‘I Was Traumatised’: Farah Khan Opens Up About Working With Akshaye Khanna

Farah Khan reveals Akshaye Khanna was once “not a nice person on set” in the ’90s. The filmmaker shares how the actor later changed during Dil Chahta Hai.

Farah Khan opens up about her early experiences working with Akshaye Khanna.

Source : Instagram/@ranveerallahbadia

Show Quick Read

Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Filmmaker Farah Khan revealed early '90s issues with Akshaye Khanna.
• Khanna's apparent hair loss made him 'irritable' on sets then.
• A shift occurred after 'Dil Chahta Hai' collaboration.
• Khan praised Khanna's work in 'Tees Maar Khan' role.

Actor Akshaye Khanna is back in the spotlight due to Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, a project that has once again drawn attention to his long-standing yet often underrated talent. With the renewed buzz around him, many fans have also begun revisiting his quirky and memorable performance in Farah Khan’s comedy Tees Maar Khan. Although the film struggled at the box office when it was first released, it has slowly developed a cult following over the years and become a talking point in pop-culture conversations.

Interestingly, Farah Khan is often tagged in social media clips featuring Akshaye’s scenes from the film, where she frequently praises his performance. However, the filmmaker recently revealed that their professional relationship didn’t start on the smoothest note.

Farah Khan Says Akshaye Khanna Was 'Irritable' In The ’90s

During a conversation on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, Farah Khan candidly reflected on her early experiences working with the actor. She said: “In the ’90s, I did a couple of movies with Akshaye, and after that I was traumatised. Because he used to be a different person. Yes, introverted, but not a nice person on set. Whenever I heard that Akshaye Khanna was in a film, I used to say, ‘I don’t have the dates.’”

According to Farah, the actor appeared to be going through a difficult phase at the time, particularly due to his struggle with hair loss. That personal challenge, she suggested, often made him visibly frustrated while working.

“I think at that time he himself had said that he was losing his hair. He was constantly irritable. He used to throw things and say, ‘What kind of dialogue is this?’ He used to be that kind of person.”

How ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ Changed Her Perspective

(Image Source: ABPLIVE AI)

Farah explained that her perception of Akshaye Khanna shifted significantly when she later worked on Farhan Akhtar’s Dil Chahta Hai. Since it was Farhan’s directorial debut and he is her cousin, she couldn’t decline the project.

“He had completely changed by then. He had reconciled with his hair. In Dil Chahta Hai, he became very chill. 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. But after Dil Chahta Hai, something changed. And he is a brilliant dancer, if you watch ‘Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe,’ he is dancing better than Aamir and Saif.”

Farah added that their relationship today is warm and friendly. She even reached out to Akshaye after watching Dhurandhar to congratulate him on his performance.

“I called him and then I went to his Alibag house. What I like about him is that he is not about the fluff, he is about the work. He enjoys acting.”

The Role In Tees Maar Khan That Many Actors Rejected

(Image Source: Twitter/@CinemaAbhiHindi)

In the same discussion, Farah also revealed that Akshaye Khanna’s role as Aatish Kapoor in Tees Maar Khan was initially turned down by several actors. She explained that the eccentric character required a performer willing to embrace an over-the-top comedic style.

“Many people said no to that role. First Sharman Joshi turned it down because he was doing Ferrari Ki Sawaari at the time. 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.”

Farah Khan Hints At Return To Direction

Meanwhile, Farah Khan recently hinted that she may soon return to directing films. Speaking with Nakuul Mehta on her YouTube channel, the filmmaker responded to the trending social media hashtag “Farah Wapas Aao (Farah, please come back),” which fans have been using to urge her to return to filmmaking.

“I think it’s time. I think by the end of this year I’ll start,” she said. However, she made it clear that her comeback to direction would only happen under one condition. “If I do it, I will do it with Shah Rukh. Otherwise, I will keep doing YouTube.”

With renewed attention on Akshaye Khanna and Farah Khan hinting at a potential return behind the camera, fans are once again revisiting old collaborations, and wondering what might come next.