Sometimes it takes one powerhouse performance to remind everyone what an actor is truly capable of and Akshaye Khanna’s turn in Dhurandhar seems to have done exactly that. The actor’s recent acclaim has
also revived conversations around his older work, including his much-loved comic turn in Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan.
Akshaye has been earning widespread praise for his role as Pakistani gangster Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar. Many viewers felt he walked away with the film, while longtime fans pointed out that the actor has been consistently strong for years. Amid this renewed appreciation, clips and references from Tees Maar Khan — where Akshaye played the over-the-top superstar Aatish Kapoor, obsessed with winning an Oscar — have once again gone viral.
Farah Khan recently weighed in on the chatter during a visit to Bigg Boss 19 finalist Pranit More’s home, where she was shooting her latest vlog. During the interaction, a light-hearted moment involving her cook, Dilip, sparked a discussion about Akshaye’s performances. As Pranit attempted to teach Dilip some stand-up comedy, the conversation veered towards films, with Dilip declaring Tees Maar Khan as his favourite.
Reacting to the moment, Farah remarked, “Dhurandhar ke baad Tees Maar Khan ka hi raaj chal raha hain (After Dhurandhar, if any film is ruling, it has to be Tees Maar Khan).”
Pranit quickly joined in, adding, “Asli Oscar toh waha hi he, aapke film mein (The real Oscar is in fact, in your film)!”
Farah agreed with the sentiment and playfully responded, “Oscaarrr!” — a nod to Akshaye’s character Aatish Kapoor, who repeatedly chants the word in the film as he dreams of winning the coveted award.
Released in 2010, Tees Maar Khan featured Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif alongside Akshaye Khanna. While the heist comedy underperformed at the box office at the time, Akshaye’s exaggerated and self-aware performance has since gained cult popularity.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh, also stars Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Sara Arjun. The film has emerged as the highest-grossing release of 2025. A second instalment is scheduled to hit theatres on March 19.
