# Akshaye Khanna's Brutal Honesty: "I'd Never Share the Screen with Dad Vinod Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan" **Imagine admitting your own father and a Bollywood legend are too powerful to act alongside.** That's exactly what Akshaye Khanna did in a candid 2008 interview, revealing deep insecurities about their **overpowering screen presence**[1][2]. Akshaye, known for his intense and restrained performances, dropped this bombshell not out of resentment, but raw self-awareness. "There are certain people whom you shouldn't work with. My dad is one of them. Amitabh Bachchan is another," he told IANS. "To stand in the same frame as them confidently is impossible. They've such an overpowering screen presence." He elaborated that some actors "just wash you away on screen," placing his father Vinod Khanna— a 1970s superstar—and the Angry Young Man Amitabh Bachchan in that elite category[1][2]. This confession stemmed from personal experience. Akshaye debuted opposite Vinod in the 1997 film *Himalay Putra*, calling it "deeply intimidating" and overwhelming. Despite the family tie, he felt eclipsed by Vinod's effortless charisma, a quality he admitted he lacked: "It's very difficult to match my father on screen. It's that quality – either you have it, or you don't have it. Very frankly, I don't have it."[2] Interestingly, Akshaye *did* share screen space with Amitabh later in 2004's *Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Back*, alongside Sanjay Dutt and others—proving his rule wasn't absolute, but the sentiment lingered[2]. Vinod and Amitabh, meanwhile, had a legendary rivalry-turned-partnership in hits like *Amar Akbar Anthony*, *Parvarish*, and *Muqaddar Ka Sikandar*, where their combined star power lit up the box office[3]. Akshaye's words pay the ultimate tribute to these icons, highlighting Bollywood's intangible magic: screen presence that demands the spotlight. It's a reminder that even stars like Akshaye recognize when legends are simply untouchable.
Vinod Khanna in 2012 – the aura Akshaye couldn't match.
Citations
1.https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/when-akshaye-khanna-revealed-he-would-never-work-with-amitabh-bachchan-and-dad-vinod-khanna-said-there-are-certain-people-whom-you-shouldn-t-work-with-article-13738196.html
2.https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/when-akshaye-khanna-said-he-doesnt-want-to-work-with-his-father-vinod-khanna-9968004/
3.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/when-vinod-khanna-spoke-about-his-rivalry-with-amitabh-bachchan-it-was-the-fan-clubs-that-made-/articleshow/113989468.cms
4.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinod_Khanna
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