Filmmaker Farah Khan recently opened up about her early experiences working with actor Akshaye Khanna, revealing that there was a time in the 1990s when she deliberately avoided projects that involved him because of his difficult behaviour on set.
Today, Farah and Akshaye share a warm professional equation, especially as the actor receives widespread praise for his performance as gangster Rehman Dakait in the upcoming film Dhurandhar. However, Farah recalled that things were very different during their early collaborations.
Farah Khan recalls being “traumatised” working with Akshaye Khanna
During a recent appearance on the YouTube podcast hosted by Ranveer Allahbadia, Farah reflected on her experience working with Akshaye in the ’90s. She said that after doing a couple of films with him, she became reluctant to take on projects that involved the actor.
“In the ’90s, I did a couple of movies with Akshaye, and after that I was traumatised,” Farah shared. “He used to be a different person. Yes, introverted, but not a nice person on set.”
She explained that whenever she heard Akshaye was part of a film, she would often decline the offer by saying she didn’t have the dates. According to Farah, the actor was frequently irritable during that phase of his career.
“He was constantly irritable. He used to throw things and say, ‘What kind of dialogue is this?’ He used to be that kind of person,” she recalled. Farah added that Akshaye had also spoken openly at the time about his struggle with hair loss, which she felt contributed to his frustration.
A turning point during Dil Chahta Hai
Farah revealed that her perception of Akshaye changed significantly when they worked together on the cult classic Dil Chahta Hai, directed by her cousin Farhan Akhtar. Since it marked Farhan’s directorial debut, she could not turn down the project.
According to Farah, Akshaye seemed like a completely different person by then.
“He had completely changed. He had reconciled with his hair,” she said. “In Dil Chahta Hai, he became very chill.”
She also recalled how earlier in his career he would often try to hide his hairline in scenes involving rain or water by wearing a cap. Farah pointed to songs from films like Taal as examples of this.
Praise for Akshaye’s talent
Despite the challenges she faced earlier, Farah emphasised that Akshaye is extremely talented. She specifically praised his dancing ability, pointing to the popular song Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe from Dil Chahta Hai.
“He is a brilliant dancer. If you watch ‘Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe’, he is dancing better than Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan,” she said.
Farah’s candid recollection highlights how relationships and perceptions in the film industry can evolve over time. While her early experiences with Akshaye Khanna were challenging, she now acknowledges both his growth and his talent as an actor.
