Updated on: Jan 04, 2026 10:27 am IST
Rakesh Bedi spoke about Dhurandhar co-star Akshaye Khanna becoming a ‘lovable villain’ with the Aditya Dhar film.
If there is one person who walked away from Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar stealing attention despite playing the villain, it has to be Akshaye Khanna. His co-star, Rakesh Bedi, in an interview with Faridoon Shahryarm, called him a ‘lovable villain’ and compared him to Shatrughan Sinha in his prime.
Bollywood actor Akshaye Khanna dances to FA9LA in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar. Rakesh Bedi calls Akshaye Khanna ‘lovable’
Akshaye might have played the notorious Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar, but there’s one song that upped his cool factor. And that is Flipperachi’s FA9LA. Agreeing with how the song changed it all for Akshaye, Rakesh said, “His character has a flamboyance that is enhanced by the song. This is a lethal combination. When a villain becomes lovable, then he becomes more loved than the hero. For example, Shatrughan Sinha, at the peak of his career, was greeted with cheers and claps in theatres, despite playing a villain in every film. He was a lovable villain, not a cruel one.”
Despite the flamboyance of his character, Rakesh recollects that Akshaye mostly kept to himself on the set. “I am the type who speaks to everyone on set and cracks jokes with everyone. Akshaye, however, is different. He would sit in the corner quietly and read his books, or he would be looking at his phone. But whenever we sat together before the shot, we had very intellectual conversations. He asked me a lot about my theatre. I also asked him questions. So we had some good conversations,” he said.
Rakesh remarked that Akshaye might be ‘laying low’ since the film’s release, as he hasn’t been able to get in touch with him.
About Dhurandhar
Dhurandhar tells the story of Jaskirat Singh Rangi, alias Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh), who is sent on an undercover mission to Lyari, Pakistan. Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna) is the leader of an alleged militant gang. Rakesh played Jameel Jamali, a senior politician, in the film. Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Arjun Rampal also play the lead roles. Dhurandhar 2 will be released in theatres on March 19, 2026.
News / Entertainment / Bollywood / Rakesh Bedi compares Akshaye Khanna in Dhurandhar to Shatrughan Sinha in his prime: ‘More loved than hero’
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