Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani
Akshay Kumar, Kiara AdvaniInstagram

Over the past few years, Akshay Kumar has stepped outside his comfort zone to experiment with roles that he had never done before. And the outcome of it has been overwhelming as the Khiladi Kumar delivered back-to-back hits at the box office and has become one of the most bankable stars in the industry. After playing the role of Pakshi Rajan in 2.0 and commander Ishar Singh in Kesari, Akshay Kumar will now be stepping into the shoes of a man (originally played by Raghava Lawrence) who gets possessed by ghosts in the Hindi remake of superhit Tamil horror-comedy Kanchana. But there's a catch.

Akshay's character won't be scared of the spirits in the Hindi remake of Kanchana, as it was shown in the Tamil film. Additionally, he will be possessed by only one ghost - a transgender named Lakshmi - and not by three. Kiara Advani has been paired opposite Akshay and will be playing the role of his onscreen wife. Unlike the original Tamil film, Kiara's role will be meatier and prove to be crucial in the exorcism sequence.

"While the premise remains the same, Akshay's character has been chalked out as one who doesn't fear the supernatural. The makers also reworked the narrative to create a meaty role for Kiara Advani, who plays Akshay's wife. In the original film, the hero's mother and sister-in-law have pivotal parts. In the Hindi counterpart, the sequence where Akshay's character is possessed by a ghost - the turning point in the story - will take place at Kiara's house. Her character will play a crucial role in his exorcism. Finally, Akshay will be possessed by one ghost - that of the transgender, Lakshmi - and not three ghosts as seen in the Tamil movie," a source was quoted as saying by Mid-Day.

The Hindi remake of Kanchana will be directed by Raghava Lawrence, who had directed the Tamil version as well in 2011. Kiara and Akshay, who are currently shooting for Good News, will soon start shooting for the film.