On Akshaye Khanna’s birthday, throwback to his groundbreaking performances

Akshaye Khanna has carved a niche for himself in his 27-year-old acting career with unconventional choices. The actor has set a benchmark through his pathbreaking films and artistry. Despite working in fewer movies, Akshaye has been able to create a unique identity in Bollywood amid cut-throat competition. A glimpse at some of his performances that prove that he is game for experimental cinema across diverse genres. (Also read: When Akshaye Khanna said he’d never work with dad Vinod Khanna)
Akshaye as Manav brought a new perspective to rebellious, unconditional, selfless and sacrificing love on-screen. While Shah Rukh Khan’s righteous Raj Malhotra tries to persuade Kajol aka Simran’s father, Manav in Taal doesn’t believe in conflict. When the protagonist in Subhash Ghai’s romance-musical realises the reluctance of Mansi played by Aishwarya Rai, he walks away without any negativity. At a time when cancel culture and toxicity is glorified in pop culture, Manav has aged well as an ideal green-flag. Akshaye brought the passion, vulnerability, heartbreak and compassion of his character with artistic finesse. An out-of-the-box perspective on romance without any machoism, amicably depicted by Akshaye. A must watch for romantic movie buffs.
Akshaye once again set the bar with his portrayal of Siddharth Sinha aka Sid became a cult character among millenials and Gen Z. Akshaye as the no-nonsense, wise, compassionate yet fun-loving Sid resonated wit the youth. Farhan Akhtar’s vision to bring a character that was hardly explored by filmmakers was justified by Akshaye’s acting prowess. For the unversed, the actor was earlier supposed to play Aakash, while Hrithik Roshan was the original choice for Sid. Aamir Khan had been signed to play Sameer. However, when Hrithik declined the role, the cast changed and a new cinematic wave was witnessed. In the conventional movies on college friends, the male characters were supposed to be loud, forceful, goofy and superhuman. Akshaye’s Sidharth established the narrative of a genuine unrequited romance with a generational gap. The actor gave a soulful performance which once again proved his potential to showcase complex human emotions.
Akshaye essayed the role of Mahatma Gandhi’s eldest son Harilal Gandhi. Darshan Jariwala played Mahatma Gandhi in the Feroz Abbas Khan directorial. The movie was based on the biography of Harilal Gandhi, titled Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Chandulal Bhagubhai Dalal. Feroz had earlier directed play, Mahatma vs. Gandhi adapted from a Gujarati novel Prakash no Padchhayo by Dinkar Joshi. Akshaye’s intensity and versatility were lauded in the epic-drama produced by Anil Kapoor. The actor gave it his best shot in confrontation scenes between Harilal and the father of the nation. Akshaye’s ability to get into the skin of the character brings the much-needed engagement quotient in some of the hard-hitting sequences. A must watch for the students of cinema.
Akshaye Khanna played the role of Indian political commentator and policy analyst Sanjaya Baru in the biopic based on former Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh. Sanjaya was a media advisor and chief spokesperson (PMO) during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure. The title of the Sanjay Ratnakar Gutte directorial is based on the book written by the former. Although Anupam Kher played the main protagonist, Akshaye’s performance was equally appreciated in the political-drama. His on-screen camaraderie with Anupam was visible in some of the emotional and light-hearted scenes. Akshaye’s subtle nuances bring a lot of conviction in his portrayal.
Akshaye plays the character of an ambitious lawyer Tarun Saluja who defends the case of a filmmaker accused of rape. In the movie, Akshaye’s client, portrayed by Rahul Bhat, faces rape accusation from an assistant costume designer. Tarun faces his former trainee Hiral Gandhi aka Richa Chadha who fights the victim’s case. In a mysterious turn of events across court-proceedings many uncomfortable truths about law and social justice are revealed. Akshaye played a grey-shade character with utmost conviction in this unconventional movie based on a sensitive theme. However, his acting abilities are spot-on, which makes the audiences appreciate his talent rather than judging his character.
Akshaye essayed the role of Inspector General of Police, Tarun Ahlawat in the Abhishek Pathak directorial. In-spite of the presence of Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Shriya Saran, Akshaye hit the bull’s eye with his artistic brilliance. His interrogation scenes with Ajay Devgn showcase his ability to effortlessly delve into the psyche of the character. Although there are shades of grey in Tarun, Akshaye once again win’s over the audiences with his intensity and dialogue delivery. The actor is convincing as the ruthless cop and amicably complements Tabu and Ajay with his exceptional performance.
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