India, Sept. 6 -- Filmmaker Priyadarshan has reunited with actor Akshay Kumar for the ninth time in the upcoming action-thriller Haiwaan, also starring Saif Ali Khan. The film, releasing next week, marks a departure from the actor-director duo's usual comic territory, including this year's Bhooth Bangla. Explaining the shift, Priyadarshan says, "Films should not become repetitive. Akshay is capable of doing other kinds of movies also, not only comedy." He adds that the project was actually pushed by the actor himself: "I was not planning to do this film with Akshay, but he himself insisted that he has never played a psycho." The casting of Akshay and Saif is also notable, with Priyadarshan calling such collaborations difficult in today's time. Reflecting on his past experiences working with multiple stars, the 69-year-old says, "I have worked with Akshay and Govinda, Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna. There were never any issues because there were no ego problems between them. They knew that they had a lead role and they had enough meat for themselves." However, he feels the new generation is different. "The new generation is very insecure. They always want to know what the other person is doing. They don't want to know what they are doing," he shares. For the filmmaker, Haiwaan is also an opportunity to move beyond the comedy image associated with his name. "I started my career with serious films like Virasat (1997), but after Hera Pheri (2000), this comedy brand came on my head," he says. Describing Haiwaan, he adds, "It is not a dark film. But emotional. I always prefer films for family, so a family can watch Haiwaan together too."...