Akshaye Khanna is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi cinema. The son of veteran actor Vinod Khanna, he made his film debut in the late 1990s and has since built a career marked by a mix of mainstream commercial films and critically acclaimed performances in dramas and thrillers.
| Full name | Akshaye Khanna |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 March 1975, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Profession | Actor |
| Industry | Hindi cinema (Bollywood) |
| Father | Vinod Khanna |
| Brother | Rahul Khanna |
| Debut film | Himalay Putra (1997) |
| Active since | 1997 |
Akshaye Khanna was born on 28 March 1975 in Mumbai, into a family with deep ties to the Hindi film industry. His father, Vinod Khanna, was one of the leading stars of Hindi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s and later served as a Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur. His elder brother, Rahul Khanna, is also an actor. Akshaye trained as an actor before entering films and is known for being relatively private about his personal life, rarely appearing on television talk shows or social media.
Akshaye Khanna made his acting debut in 1997 with Himalay Putra, produced by his father Vinod Khanna. The same year, he appeared in J. P. Dutta's ensemble war film Border, in which he played Second Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhan. The film was a major commercial success and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1999, he starred opposite Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor in Subhash Ghai's musical drama Taal, which was a notable success at the box office. He followed this with films such as Mohabbat (1997), Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998) and Laawaris (1999).
The 2000s saw Akshaye take on a wider range of roles. He appeared in Farhan Akhtar's coming-of-age drama Dil Chahta Hai (2001) alongside Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan; the film became a cultural touchstone for a new generation of Hindi cinema. His performance as the introspective artist Siddharth was widely praised. He earned further critical recognition for Humraaz (2002), Hungama (2003), Deewaanapan (2001), Hulchul (2004) and Race (2008), in which he played the antagonist.
After a relatively quiet phase in the early 2010s, Akshaye Khanna returned to prominence with strong character roles. He appeared in Dishoom (2016) and received particular acclaim for his portrayal of a CBI investigator in Meghna Gulzar's Mom (2017), opposite Sridevi. He went on to feature in films such as Ittefaq (2017), The Accidental Prime Minister (2019), in which he played Sanjaya Baru, and Section 375 (2019), a courtroom drama in which he played a defence advocate.
He has continued to work in projects including State of Siege: Temple Attack (2021) and the legal drama Section 375, with subsequent appearances in mainstream Hindi films and streaming releases.
Akshaye Khanna is regarded for his understated screen presence and ability to switch between leading-man roles, ensemble parts and antagonists. Critics have often highlighted his expressive use of silence and restraint, particularly in dramatic and thriller roles. Despite limiting public appearances, he has maintained a long-running career across more than two decades of Hindi cinema.
Akshaye Khanna has largely kept his personal life out of the public eye. He is the younger son of Vinod Khanna from Vinod's first marriage to Geetanjali Khanna, and the brother of actor Rahul Khanna. He is also related, through his father's second marriage, to half-siblings Sakshi and Shraddha.