Akshaye Khanna‘s role as Rehman Dakait in ‘Dhurandhar’ made him the talk of Bollywood, with his hook step on the song ‘Fa9la’ going viral and his scene-stealing presence drawing widespread praise. But even as the buzz grows with ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ now in cinemas, a different conversation has followed Khanna for decades, one about his reputation for being difficult. Now, his co-star Danish Pandor is setting the record straight.
Danish Pandor on working with Akshaye Khanna in ‘Dhurandhar’
In an interview with News18, Danish Pandor, who played Uzair Baloch in ‘Dhurandhar’, said his experience with Akshaye Khanna was far removed from the warnings that circulate in industry circles. He said, “He treats you very nicely. He’s very receptive as a person. It’s true that he doesn’t speak much, but if you ask him anything, he’s very responsive.”Pandor was quick to clarify that Khanna’s quietness should not be mistaken for coldness or arrogance. He added, “It’s not like he says, ‘Oh, I don’t want to speak to you.’ He’s an amazing human being. But yes, there’s a zone that he lives in when he’s on a film set. He always concentrated on his character. When the camera rolls, he becomes that character completely.”
Danish Pandor on Akshaye Khanna’s on-set habits revealed
One of the more striking things Danish Pandor discovered was that Akshaye Khanna follows a strict no-phone policy while shooting, something that sets him apart from most of his peers.The actor said, “He doesn’t even sit with his phone on a set. He sits in a tight corner, not speaking to anyone unless spoken to. He’s an amazing soul. He sits quietly, keeps to himself, and thinks about his performance.”
Danish Pandor on Akshaye Khanna going back to Alibaug
As the ‘Dhurandhar’ frenzy peaked, Khanna did what he has always done—disappeared from public view, retreating to his bungalow in Alibaug. Pandor, for one, sees nothing wrong with that.“Isn’t that the best thing one can do? Things like these keep him grounded. The moment you feel that you’re getting overwhelmed, you should just start taking it easy.”Talking about how Akshaye Khanna looks at success and failure, Danish said, “He keeps himself grounded and moves on easily. But he knows everything that goes around on social media. Having said that, I don’t think he’s one of those people who would actively go to social media to see what’s being written or talked about him.”
More about ‘Dhurandhar’
‘Dhurandhar’, directed by Aditya Dhar, starred Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Danish Pandor, Saumya Tandon, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, and more. The movie was released in cinemas on December 19, 2026. It went on to rake in over Rs 1300 crore at the box office worldwide.