing rounds that Shankar has now approached Akshay Kumar to play the baddie in Indian 2. The Bollywood actor had recently stated that he enjoyed working with Shankar. With Lyca Productions funding Indian 2, Akki might take up the project, say Tamil media.

Indian 2, like 2.0, will be made with large scale in multiple languages. So far, Simbu, Dulqueer Salmaan, Kajal Aggarwal and Nayanthara have reportedly signed the project on the dotted lines. If Akshay Kumar comes on board, the Shankar's project becomes much bigger than expected and will have a PAN-India appeal.

Indian 2 is an anti-corruption movie in which Kamal Haasan plays the role of an aged man named Senapati, a former freedom fighter and a vigilante. In the first part, Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar played the female leads.

The shooting of Indian 2 will begin in December once Shankar's forthcoming movie 2.0 hits the screens on November 29.

2.0 Getting Ready for Big Release

Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar's 2.0 will see the light of the day in over 10,000 screens worldwide. The film is made with the budget of Rs 570 crore and has Amy Jackson playing the female lead.