When Dhurandhar's Akshaye Khanna spoke about going bald at 19, "It’s heartbreaking and can mentally kill you..."

When Dhurandhar's Akshaye Khanna spoke about going bald at 19, "It’s heartbreaking and can mentally kill you..."

Akshaye Khanna, who’s currently winning praise for his intense performance in Dhurandhar, has never been one to hide behind glamour. A resurfaced interview has reminded fans of his remarkable honesty, where he spoke about one of the most difficult phases of his life — losing his hair as a teenager.

Long before becoming one of Bollywood’s most quietly compelling actors, Akshaye was just a 19-year-old facing something few are prepared for: premature baldness. At an age when image and confidence are fragile, he found himself dealing with a transformation that struck at the heart of his self-esteem.

In a candid conversation with Mid-Day, Akshaye shared, “It started happening at such a young age, and it was like a pianist losing his fingers. It almost felt like that in those days. I mean, until you truly come to terms with it, it keeps bothering you.”

He went on to explain how such physical changes, particularly in a field that thrives on appearance, can deeply unsettle a person. “When you wake up in the morning, looking at the papers, and you realise, ‘I can’t read that. What’s written? I need glasses.’ It would affect you, right?” he said, drawing a parallel between ageing and unexpected physical limitations.

For Akshaye, who was on the cusp of entering films, the experience went beyond insecurity. It shook his sense of identity as an actor. “You might be a sportsman, a cricketer or a footballer, and realise that you might need knee surgery. So it’s heartbreaking, you might lose a year or two years of your career. So, as I said, it’s like a pianist losing his fingers, because the way you look, as an actor, is very important,” he reflected.

That kind of vulnerability is rare, especially from someone in an industry where appearances are currency. Akshaye’s reflection makes clear that hair loss wasn’t about vanity for him — it was about survival in a world that prizes youth and perfection.

Akshaye didn’t sugarcoat how deeply the experience affected him. “Especially this part (face). I mean, this part (body) you can still cover it up or whatever. At 19-20, it’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking, and it can mentally kill you,” he said.

Those words hit with particular force in an industry that has long been criticized for its obsession with looks. His admission speaks not just to the personal cost of early fame but to the quiet resilience it takes to keep going.

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Today, Akshaye’s honesty feels almost revolutionary. As conversations around body image and mental health grow louder, his openness offers a reminder that even stars grapple with deeply human insecurities. What stands out most is how he transformed that private pain into professional strength — finding depth, gravity, and stillness that now define his screen presence.

As Dhurandhar cements his legacy as one of Bollywood’s most underrated performers, Akshaye Khanna’s old words echo with new relevance — a quiet truth about self-acceptance in an industry built on illusion.