Akshaye Khanna

Akshaye Khanna, born in Mumbai back in 1975, kind of had Bollywood in his veins—his dad’s Vinod Khanna, the big-shot actor and politician, and his older brother’s Rahul Khanna, also an actor. So, no pressure, right? After learning the ropes at Kishore Namit Kapoor’s acting school, Akshaye jumped right into Hindi films in 1997 with Himalay Putra. Honestly, the movie didn’t really shake up the box office, but whatever, it was just the start. His next flick, Border, directed by J. P. Dutta, finally got people to notice him. He even bagged the Filmfare Best Debut Award for that one and got a nod for Best Supporting Actor. But then, things got a bit rocky. A bunch of his films—Mohabbat, Kudrat, Laawaris, Dahek—kind of fizzled out. Yeah, it happens. Even so, he did get some props for his acting in Aa Ab Laut Chalen, even if the movie itself was just okay. Then came Taal in ’99, where he starred with Aishwarya Rai. This one really hit it big, both with critics and at the box office. But the real game changer for him was Dil Chahta Hai in 2001. That movie’s a classic now, and Akshaye’s performance? People still talk about it. He picked up another Filmfare award for that and, honestly, it helped put him and Saif Ali Khan on the map. He kept the momentum going with Humraaz, playing a seriously convincing con artist. Critics loved it, and he snagged a Filmfare nomination for a negative role. Then he switched gears, jumped into comedies like Hungama and Hulchul, both hits. The guy’s had ups and downs—some movies tanked, some were just meh. But he always brought something interesting to the table, especially in Gandhi, My Father, where he played Mahatma Gandhi’s son. Critics called it his best work. Even later, when his films didn’t always smash the box office, people still noticed his acting chops in stuff like Aakrosh and Tees Maar Khan. He’s one of those actors who keeps you guessing—never boring, that’s for sure.