Akshaye Khanna has been garnering significant attention for his portrayal of crime kingpin Rehman Daikat in the recent film 'Dhurandhar'. However, actor Amit Behl has shed light on a lesser-known aspect of Khanna's personality, recalling an incident from a film set where the actor fiercely defended the dignity of a fellow artist.
The Incident on Set
In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, as reported by SCREEN, Amit Behl narrated an event that took place during the shooting of a film he worked on with Akshaye Khanna. A character actor, who was staying at a different hotel, arrived at the hotel where the main cast and crew were having lunch. As soon as he took his first bite from the lunch buffet, a relative of the producer noticed him and questioned his presence. A production team member approached the actor and told him, 'Sir, you can't eat this.' Hurt, the character actor quietly set his plate aside and sat alone.
Akshaye Khanna's Reaction
Witnessing this from a distance, Akshaye Khanna immediately intervened. Behl recalled, 'Akshaye, who usually speaks very little, gave a speech about what hunger truly means and what respect truly means. That day, I realised how intense and thoughtful he is towards his fellow artists.' According to Behl, Khanna scolded the producer and the crew members involved, stating emphatically, 'A film doesn't get made by the number of plates or how much food you have; it is made by the blessings of people.' Behl added, 'It really looked like a man who hardly speaks had finally unleashed the volcano within him.'
Praise for 'Dhurandhar'
Akshaye Khanna is currently receiving acclaim for his role in 'Dhurandhar'. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, in an exclusive chat with SCREEN, revealed that the team considered many names before finalising Khanna. 'We had jotted down many names for his role and then shortlisted them, eventually zeroing in on Akshaye. He came for the narration alone, which was the beautiful part. After it ended, he looked at me and said, 'Loved it, I really enjoyed it, man.'' Chhabra noted that Khanna is 'a man of his word' and takes every decision himself.
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