Director Suneel Darshan has recently revealed details surrounding Akshay Kumar's departure from his film "Barsaat," citing rumors of an affair between Kumar and Priyanka Chopra as the reason. The director stated that these rumors led to a conflict with Kumar's wife, Twinkle Khanna, ultimately causing Kumar to leave the project.

According to Darshan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra were initially cast in "Barsaat," and had even filmed a song together. However, as the final schedule for the film approached, Kumar informed Darshan about "uncontrollable issues" and "repercussions" in his personal life. Darshan revealed that Kumar essentially gave him an ultimatum, stating that either he or Priyanka Chopra would have to leave the film. Darshan chose to continue with Priyanka Chopra, leading to Akshay Kumar's exit.

Suneel Darshan said in an interview that the rumours of a relationship reached Twinkle Khanna, Akshay's wife, that forced him to present director Suneel Darshan with a tough choice. He told his frequent creative collaborator that it was going to have to be either him or Priyanka, and Suneel went with Priyanka.

In an interview, Suneel Darshan stated that Akshay called him to his set, something he rarely did. There, the actor addressed issues in his personal life and told the director to decide who would remain in the film. “I was told it was going to have to be either him or Priyanka,” Darshan recalled. “One beautiful song had already been shot with both of them. But when it was time for the final schedule, everything changed.”

Following Akshay Kumar's departure, Bobby Deol was brought in to replace him as the lead in "Barsaat". Interestingly, Darshan revealed that he signed a three-film deal with Bobby Deol following this incident.

Darshan also addressed his professional relationship with Akshay Kumar, noting that they had a successful run of seven films together before their working relationship deteriorated. He attributed the fallout to Kumar's increasing stardom and a series of film flops. Darshan claimed that Kumar began signing films without properly considering who was directing them, which ultimately damaged his credibility.

Notably, neither Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, nor Priyanka Chopra have publicly commented on the alleged affair or the circumstances surrounding Kumar's exit from "Barsaat". The director clarified that he did not hold Priyanka Chopra responsible for the situation, as she was simply acting in her own professional interest. He placed the responsibility on Akshay Kumar, stating that "it is the man who should be more responsible".

The films "Andaaz", "Aitraaz", and "Waqt: The Race Against Time" are among the projects that Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra have collaborated on.