How Akshaye Khanna's Rehman Dakait emerged as Dhurandhar's surprise hero

On the Dhurandhar success, actor Akshaye Khanna steps away from the limelight. The actor is earning praise for his role in the Aditya Dhar directorial, spending time at his Alibaug home

Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait in Dhurundhar
Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait in Dhurundhar
Sonika Nitin Nimje New Delhi
3 min read Last Updated : Dec 17 2025 | 5:57 PM IST
Akshaye khanna in dhurandhar: Dhurandhar was marketed as a large-scale spy action film starring Ranveer Singh and a stellar cast. Fans can't stop raving about Akshaye Khanna, who plays Lyari criminal Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhar's film, over two weeks after it was released. 
 
A man who prefers to stay away from the spotlight and isn’t even active on social media has unexpectedly become the true Dhurandhar behind the film’s record-shattering box office run. 
 
Whether it’s his commanding screen presence, razor-sharp dialogue delivery or his surprisingly effortless moves in the now-viral FA9LA track, the 50-year-old actor has completely owned the moment. This season, all roads lead to him — the unlikely showstopper driving the film’s phenomenal success.

Akshaye Khanna 'The Reel Rehman Dakait'

Rehman Dakait, a ganglord from the depths of Lyari in Karachi, Pakistan, appears in the movie. Based on the real-life mobster of the same name, he is portrayed as a Robin Hood-like character with a golden heart who is equally feared and admired in a town governed by gangs, with police playing catch-up. 
 
The internet has been praising Akshaye's performance in Dhurandhar and the actor's spontaneous dance to the Arabic song FA9LA. Industry insiders have also come to appreciate him.
 
His entrance sequence in Dhurandhar, in which he enters a hospital as a distraught father whose young son was cruelly murdered, is a great performance. 
 
Although Akshaye Khanna is in the so-called supporting cast, but has a lot of screen time and scene-stealing moments because our protagonist's journey is linked to Rehman Dakait's fate. 

Akshaye Khanna is avoiding the 'limelight' after Dhurundhar's success

A video of Akshaye doing a Vastu Shanti hawan at his Alibaug residence was recently posted on Instagram by a priest by the name of Shivam Mhatre. Akshaye and three priests are shown taking part in the rites in the video. He is wearing blue jeans and a white shirt in a casual outfit.
 
Since it first appeared online, the video, which was posted by the priest conducting the puja, has captured everyone's interest. Sharing the pictures on his Instagram account, Shivam Mhatre wrote, “I had the good fortune of performing a traditional and devotional puja at actor Akshay Khanna’s residence. His calm nature, simplicity, and positive energy made the experience truly special.” 

About Dhurundhar movie

Aditya Dhar is the writer, director, and co-producer of Dhurandhar, which also features Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. In the movie, Akshaye portrays Rehman Dakait, the head of the Baloch gang, while Madhavan plays Ajay Sanyal, Director of the Intelligence Bureau.
 
In order to send vital information to India, Ranveer's character Jaskirat Singh Rangi, also known as Hamza Ali Mazari, infiltrates Rehman Dakait's group. Dhurandhar received mixed reviews when it was first released and has so far made over ₹400 crore at the Indian box office. 
 

 

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Topics :BollywoodIndian film industryRanveer Singh

First Published: Dec 17 2025 | 5:54 PM IST

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