Dhurandhar: Akshaye Khanna's Return As 'National Crush' Feels Personal And This Fame Is Well-Deserved

One would have been living under a rock had Akshaye Khanna’s thoroughly entertaining impromptu dance clip from the recently released Dhurandhar not surfaced on Instagram. Taking the global audience by storm, the actor stole the thunder with a simple yet banger dance move to FA9LA, a Bahraini song in the spy thriller. Akshaye plays the antagonist, named Rehman Dakait, inspired by a real-life Pakistani politician of the same name. In those 3 hours and 34 minutes of runtime, Akshaye’s barely 10-second dance to the Bahraini song sparked interest among fans to dig out his past work, media interviews and anecdotes that went under the dust over the years. As the clutter clears, Khanna has delivered not just one but two effortless performances in 2025.

Akshaye Khanna's year

The year for Akshaye started with Chhaava, for which he went unrecognisable as Aurangzeb. When the nation celebrated its success, the actor, quietly behind the noise, prepared for an exceptional transformation to play Rehman Dakait. Without any hullabaloo around him and what’s cooking behind the closed door, the actor showed the result of determination and quiet focus.ALSO READ: Dhurandhar Box Office: Akshaye Khanna Beats Rishabh Shetty, Vicky Kaushal To Become Highest Grossing Indian Actor Of 2025 - Details

Carving niche

A superstar of his own league, Akshaye carved a niche for himself during his illustrious career. From commercial to content-driven, he stood his ground and did projects that pushed the boundaries. Even with Dhurandhar, he portrayed the right amount of menace, swag and became the centre of attention.

The antagonist effect

His enigmatic aura and swag as Sher-E-Baloch in Dhurandhar, while he walks into a celebration where FA9LA plays, he blurs the line between reel and real. All credit goes to Khanna for bringing the song to every Indian’s Google search list. An impromptu dance has now become a national rage. Such phenomena and craze were seen in December 2024 when Bobby Deol made the Iranian song Jamaal Jamaaloo’s version, Jamal Kudu in Animal, a sensation.Both actors shared the screen in Humraaz and 23 years later, they’re ruling the charts and box office with unconventional villains. Giving tough competition to younger faces, Khanna and Deol prove that everything falls in place at the right time, even without being active in the limelight.ALSO READ: Obsessed With Akshaye Khanna Dhurandhar Entry BGM? All You Need To Know About Bahraini Song FA9LA

Away from overexposure

Though Akshaye chose to stay away from the overexposing paparazzi culture, he never remained out of sight for the kind of films he has done in the past. Breaking the clutter and trying challenging roles, including Section 375 and Drishyam 2, the actor subtly created his own legacy that is unmatched. From Bollywood’s chocolate boy to ruthless antagonist, he has come a long and the fame he is experiencing with Dhurandhar feels personal. Call him ‘underrated’ or ‘underexposed’, Akshaye has arrived on the big screen to only surprise and impress even the toughest audience.

As Dhurandhar continues to smash box office records, Akshaye’s past films are on the watchlist of millions. Despite countless hits and critically acclaimed movies, Akshaye’s acting mettle is finally getting the kind of recognition he always deserved. A star on social media, a winner on the big screen and an actor who inspires generations. That’s Akshaye Khanna for us. Still reeling under the Dhurandhar effect? Then, brace yourselves for another spectacular act by the man of the hour in Mahakali, his first Telugu mythological superhero film, releasing in 2026.