Akshaye Khanna

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Akshaye Khanna
Akshaye Khanna still3.jpg
Born (1975-03-28) 28 March 1975 (age 48)
OccupationActor
Years active1997-2012, 2016-Present
Parent(s)
RelativesRahul Khanna (brother)

Akshaye Khanna (born 28 March 1975) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is the son of actor Vinod Khanna. He has won numerous awards in his career including two Filmfare Awards, three Screen Awards and two IIFA Awards in varied acting categories.

After studying in Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute in Mumbai, he made his acting debut in 1997 with the film Himalay Putra. His next release, J. P. Dutta's war drama Border (1997) emerged as a critical and commercial success, earning him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut and a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Khanna rose to prominence with starring roles in the musical romantic drama Taal (1999), the comedy drama Dil Chahta Hai (2001) which won him a Best Supporting Actor at Filmfare, the romantic thriller Humraaz (2002), for which he was nominated in the Best Negative Role category, the romantic comedies Hungama (2003) and Hulchul (2004), the murder mystery 36 China Town (2006), the action thriller Race (2008) and the heist comedy Tees Maar Khan (2010), and he also acted in the comedy film No Problem (2010) and he continued to draw praise for his performances in the 1999 romance Dahek, the 2002 psychological thriller Deewangee, the 2007 biographical drama Gandhi, My Father and the 2010 action thriller film Aakrosh.

Following a 4-year hiatus since his last release, Gali Gali Chor Hai (2012), Khanna made his comeback with moderately successful films, as the antagonist in the action-comedy film Dishoom and as an investigative cop in two thrillers, the crime film Mom and the murder mystery Ittefaq (both 2017). Khanna received further acclaim for his role in Section 375 (2019) and Drishyam 2 (2022).

Early and personal life[edit]

Akshaye Khanna was born on 28 March 1975 as the second son of Hindi actor and politician Vinod Khanna (1946-2017).

His mother Geetanjali Taleyarkhan was born into a Parsi family of lawyers and businessmen, she passed away in 2018.[1]

He is the younger brother of actor Rahul Khanna.

He attended Bombay International School, Babulnath. He then did his 11th & 12th from Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty.[2][3] In an interview, he said that he was better at sports than studies.

Career[edit]

Debut, career struggles, and breakthrough (1997–99)[edit]

Khanna made his acting debut with Pankaj Parashar's romantic drama Himalay Putra (1997), co-starring his father Vinod, Hema Malini, Satish Shah, Johny Lever, Danny Denzongpa, and Amrish Puri.[4] His performance earned him a Screen Award for Best Male Debut, but the film underperformed at the box office despite mostly positive reviews.

Later that year, Khanna starred in J. P. Dutta's war drama Border alongside Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, and Jackie Shroff. Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the film was about the events of the Battle of Longewala and saw Khanna play the real-life role of Dharamvir Singh Bhan, a commander who is also a part of the battle. The film generated positive reviews and eventually proved to be the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1997. Border won 4 Filmfare Awards, including a Best Male Debut trophy for Khanna, in addition to a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the same ceremony.

Khanna's final release of 1997 was the romance Mohabbat, in which he starred alongside Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Kapoor. The film received negative critical reception and was commercially unsuccessful.[5]

The following year, Khanna starred opposite Jyothika in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998), in which he portrayed a rich person who falls in love with Jyota's character. In the same year, Khanna starred opposite Urmila Matondkar in Raj N. Sippy's drama Kudrat.

Khanna's first release of 1999 came opposite Aishwarya Rai in Rishi Kapoor's directorial debut—the musical romance Aa Ab Laut Chalen. It was a below average in India but performed well at the overseas. His next film appearance was in Shrikant Sharma's romance Laawaris opposite Manisha Koirala. The film received positive reviews, but fared poorly at the box office.

Khanna next starred opposite Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor in Subhash Ghai's musical romantic drama Taal, in which he played Manav Mehta, the son of a wealthy rich man who falls in love with a poor aspiring singer played by Rai. The film was highly anticipated by critics and proved to be the third highest-earning feature film of 1999, becoming his first commercial success since Border. Khanna's final film that year was Lateef Binnu's star-crossed romance Dahek in which he featured opposite Sonali Bendre as a Hindu boy who falls in love with a Muslim girl played by Bendre. The film proved to be a box office disappointment.[6]

Critical recognition (2001–02)[edit]

After a two-year absence from full-time acting, Khanna appeared in Farhan Akhtar's coming-of-age comedy-drama Dil Chahta Hai (2001) alongside Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia. Set in Mumbai, it focuses on a major period of transition in the lives of three young friends. Khanna featured as one of the friends named Siddharth Sinha, a quiet and reticent boy. The feature generated highly positive reviews, with critical acclaim directed to the three leads' performances, and emerged as a major commercial success. Dil Chahta Hai won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and seven Filmfare Awards, including a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Khanna.[7]

Abbas–Mustan's romantic thriller Humraaz (2002), co-starring Bobby Deol and Ameesha Patel, was Khanna's next film release. He played the main antagonist Karan Malhotra, a convincing con-artist whose girlfriend (played by Patel) marries a rich man (played by Deol) to secure his wealth, but eventually falls in love with him. Humraaz proved to be a major commercial success, and Khanna's performance drew critical praise. He won the IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role and received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. That year, he also starred as a lawyer in Anees Bazmee's thriller Deewangee alongside Ajay Devgn and Urmila Matondkar, a financial failure for which he was nominated for the Screen Award for Best Actor.[8]

Expansion into romantic comedies (2003–04)[edit]

In 2003, Khanna starred as an electronic salesman in Priyadarshan's romantic comedy Hungama, co-starring Rimi Sen, Paresh Rawal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The feature became a box office hit with earnings of 202 million (US$2.8 million) despite a mixed critical reception. He next reunited with J. P. Dutta to film LOC Kargil, a war drama based on the events of the Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan. Khanna played the real-life character of Balwan Singh, an Indian army officer who is a part of the war.

Khanna's first release of 2004 was Milan Luthria's action thriller Deewaar, in which he played Gaurav Kaul, the son of an Indian army officer who sets out on a journey to find his missing father. Co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Amrita Rao, and Sanjay Dutt, it received critical acclaim but failed to fare well at the box office.

In the same year, Khanna reteamed with Priyadarshan in the romantic comedy Hulchul, in which he was paired opposite Kareena Kapoor. The film proved to be a box-office hit.[9]

Career decline (2006–07)[edit]

After a year-long absence, Khanna appeared in three films in 2006—the first of which was Satish Kaushik's comedy-drama Shaadi Se Pehle, co-starring Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Ayesha Takia and Mallika Sherawat. Khanna's next role was in 36 China Town, a murder-mystery comedy adapted from the American film Once Upon a Crime and co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. Directed by Abbas–Mustan, the film featured him as a police officer, and proved to be a financial success with earnings of over 369 million (US$5.2 million) worldwide.

Khanna's final film release that year was Dharmesh Darshan's romantic comedy Aap Ki Khatir alongside Priyanka Chopra, Ameesha Patel, Suniel Shetty, and Anupam Kher. It proved to be one of the year's biggest flops.[10]

In 2007, Akshaye Khanna acted in Nikkhil Advani's ensemble drama Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love, a romantic comedy consisting of six chapters. He was featured in the first and second chapter opposite Ayesha Takia. The film received negative reviews from critics and emerged as a major commercial disappointment.

His next appearance was in Abbas–Mustan's love-saga Naqaab, in which he starred as Vicky Malhotra, an unemployed film personality, alongside Bobby Deol and Urvashi Sharma. The feature received positive reviews from audiences but turned out to be an average grosser. Khanna then took a leading role in Feroz Abbas Khan's adaptation of the novel Mahatma vs Gandhi, entitled Gandhi, My Father, co-starring Darshan Jariwala, Bhumika Chawla, and Shefali Shah. The feature explores the relationship between freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi (played by Jariwala) and his eldest son Harilal Gandhi (played by Khanna). Though the film underperformed at the box office, his performance was praised, with several critics regarding it as one of his finest performances, and earned him a second Best Actor nomination at Screen Awards.

In his final release of that year, Khanna teamed with Anil Mehta for the dance film Aaja Nachle, co-starring Madhuri Dixit, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, and Jugal Hansraj, which underperformed at the box office.[7]

Establishing, other setbacks, and sabbatical (2008–12)[edit]

Khanna's performance in the Abbas–Mustan-directed action thriller Race (2008) marked a turning point in his career. Cast alongside Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Bipasha Basu, Khanna garnered praise for his portrayal of the main antagonist Rajiv Singh, an alcoholic person who plots to kill his half brother (played by Khan) to secure his wealth. Race, despite receiving negative reviews, proved to be one of the highest-grossing films of that year with a worldwide revenue of over 1 billion (US$14 million), becoming Khanna's highest-grossing release to that point, and his performance earned him Best Performance in a Negative Role awards at major award functions, including IIFA and Screen. The success of the film established Khanna as one of the reliable actors of the Hindi film industry. For his final release of 2008, he reunited with Priyadarshan in the comedy Mere Baap Pehle Aap, co-starring Paresh Rawal, Genelia D'Souza, and Archana Puran Singh.

Khanna's only release in 2009 was Neeraj Vora's romantic comedy Shortkut, in which he starred alongside Amrita Rao and Arshad Warsi, playing the character of Shekhar, an assistant director who hopes to be a writer and director too. The feature garnered negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box office. The following year, he featured in three commercial failures—the first of which was Priyadarshan's action thriller Aakrosh. The film (co-starring Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal, Bipasha Basu, and Reemma Sen) featured Khanna as a CBI officer. He next appeared in Anees Bazmee's comedy No Problem, co-starring Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Kangana Ranaut, Sanjay Dutt, and Sushmita Sen. Khanna's final film of that year was Tees Maar Khan, a slapstick comedy directed by Farah Khan and co-starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Khanna's role was that of a popular but greedy actor. The film was a semi-hit.[11] at the box office, his performance earned him a nomination for the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male.

In 2012, Khanna starred in Gali Gali Chor Hai, an ensemble romantic comedy directed by Rumi Jaffrey and co-starring Shriya Saran and Mugdha Godse. It saw him portray the main protagonist Bharat Narayan, a simple kind-hearted person. Despite hype, Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai received mixed to negative reviews from critics and proved to be a major financial failure. Khanna then took a long sabbatical of four years from film acting.[12][13]

Work after sabbatical, and critical acclaim (2016–present)[edit]

Khanna made his comeback to Bollywood in 2016 with the action cop comedy Dishoom, in which he starred alongside Varun Dhawan, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem, and Tarun Khanna, playing the role of the main antagonist Wagah, a bookie who targets a top batsman (played by Saleem). The feature received mixed reviews from critics, but emerged as one of his most successful, earning over 1.20 billion (US$17 million) worldwide.[14]

Ravi Udayawar's crime thriller Mom was Khanna's first release of 2017. Co-starring with Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sajal Ali, and Adnan Siddiqui, he received critical appreciation for his performance as Matthew, a CBI officer. The film narrated the story of a vigilante (played by Sridevi) who sets out to avenge the rape of her step-daughter (played by Ali). The feature garnered positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sridevi's performance. With a global revenue of over 1.75 billion (US$25 million), it emerged as a financial success and Khanna's biggest success of his career. Later that year, he starred as an investigative cop in Abhay Chopra's murder-mystery Ittefaq—a remake of the 1969 film of the same name. Co-starring Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra, it proved to be an average grosser.

In 2019, Khanna starred in Section 375. His performance in the film gained him a nomination for the 65th Filmfare Award Best Actor Critics and a nomination for Best Actor Critics in Star Screen Awards also.[15]

In 2021, ZEE5 roped in Khanna, to play the lead in State of Siege: Temple Attack.[16] He played a special task force officer in the film.

In 2022, Khanna played a police officer in Drishyam 2. The film emerged as a critical and commercial success with Khanna receiving praise for his performance in the film.

Filmography[edit]

Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Film Role Notes
1997 Himalay Putra Abhay Khanna
Border 2nd Lt. Dharamvir Singh Bhan
Mohabbat Rohit Malhotra/Tony Braganza
Bhai Bhai Dancer Guest appearance in the Song "Tera Naam Loonga"
1998 Doli Saja Ke Rakhna Inderjit Bansal
Kudrat Vijay
1999 Aa Ab Laut Chalen Rohan Khanna
Laawaris Vijay/Captain Dada
Taal Manav Mehta
Dahek Sameer B. Roshan
2001 Dil Chahta Hai Siddharth "Sid" Sinha
2002 Humraaz Karan Malhotra
Deewangee Raj Goyal
Bollywood/Hollywood Himself Guest appearance
2003 Hungama Jitender Sahai (Jeetu)
LOC Kargil Lt. Balwan Singh, 18 Grenadiers
Border Hindustan Ka Mobarak Cameo
2004 Deewaar Gaurav Kaul
Hulchul Jai A. Chand
2006 Shaadi Se Pehle Ashish Khanna
36 China Town Chief Inspector Karan
Aap Ki Khatir Aman Mehra
2007 Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love Shiven Dungarpur
Naqaab Vicky Malhotra
Gandhi, My Father Harilal Gandhi
Aaja Nachle MP Raja Uday Singh Special appearance
2008 Race Rajiv Singh
Mere Baap Pehle Aap Gaurav J. Rane
2009 Luck by Chance Himself Guest appearance
Shortkut Shekhar Giriraj
2010 Aakrosh Siddhant Chaturvedi
No Problem Raj Ambani
Tees Maar Khan Aatish Kapoor
2012 Delhi Safari Alex (voice)
Gali Gali Chor Hai Bharat Narayan
2016 Dishoom Rahul 'Wagah' Kabiraj
2017 Mom Matthew Francis
Ittefaq Dev Verma
2019 The Accidental Prime Minister Sanjaya Baru
Section 375 Tarun Saluja
2020 Sab Kushal Mangal Baba Bhandari
2021 State of Siege: Temple Attack Major Hanut Singh
Hungama 2 Premnath Pannu Cameo
2022 Love You Hamesha Shaurat
Drishyam 2 IG Tarun Ahlawat IPS

Awards and nominations[edit]

Filmfare Awards[edit]

Year Category Work Result Ref.
1998 Best Male Debut Border Won [17]
Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2002 Dil Chahta Hai Won [18]
2003 Best Villain Humraaz Nominated [19]
2020 Best Actor (Critics) Section 375 Nominated [20]

Star Screen Awards[edit]

Won[edit]

Nominations[edit]

IIFA Awards[edit]

Won[edit]

Nominations[edit]

Zee Cine Awards[edit]

Won[edit]

Nominations[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. De, Shobhaa (18 December 2018). "G'BYE, GITLI. YOU WERE QUITE A GAL!". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 9 September 2022. As one from a prominent Parsee family of lawyers and businessmen […]
  2. "Akshaye Khanna: Movies, Photos, Videos, News & Biography | eTimes". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  3. "Akshaye Khanna throws tantrums – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  4. "Reading about myself makes me uncomfortable: Akshaye Khanna". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. "अभिनेता अक्षय खन्ना की प्रोफाइल". Jagran blog. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  6. Dahek
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Akshaye Khanna: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  8. Mohamed, Khalid. "Akshaye Khanna: The reinvented star". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  9. "अक्षय खन्ना के लिए गया था करिश्मा कपूर का रिश्ता, इसलिए बिगड़ी बात". Aaj Tak (in हिन्दी). 28 March 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. "Exclusive biography of #AkshayeKhanna and on his life". FilmiBeat. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  11. "Tees Maar Khan – Movie -". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  12. Gali Gali Chor Hai
  13. Salgaokar, Shakti (3 February 2012). "Review: 'Gali Gali Chor Hai'". DNA India. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  14. "Akshaye Khanna's character in 'Dishoom' revealed". Inshorts – Stay Informed. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  15. "Nominations for the 65th Filmfare Awards 2020 are out! - Times of India ►". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  16. "Akshaye Khanna stars in Zee5's State of Siege: Temple Attack".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Akshaye Khanna Awards: List of awards and nominations received by Akshaye Khanna | Times of India Entertainment". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  18. "47th Filmfare Awards winner". IMDb. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  19. "48th Filmfare Awards winner". IMDb. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  20. "65th Filmfare Awards 2020 to be held in Guwahati". Pune Mirror. India: The Times Group. Ist. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  21. "National Film Awards 2018: Akshaye receives dad Vinod Khanna's Dadasaheb Phalke Award". India Today. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  22. "National Film Awards 2018: Akshaye receives dad Vinod Khanna's Dadasaheb Phalke Award". India Today. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

External links[edit]

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