"I found great intensity in that young boy."
Akshaye Khanna is one of the best actors that Bollywood has ever seen.
The son of the veteran star, Vinod Khanna, Akshaye began his acting career with Himalay Putra (1997).
However, despite being a fantastic actor, Akshaye is somewhat underrated compared to his contemporaries.
But that doesn’t take away from his infectious talent and wonderfully restrained performances.
Fans were treated to such a showcase in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar (2025), in which Akshaye played the merciless Rehman Dakait.
Despite other stalwarts in the film, including Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal, Akshaye was in a league of his own.
His villainous, nuanced role earned him universal acclaim and reminded viewers what a powerhouse he is.
For fans of Akshaye and Dhurandhar, there is plenty more material that displays the actor’s talent.
DESIblitz lists eight films starring Akshaye Khanna that you must see.
Border (1997)
Director: JP Dutta
Stars: Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna
Although Akshaye Khanna debuted with Himalay Putra, it is Border which cemented him as a talented star.
In JP Dutta’s classic war epic, Akshaye plays Second Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhakhri.
Dharamvir is a young soldier in the regiment led by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri (Sunny Deol).
The soldier is inexperienced to the point where he vomits at the sight of his first shooting.
However, Dharamvir later gathers courage and patriotism. After a heroic act, Kuldip recommends him for a Gallantry Award.
Despite Border being one of his early works, Akshaye shows his mettle as an actor, standing his own against Sunny.
Akshaye’s face is a canvas of expression and emotion, which he utilises in both scenes of war and personal relationships.
He has a wonderful impact on the film. The bravery he creates in Dharamvir is worthy and memorable.
For Border, Akshaye rightfully won the Filmfare Award for ‘Best Male Debut’ in 1998.
Taal (1999)
Director: Subhash Ghai
Stars: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna
In this musical romantic drama, Akshaye portrays Manav Kumar Mehta.
Manav falls in love with Mansi Shankar Manhuja (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan).
However, due to Mansi’s poor status, Manav’s father is against the relationship.
What follows is an enthralling saga of love, music, and sacrifice. Deep family secrets are also a test of the couple’s happiness.
Akshaye is terrific as Manav, providing an equal dose of humour and emotion in every scene.
His chemistry with Aishwarya is also superb, and he becomes the backbone of Taal.
Talking about Akshaye, director Subhash Ghai says: “I found great intensity in that young boy.
“I could feel from inside that he is a character on his face who speaks the truth, thinks the truth, and acts the truth.
“I am glad that I cast him.”
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Stars: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia
Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut sees Akshaye star as Siddharth ‘Sid’ Sinha.
In this cool coming-of-age drama, Sid is a talented artist who falls in love with the older alcoholic, Tara Jaiswal (Dimple Kapadia).
This causes friction between Sid and his friend, Akash Malhotra (Aamir Khan), when the latter mocks Sid’s feelings.
In this scene, Sid gloweringly tells Akash: “I pity you, Akash, because you won’t understand this today.
“But one day, you’ll realise that we don’t think before falling in love. It just happens.”
Not only does Akshaye’s performance underscore his talent, but it also conveys the message of the film about feelings and friendship.
Dil Chahta Hai is often regarded as the first Bollywood film to set trends and symbolise the meaning of “cool” cinema.
While all actors in the film are excellent, Akshaye stands out, delivering a mature and sensitive performance.
The film just would not be the same without him.
Humraaz (2002)
Director: Abbas-Mustan
Stars: Bobby Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Ameesha Patel
As Karan Malhotra, Akshaye Khanna brings a unique shine to Abbas-Mustan’s Humraaz.
Karan and Priya Singhania (Ameesha Patel) perform in a dance troupe.
Despite being in love, Priya ends up catching the eye of Raj Singhania (Bobby Deol).
Humraaz is an absorbing narrative of revenge, betrayal, and willpower.
Who will Priya choose, and can Karan accept her decision?
The majority of praise for Humraaz remains directed to Akshaye’s acting in the film.
Reviewing the film on WordPress, Jitendra Mathur writes:
“The real performer in this movie is the villain, Akshaye Khanna, who has delivered a sensational and convincing performance.”
Humraaz also earned Akshaye a host of awards, including an IIFA Award for ‘Best Villain’ in 2003.
Deewangee (2002)
Director: Anees Bazmee
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar
Anees Bazmee showcases Akshaye as the successful lawyer, Raj Goyal.
After meeting the singer Sargam (Urmila Matondkar), Raj ends up defending Tarang Bharadwaj / Ranjeet (Ajay Devgn) in a murder case.
Raj helps diagnose Tarang with dissociative identity disorder, while also falling for Sargam.
However, a shocking discovery threatens to destroy Sargam and Raj’s newfound happiness.
Although Deewangee pits Akshaye against Ajay Devgn, both actors bring their famous intensity to their roles.
Akshaye, particularly, is remarkable as the conflicted lawyer, who must answer difficult questions and fight through hard circumstances.
A Times of India review of the film highlights Akshaye as “shining through one more time”.
Under a talented filmmaker like Anees Bazmee, Akshaye outdoes himself as Raj.
Watch Deewangee for a thrilling ride with Akshaye Khanna providing energetic loops on this rollercoaster.
Gandhi My Father (2007)
Director: Feroz Abbas Khan
Stars: Darshan Jariwala, Akshaye Khanna, Bhumika Chawla, Shefali Shah
Gandhi My Father depicts the problematic relationship between Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Darshan Jariwala) and his son Harilal Gandhi (Akshaye).
The father and son come to blows due to their different dreams and contrasting attitudes.
Harilal has ambitions of becoming a barrister, while Gandhi wants his son to support him in his quest for freedom.
This conflict leads to Gandhi abandoning his son, which devastates Harilal.
As a result, Harilal’s marriage breaks down, and his finances crumble.
In the end, after attending his father’s funeral as a stranger and passing away alone and forgotten, Harilal’s tragic story concludes.
Philip French describes Gandhi My Father as one of the most revealing and courageous movies ever to come out of India”.
The Dhurundhar star states: “Like most people, I did not know that this happened with Mahatma Gandhi.
“Between him and his daughter, there was this story.”
Akshaye and Darshan form a heart-wrenching bond onscreen, with the former applying his enigmatic talent to each frame.
Race (2008)
Director: Abbas-Mustan
Stars: Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Sameera Reddy
As Akshaye reunites with Abbas-Mustan, the result is the nail-biting neo-noir action film, Race.
In this movie, Akshaye appears as Rajiv Singh, the younger brother of Ranvir ‘Ronny’ Singh (Saif Ali Khan).
Rajiv is an alcoholic whose heart is captured by Sophia Sharma (Katrina Kaif).
But in this race for power and victory, there will undoubtedly be obstacles that will destroy many.
When the casting of this film began, several actors who were offered the project showed interest in the role of Rajiv.
However, the truth is that perhaps nobody could have performed the character better than Akshaye.
As the torn brother, Akshaye is sly, sharp, and cunning, increasing the high stakes in the movie.
If fans loved Dhurandhar, here is another sterling Akshaye Khanna film that shows his impeccable celluloid antagonism in all its glory.
Chhaava (2025)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Stars: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Rashmika Mandanna
After a three-year absence from the big screen, Akshaye Khanna returned to the movies with a bang in Laxman Utekar’s historical epic, Chhaava.
The film stars Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who finds a terrifying opponent in a menacing Aurangzeb (Akshaye).
Aurangzeb was a Mughal Emperor who is believed to be one of the most ruthless and powerful monarchs to preside over the Empire.
Akshaye underplays the role marvellously well. His restraint and subtle dialogue delivery leave the audience quivering.
In an interview, Vicky revealed that to stay true to their characters, he and Akshaye did not interact with each other outside of filming.
This translates into a wonderful enmity between the actors onscreen.
Reviewing the film for The Hollywood Reporter India, Anupama Chopra comments:
“Laxman’s masterstroke is casting Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb.”
This illustrates Akshaye’s indelible imprint on Chhaava.
Truly, the film would not have been the blockbuster it is without him.
Akshaye Khanna is renowned for his versatile and consistent performances.
With every film, he raises the standard of acting, both for himself and for others.
It is indeed wonderful to see Akshaye sink his teeth into such memorable characters as his career continues to glow.
This is an actor who, arguably, like his father, has not quite received the dues he deserves.
However, we are all here to support and cheer for Akshaye Khanna as Dhurandhar continues to win hearts.
Whether as the merciless Rehman Dakait, the terrifying Aurangzeb, or the courageous Dharamvir, Akshaye can do it all.
So, get some popcorn, and embrace one of the most amazing actors of our time!
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