Irrfan was offered 'Airlift' first, here's why he suggested Akshay

Director Raja Krishna Menon initially approached Irrfan Khan for the lead role in 'Airlift'. However, Irrfan suggested Akshay Kumar, believing the film required a larger budget. Menon then met with Akshay, who enthusiastically agreed to star in the critically acclaimed film after a 40-minute narration.