Akshaye Khanna may not have led the cast lists, but 2025 firmly belonged to him. In a year dominated by spectacle-driven cinema, the veteran actor emerged as a decisive box office force, becoming the only Indian actor after Shah Rukh Khan to feature in films that collectively grossed more than ₹2,000 crore worldwide within a single calendar year.
The milestone was achieved not through star-driven vehicles but through two major releases in which Akshaye played powerful antagonists—roles that ended up anchoring the year’s biggest Hindi box office successes.
Two films, one exceptional year
Akshaye first drew widespread attention with his portrayal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Chhaava, directed by Laxman Utekar and headlined by Vicky Kaushal. Released in January 2025, the film went on to gross ₹809 crore worldwide, holding the title of the year’s highest-grossing Indian film for several months.
While the film was driven by scale and historical spectacle, Akshaye’s restrained yet menacing performance earned strong critical appreciation, reinforcing his reputation for elevating ensemble projects.
If Chhaava established the momentum, December release Dhurandhar sealed the year for him. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy thriller starred Ranveer Singh alongside Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal. Yet it was Akshaye’s turn as gangster Rehman Dakait that drew sustained audience attention.
Backed by strong word of mouth, Dhurandhar went on to become the most successful Hindi film domestically in 2025. As of now, it has earned ₹1,167 crore worldwide and is expected to add another ₹25 crore over the weekend. Combined with Chhaava, Akshaye Khanna’s films have crossed ₹2,000 crore globally in the same year.
In rare company
The achievement places Akshaye in an unusually exclusive bracket. Shah Rukh Khan remains the only other Indian actor to cross the ₹2,000 crore mark in a single year, having done so in 2023 with Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki, which together grossed ₹2,685 crore worldwide.
While Aamir Khan crossed ₹2,000 crore with Dangal, that figure was spread across two years due to the film’s staggered release in China. Meanwhile, stars like Prabhas and Allu Arjun came close with Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2, both crossing ₹1,700 crore globally.
The power of character roles
What sets Akshaye Khanna apart is the nature of his success. Unlike conventional box office records driven by leading stars, his 2025 run underscores the growing audience appetite for well-written antagonists and layered performances.
Three decades into his career, Akshaye’s year-long box office dominance serves as a reminder that impact, not billing order, increasingly defines stardom in contemporary Hindi cinema.
