Akshay Kumar’s cameo in Yash Chopra’s Dil To Pagal Hai remains one of the film’s memorable surprises, reports News 18.
But according to long-standing reports, the actor was allegedly never paid for his appearance in the 1997 romantic drama.
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, the film featured Akshay in a brief role as Madhuri’s childhood friend and admirer.
According to reports, Chopra had initially considered Jackie Shroff for the role before choosing Akshay Kumar, who was then seen as a younger fit for the character.
However, after the film’s release, when Akshay reportedly approached the makers about his payment, Chopra allegedly told him that he should be grateful for the opportunity to be part of the successful film.
The claim has never been publicly confirmed by either Akshay or the Chopra family.
The reported disagreement allegedly went beyond the unpaid cameo.
The makers wanted Akshay to cut his hair short for the role, but the actor reportedly refused because he was working on his Khiladi films at the time.
Akshay was said to have been upset by the experience and subsequently stayed away from Yash Raj Films for around 11 years.
The two eventually reunited for Tashan in 2008, which also starred Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.
Although Akshay never named the producers involved, he spoke about unpaid dues during a 2014 conversation with entrepreneur Ghazal Alagh.
“This is something we have in common,” he said, discussing producers who had allegedly failed to clear his payments.
He added that he would stop communicating with people who cheated him and move on.
The actor did not specifically connect those comments to his reported experience with Dil To Pagal Hai.
Before Dil To Pagal Hai, Akshay had worked with Yash Chopra’s production house in Yeh Dillagi, where he starred alongside Saif Ali Khan and Kajol.
His next Yash Raj Films project after the alleged fallout was Tashan.
