Farah Khan's Candid Revelation About Working with Akshaye Khanna
In a surprising and honest revelation, renowned filmmaker Farah Khan has shared that her early experiences working with actor Akshaye Khanna left her feeling traumatized. Speaking on Ranveer Allahbadia's popular podcast, Khan detailed the challenging dynamics during their collaborations in the 1990s, which led her to avoid projects involving Khanna for years.
The Difficult Early Years
Farah Khan explained that during their initial professional encounters, Akshaye Khanna exhibited behavior that made collaboration extremely difficult. "In the '90s, I did a couple of movies with Akshaye, and after that I was traumatized," she confessed. "Because he used to be a different person. Yes, introverted, but not a nice person on set."
Khan revealed that Khanna's reputation was such that whenever she heard he was attached to a project, she would deliberately make herself unavailable. "Whenever I heard that Akshaye Khanna was in a film, I used to say, 'I don't have the dates.'"
The Hair Loss Struggle
The director attributed much of Khanna's difficult behavior to his personal struggles with hair loss during that period. "I think at that time he himself had said that he was losing his hair. He was constantly irritable," she recalled. "He used to throw things and say, 'What kind of dialogue is this?' He used to be that kind of person."
Khan noted that Khanna's insecurity about his hair affected his professional choices, particularly in scenes involving water. "Before that, if there was water or rain in a scene, he would always wear a cap, like see every rain song of his, such as in Taal."
The Transformative Shift
The turning point came with Farhan Akhtar's groundbreaking film Dil Chahta Hai in 2001. Khan, who couldn't turn down the project since it was her cousin Farhan's directorial debut, discovered a completely changed Akshaye Khanna.
"He had completely changed by then. He had reconciled with his hair," she observed. "In 'Dil Chahta Hai', he became very chill. But after Dil Chahta Hai, something changed."
Khan particularly praised Khanna's dancing abilities, which she felt were underappreciated. "And he is a brilliant dancer, if you watch 'Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe,' he is dancing better than Aamir and Saif."
Current Professional Relationship
Today, Farah Khan and Akshaye Khanna enjoy a strong professional bond. Khan recently watched Khanna's performance in Aditya Dhar's upcoming film Dhurandhar and was so impressed that she immediately called to praise him.
"I called him and then I went to his Alibag house," she shared. "What I like about him is that he is not about the fluff, he is about the work. He enjoys acting."
The Tees Maar Khan Connection
During the podcast conversation, Khan also revealed interesting behind-the-scenes details about their collaboration on the 2010 film Tees Maar Khan. She disclosed that the role of Aatish Kapoor, which Khanna ultimately played, had been rejected by several actors first.
"Many people said no to that role. First Sharman Joshi turned it down because he was doing Ferrari Ki Sawaari at the time," she explained. "And Akshaye Khanna was the last person you would think of for that role because it's such a zany, cracked comedy, he had to go completely hamming."
Rediscovery of Tees Maar Khan
Interestingly, while Tees Maar Khan initially failed at the box office upon its release, the film has experienced a resurgence in popularity over time. With Akshaye Khanna receiving renewed attention for his role in Dhurandhar, audiences are rediscovering his performance in Farah Khan's comedy.
Social media platforms are now filled with clips from Tees Maar Khan, often tagged to Farah Khan, who frequently praises Khanna's work in these posts. The film has gradually transformed from a commercial disappointment to a cult favorite, becoming part of contemporary pop culture references.
This candid conversation between Farah Khan and Ranveer Allahbadia provides rare insight into the evolution of professional relationships in Bollywood, demonstrating how personal growth and changing circumstances can transform difficult collaborations into mutually respectful partnerships over time.
