Nearly 30 years into his career, Akshaye Khanna has once again caught audiences by surprise with his nuanced turn as Rehman Baloch in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar . As appreciation for the actor pours in, a nostalgic post from West Bengal politician Saira Shah Halim has gone viral online, offering a rare glimpse into what Akshaye was like in school.
Taking to Instagram, Saira revisited her days at Lawrence School Lovedale in Ooty, where Akshaye studied too, a few years ahead of her. Her post, titled “Lawrence School Lovedale Ooty’s original Heartbreak Kid,” gave fans a warm look into the man he used to be before the big screen.
“Perhaps I haven’t shared this before, but Akshaye Khanna was a couple of years senior to us at Lawrence School Lovedale where I was a boarder along with my brother Major Mohommed Ali Shah,” she wrote, recalling the buzz that swept through the campus when news broke that Vinod Khanna’s son would be joining Class 11.”Back in the hallowed, halls of Lawrence School Lovedale, there was a lot of excitement one day,the buzz was that Vinod Khanna’s son is joining in class 11th and we were intrigued about who or what he looked like,” she said.
What followed, she noted, was two years of quiet fascination. “For the next two years we saw him every day, while passing us by, or by walking up and down the campus, one bumped into him as one came out of the tuck shop etc etc and boy he was the school crush! period.”
“Akshaye was a man of mystery…”
Saira further described a teenage Akshaye as far removed from the stereotypical popular senior. “Akshaye wasn’t the boisterous captain of the football team; he was the quiet storm. He was reticent and a brooder and the only drama he caused was in the hearts of his school mates,” she wrote.
His mystery only added to the allure. “Akshaye was a man of mystery. One who never attended school socials, was never a part of big groups, he just needed to quietly exist while sipping tea in the lawns or taking a solitary walk in the school campus,” she further said. But she also added, “Despite never being a ‘ladies man’ in the traditional sense, he was the most popular senior on campus.” She also recalled that “His dad Vinod Khanna and stepmom visited him often I recall.”
Looking back, Saira admitted his eventual foray into films felt almost inevitable. “Much later I wasn’t surprised he went on and joined films, some films clicked, some didn’t in all of this one thing remained static-he was low key and mysterious throughout, just the way he is now. Glad he is getting his due recognition.”
Fans show an outpouring of love
Along with the post, she shared an old photograph of Akshaye, prompting an outpouring of reactions from fans. One comment read, “The only thing that hurts is this recognition was supposed to come from the much better movies he has done earlier!” Another added, “Beautifully written Aunty! Lovedale knew it early that Akshaye was special. His performance in Dhurandhar just reminded everyone else! ✨”
Several fans revisited his filmography, with one writing, “Omg….finally this song and this actor came up…he was phenomenal in Dil Chahta Hai, Taal, Aa Ab Laut Chalein & Border !!” Another comment reflected on his understated appeal: “Such an amazing thing to know that such a lowkey person is getting recognition. Usually people get ignored who stay lowkey… But this nonchalant flamboyant has always ruled my heart with his sarcasm in his movies. Whether its jeetu videocon or Taal .”
About Akshaye’s role in Dhurandhar
In Dhurandhar, Akshaye shares screen space with Ranveer Singh, playing Rehman Dakait in a spy thriller that also stars Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, and Sara Arjun. With a second part already in the works for March next year and the first instalment set to arrive on OTT in January, Akshaye’s quiet storm appears to be far from over.