When Kareena Kapoor admitted her crush on Akshaye Khanna: ‘Ladkiyan unke peeche paagal thi, main bhi thi’

Kareena Kapoor reveals having a crush on Akshaye Khanna

Thanks to his thrilling performance in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, Akshaye Khanna is once again enjoying a huge surge of attention.

His sophisticated and powerful performance s antagonist Rehman Dakait, whose entry on the popular song Fa9la by Flipperachi, has taken over social media. Fans are praising his on-screen persona and the effortless coolness he brings to the part.

And just as the internet continues to buzz about his performance, an old interview featuring Kareena Kapoor has resurfaced, one where she openly confessed just how smitten she once was with Akshaye.

In the clip from 2004, filmed during the promotions of Hulchul, Kareena looked back on her school days with disarming honesty.

She said, “I have watched Himalay Putra at least 20 times because at that time I was in school and Akshaye Khanna was the latest heartthrob. Toh ladkiyan unke peeche pagal thi and usmein main bhi thi (Girls were crazy about him, and one of them was me too). It was like ‘Akshaye Khanna I am a bachelor, I am a bachelor, My God Akshaye Khanna’, so it was like that. So I have always liked Akshaye.”

Her playful confession has added a sweet nostalgic twist to the current conversations surrounding Akshaye’s renewed popularity.

Kareena also spoke warmly about him as a person and an actor, adding, “He is so cute, adorable and such a good human being. He is such a wonderful actor; he is the right person to go to Hollywood because his performances are mind-blowing.”

Her admiration, even years later, still resonates strongly with fans who consider Akshaye one of the most naturally gifted actors of his generation.

The happy recollections are connected to Priyadarshan's beloved romantic comedy Hulchul. Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Amrish Puri, and other notable actors starred in the film, which was a reimagining of the Malayalam classic Godfather.

Set against the backdrop of two rival families, the story revolved around the lighthearted and chaotic fake romance that turned real between Jai (Akshaye) and Anjali (Kareena). Many people still love it because of its humor, chemistry, and special moments.

In 2025, Akshaye Khanna has successfully taken back the limelight. In Dhurandhar, which was released on December 5, 2025, he gave another outstanding performance after receiving recognition earlier in the year for his role as Emperor Aurangzeb in Chhaava alongside Vicky Kaushal.

With a cast that includes Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi, the movie has once again shown viewers why Akshaye is still such a powerful actor.