Akshay Kumar in Shaukeen remake

The actor will play the role done by Mithun Chakraborty in the original.

Basu Chatterjee's 1980s comedy Shaukeen about three old men lusting after the comely girl next-door Rati Agnihotri had a very significant but peripheral role for Mithun Chakraborty who played the man that Rati actually loves.

It was a small role Mithun did at the peak of his career for the love of the director. But now one hears that role is no longer a mere 'friendly appearance'. It's now spaced for an A-lister who can bring footfalls into the theatre. And the A-lister who will step into the role is Akshay Kumar. Apparently only a week's work is needed from the actor.

Says a source close to the project, "Shaukeen is a terrific sex comedy. But it won't work now in the same format and mood that it did in the 1980s. Rumi Jaffery has completely changed the original script. Now there's a role especially written for Akshay because in today's day and age, a film with three ageing actors in the lead won't work. Shaukeen needs star power for the comedy to work."

It is learnt that Akshay has not charged his usual fee for this film as it is not a full length role, but he will have a stake in the film. The three older actors' roles have gone to Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Paresh Rawal.