Akshay Kumar reportedly acquired the Mumbai distribution rights of "Waqt" after being immensely moved by the film.

According to media reports, Akshay's decision also carried a conditional tag, which clearly stated that he would go ahead with his distribution plans, only after the producer agreed to dedicate the film to his late father, Hari Om Bhatia, reports Bollywood Trade.

Akshay made it a purely business decision since he did not want to go by verbal assurances. This meant that director Vipul Shah had to concede to the clause as part of the distribution contract.

In addition, Akshay also prevailed upon Shah to display in the beginning of the film a touching letter that he had written to his late father, which would be incorporated in all versions of the film, be it DVD or overseas prints.

A published report quotes Akshay as saying that he had never felt this close to any film before and there were scenes in the film that seemed to be an extension of his own life.

It is not known how much say Akshay had in the merchandising of the film and the pre-release marketing strategy, which played upon the father-son bonding in the film.