Priyadarshan opens up on Akshaye Khanna, Bollywood’s ‘difficult’ actor who keeps directors on their toes

Some actors come with a reputation that precedes them, and Akshaye Khanna is definitely one of those. Known for his intense, brooding performances, the actor has been in the news again; this time for his show-stealing turn as Rehman Dakait in ‘Dhurandhar’, where he plays a ruthless gang leader. While audiences are raving, filmmaker Priyadarshan has given a rare peek behind the curtain, calling Akshaye “difficult” but also one of the most talented actors he’s ever worked with.

In a chat with Zoom, Priyadarshan opened up about his experience directing stars with strong personalities and the secret to getting their best performances.

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Akshaye Khanna: “Difficult but no drama”

When asked about Akshaye, Priyadarshan didn’t mince words. “Akshaye is a difficult person,” he said candidly.

But here’s the twist, despite that label, the director never faced any real trouble working with him. In fact, their collaboration stretches across seven or eight films, including hits like ‘Hungama’, ‘Hulchul’, ‘Doli Saja Ke Rakhna’, ‘Mere Baap Pehle Aap’, ‘Aakrosh’.

The director explained what makes Akshaye special: his ability to switch effortlessly between roles. One moment he’s delivering a comic performance like Jeetu from Videocon in ‘Hungama’, and the next he’s terrifying as a gang leader in ‘Dhurandhar’.

Priyadarshan clearly admires this versatility.

Lessons from the legends

Priyadarshan also shared a nugget of wisdom he picked up from Amitabh Bachchan. The megastar once told him, “Actors are beggars; they can’t choose.” Priyadarshan interpreted this as a director’s responsibility: to give actors the best material and to push their talent to the limit. He added, “So you give them the best and exploit them with their talent. That’s the way I always worked with that.”

It’s a philosophy that seems to work. Priyadarshan has been able to get memorable performances from even the most “difficult” actors.