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8 Underrated roles of Akshaye Khanna

Akshaye Khanna’s underrated performances across films like Gandhi, My Father, Humraaz, Hungama, and Mom reveal a rare mix of restraint, intelligence, and emotional depth that often outshines louder, flashier roles.

Vaishnavi Gavankar | December 10, 2025 / 19:21 IST
1/8
1. Deewangee (2002) - As the sharp, morally conflicted lawyer Raj Goyal, Akshaye delivered a measured performance that elevated this psychological thriller. Against Ajay Devgn’s intensity, his restraint, quicksilver intellect, and gradual unraveling gave the film its quiet power. It’s one of his most technically balanced portrayals of controlled emotion.
1. Deewangee (2002) - As the sharp, morally conflicted lawyer Raj Goyal, Akshaye delivered a measured performance that elevated this psychological thriller. Against Ajay Devgn’s intensity, his restraint, quicksilver intellect, and gradual unraveling gave the film its quiet power. It’s one of his most technically balanced portrayals of controlled emotion.
2/8
2. Gandhi, My Father (2007) - Akshaye as Harilal Gandhi—Mahatma Gandhi’s estranged son—was heartbreaking. He embodied deep resentment, yearning, and failure without melodrama. His physical transformation and emotional fatigue made Harilal’s slow collapse painfully real, turning a historical figure into a deeply human tragedy that most overlooked on release.
2. Gandhi, My Father (2007) - Akshaye as Harilal Gandhi—Mahatma Gandhi’s estranged son—was heartbreaking. He embodied deep resentment, yearning, and failure without melodrama. His physical transformation and emotional fatigue made Harilal’s slow collapse painfully real, turning a historical figure into a deeply human tragedy that most overlooked on release.
3/8
3. Taal (1999) - Overshadowed by Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor, Akshaye’s Manav is the emotional spine of Taal. His sincerity and subdued presence ground the film’s musical grandeur. Few actors could make vulnerability so believable, especially in the way he conveys love and guilt with just a glance or half-smile.
3. Taal (1999) - Overshadowed by Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor, Akshaye’s Manav is the emotional spine of Taal. His sincerity and subdued presence ground the film’s musical grandeur. Few actors could make vulnerability so believable, especially in the way he conveys love and guilt with just a glance or half-smile.
4/8
7. Hungama (2003) - This is Akshaye’s comic timing at its sharpest. As Jeetu, the perpetually misunderstood lover caught in a chain of chaos, he delivered pitch-perfect physical humor without slipping into slapstick. His control over pauses, expressions, and reactions turned confusion into art—a true lesson in effortless comedy.
7. Hungama (2003) - This is Akshaye’s comic timing at its sharpest. As Jeetu, the perpetually misunderstood lover caught in a chain of chaos, he delivered pitch-perfect physical humor without slipping into slapstick. His control over pauses, expressions, and reactions turned confusion into art—a true lesson in effortless comedy.
5/8
5. Humraaz (2002) - As Karan, the manipulative schemer, Akshaye balanced ambition, deceit, and buried emotion with remarkable finesse. He never played Karan as a caricatured villain; instead, he made him dangerously relatable—a man whose intelligence curdled into greed. His final scenes still sting with quiet despair.
5. Humraaz (2002) - As Karan, the manipulative schemer, Akshaye balanced ambition, deceit, and buried emotion with remarkable finesse. He never played Karan as a caricatured villain; instead, he made him dangerously relatable—a man whose intelligence curdled into greed. His final scenes still sting with quiet despair.
6/8
6. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) - While Aamir Khan’s charm dominated headlines, Akshaye’s performance as Sid gave the film its soul. His calm maturity, romantic vulnerability, and emotional stillness made Sid the heart of the story. The scene where he confesses love to an older woman remains one of Bollywood’s most honest moments.
6. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) - While Aamir Khan’s charm dominated headlines, Akshaye’s performance as Sid gave the film its soul. His calm maturity, romantic vulnerability, and emotional stillness made Sid the heart of the story. The scene where he confesses love to an older woman remains one of Bollywood’s most honest moments.
7/8
7. Mom (2017) - As the investigator Matthew Francis, Akshaye played the role with understatement. No grand theatrics—just a slow, precise rhythm that made him both comforting and formidable. He provided moral texture to Sridevi’s revenge story, proving that subtlety can carry as much weight as spectacle.
7. Mom (2017) - As the investigator Matthew Francis, Akshaye played the role with understatement. No grand theatrics—just a slow, precise rhythm that made him both comforting and formidable. He provided moral texture to Sridevi’s revenge story, proving that subtlety can carry as much weight as spectacle.
8/8
8. The Accidental Prime Minister (2019) - Though the film sparked controversy, Akshaye’s portrayal of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru stood out. He delivered political insight with wry humor and empathy, avoiding mimicry. His calm narrative tone carried the film’s best moments—an actor making nuance work even inside turbulence.
8. The Accidental Prime Minister (2019) - Though the film sparked controversy, Akshaye’s portrayal of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru stood out. He delivered political insight with wry humor and empathy, avoiding mimicry. His calm narrative tone carried the film’s best moments—an actor making nuance work even inside turbulence.

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