Akshaye Khanna was always known as a bankable actor. He just proved it in 2025. The actor appeared in Chhaava as Aurangzeb, and then went on play Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar, both of which earned him a newfound fandom.
India TV hosted a poll on Tuesday, December 23, asking the readers to vote for who they thought was the Best Actor of 2025. And they certainly made their choice.
Akshaye Khanna was the audience-choice Best Actor winner
Akshaye Khanna beat lead actors this year, including Vicky Kaushal, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan and Rishab Shetty, to win the maximum votes as Best Actor. His performances as Aurangzeb and Rehman Dakait clearly proved to be audience-winners this year. Take a look:
Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait
Everything about Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait was a fan-favourite. Right from his iconic entry to the Fa9la track to his humour, and even the villain that he was, everything earned him widespread acclaim.
India TV, in its review for Dhurandhar, gave a special shout-out to Akshaye Khanna. An excerpt on him can be read: "Akshaye Khanna matches him step for step. He delivers every dialogue with such precision and calm intensity that it’s hard to take your eyes off him. His role in the film is substantial, and he dominates the screen throughout his presence."
Akshaye Khanna walks out of Drishyam 3?
Akshaye Khanna, who was an integral part of Ajay Devgn and Tabu's Drishyam 2, has reportedly been excited about Drishyam 3. While the actor's spokesperson has yet to confirm the reports, buzz has it that the actor has exited the film due to the remuneration offered. He played IG Tarun Ahlawat, a close friend and colleague of Tabu's Meera Deshmukh and Vijay Salgaonkar's biggest threat.
Next, Akshaye Khanna will be seen in the Telugu mythological epic, Mahakali.
Also read: Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar entry song Fa9la is the new Jamal Kudu: Here's what the lyrics mean