Actor’s superstar dad left him when he was 5; Aamir Khan took Taare Zameen Par from him, now he is Bollywood’s most admired 

Akshaye Khanna’s viral moment to Fa9la song in Dhurandhar.

How Akshaye became a viral sensation

First, his chilling turn as Aurangzeb in Chhava caught the industry’s eye. Then came Dhurandhar’s Rehman Dakait, where his performance outshone even Ranveer Singh. At 50, he has become the unexpected star of his generation—by sheer craft, not noise.

Despite nearly 30 years in cinema, Akshaye’s filmography is surprisingly lean: just 48 films. He’s never been the actor seen hopping between interviews or courting publicity. In fact, he often disappeared for long stretches, but it wasn’t a voluntary decision.

“For me, not working is the hardest part of being an actor. It is depression time,” he told Mid-Day. “I’m the opposite of someone who looks forward to six months off. But destiny played its cards—I ended up taking forced breaks, not by choice. It’s very hard when you aren’t getting material you connect with.”

Akshaye chose acting as a child

Born into film royalty, Akshaye always knew he wanted to become an actor. “I just knew it,” he once told Simi Garewal.

His journey began in his teens. After school, he joined HR College—where he promptly flunked out. His parents sent him to a boarding school in Ooty for classes 11 and 12, after which he began working. “I’m not well-educated,” he admitted candidly.

Though Vinod Khanna left the family to join Osho when Akshaye was just five, the acting spark in him came from observing his father.

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“I spent a lot of time on his sets. That influenced me a lot. I have stage fear,” he said. Akshaye debuted in 1997 with Himalaya Putra, produced by his father. The film didn’t succeed, but it gave Vinod Khanna hope that his son had talent worth betting on.

Akshaye Khanna, Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan in a still from Dil Chahta Hai.

To his credit, Akshaye followed it up with powerful performances in Border (1997), Taal (1999), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Hungama (2003), LOC Kargil (2003), Hulchul (2004), and Race (2008). These roles cemented his reputation, even as several of his promising films were abruptly shelved.

He was signed by Feroz Khan for a film that later went to Fardeen Khan. Farhan Akhtar shelved Voice From the Sky to make Don 2. Akshaye was also supposed to do Taare Zameen Par, which Aamir Khan eventually took over.

Narrating the incident, he told Mid-Day: “Amole Gupte told Aamir, ‘I want to narrate this script to Akshaye.’ Aamir said, ‘I won’t recommend it unless I hear it.’ He ended up liking it so much that he took it up. He told me at Mehboob Studio.”

Vinod Khanna left family, career for Osho when Akshaye was 5

Akshaye’s childhood was unconventional. His father, then at the peak of his stardom, left everything behind to join Osho in the United States. “When dad went to the Ashram, I was five. I didn’t understand what was happening,” he told Simi Garewal. “But I had a happy, secure childhood.”

He elaborated: “I believe in being self-centred for your own life. Unless you’re happy, you can’t make others happy. I terribly missed my father, but I had a secure childhood.”

Despite the distance, he maintained strong relationships with both parents. “Something in him moved very deeply to take that decision,” he said of his father joining Osho. “He stayed with it. He only returned because of the situation around Osho in the US.” On Osho himself, Akshaye admitted, “I love Osho. I’ve watched multiple videos and read a lot about him. I have deep respect for him.”

He lost both his parents within two years—his father in 2017 and his mother in 2018.

Why Akshaye chose not to marry

Today, Akshaye is 50 and single. Though rumoured to have dated a few well-known actresses, including Karisma Kapoor, he has never confirmed anything.

“Love is extremely important,” he told Simi Garewal. “I would love to have someone in my life, but I don’t. I like people who are alive. I never had a serious relationship; maybe I am scared of getting hurt.” When asked if this stemmed from his parents’ relationship?

“It could be subconscious,” he admitted. “I have issues with commitments and vows. How can you tell someone you’ll love them the same thirty years from now?”

Speaking to Hindustan Times, he added: “I don’t see myself getting married. I’m not marriage material. Marriage changes everything. I want full control over my life—you can’t have that when you share it with someone.”

Up next, Akshaye Khanna will be seen in the Telugu film Mahakali and Drishyam 3—a career resurgence no one saw coming, except perhaps those who always believed he was one of the most underrated actors of his generation.