When Vinod Khanna hired the best technicians to launch Akshaye Khanna at 19: ‘There are 2-3 conditions’

Akshaye Khanna, who is currently earning praise for his performance as Rehman Daikat in ‘Dhurandhar,’ has always been known for his understated acting style. But few know about the careful planning behind his Bollywood debut. At just 19, Akshaye entered films with ‘Himalay Putra’ in 1997. Determined to give his son the strongest possible start, his father, the late actor Vinod Khanna, ensured that only the best technicians came on board.

When Vinod Khanna hired the best for Akshaye Khanna

Director Pankaj Parashar recalled how Vinod Khanna personally approached him while searching for a director to launch Akshaye. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan on YouTube, Pankaj said, “He said, ‘Obviously, this will be a love story. There are 2-3 conditions. Anu Malik will give the music, and Honey Irani will write. I said, "Fantastic." As I was about to leave, I asked, "Sir, can I see him (Akshaye)?"

What the director said about Akshaye Khanna’s acting skills

Pankaj shared that Akshaye Khanna impressed him early on, even though he faced one major challenge. “His problem was Hindi. He didn't speak much Hindi. He used to think in English, but he was a natural actor,” the director said.

He recalled the first reading session fondly. “The first day when we gave him a dialogue and he read it, I said, ‘Thank God,’ because he is an actor. He was just 19, and he performed well," he added. Despite language limitations, Akshaye’s instinctive grasp of performance stood out.

The advice that shaped his journey

Understanding the importance of language, Pankaj Parashar advised Akshaye Khanna to work on his Hindi. “I told Akshaye that you will have to learn. So he learned. He got a diction teacher, and he was a natural.”

The director also clarified Vinod Khanna’s role during filming. “He wasn't interfering, but he would give suggestions, and if Honey and I didn't agree with those suggestions, he would concede. But he was always there for music sittings or anything else," he said.

On the work front

Akshaya was recently seen in ‘Dhurandhar,’ directed by Aditya Dhar; the spy action thriller also stars Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun. With just 21 days of released movies have crossed Rs 900 crore at the global box office.



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