# When Villains Steal the Show: Aks

# When Villains Steal the Show: Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar Triumph Echoes Shatrughan Sinha's Legend **Imagine a villain so magnetic that audiences cheer louder for him than the hero**—that's the spell Akshaye Khanna casts as Rehman Dakait in the 2025 thriller *Dhurandhar*, drawing rave comparisons to Bollywood icon Shatrughan Sinha from veteran actor Rakesh Bedi.[3][1] In *Dhurandhar*, inspired by India's covert R&AW operations against Karachi's crime syndicates, Khanna's portrayal of the chilling Pakistani gangster "steals the thunder" with his piercing gaze and devilish presence, as noted by *The Hindu*'s Anuj Kumar.[1] Rakesh Bedi, who plays the sly politician Jameel Jamali alongside him, couldn't hold back his praise: "When a villain becomes lovable, he becomes more loved than the hero," directly likening Khanna to Shatrughan Sinha, whose larger-than-life antagonistic roles in the '70s and '80s turned boos into applause.[3] Bedi shared this in a recent interview, highlighting how Khanna's performance has audiences rooting for the bad guy.[3] This isn't Khanna's first rodeo dominating as a villain. His career is stacked with negative roles that redefined Bollywood antagonists—from the con-artist Karan Malhotra in *Humraaz* (2002), earning him IIFA's Best Performance in a Negative Role, to the scheming Rajiv Singh in the blockbuster *Race* (2008), which grossed over ₹1 billion.[1] Fast-forward to 2025, and *Dhurandhar* cements his status, with Khanna even crossing ₹2000 crore in box-office collections that year across two villain-led hits.[4] It's part of a bigger trend: villains like Riteish Deshmukh in *Raid 2*, Bobby Deol in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*, and Jaideep Ahlawat in *The Family Man Season 3* are stealing the spotlight with layered motivations and massive screen time, making them the new heroes of Hindi cinema.[2]

Akshaye Khanna channeling villainous intensity – a glimpse of his *Dhurandhar* magic.

What makes these villains unforgettable? It's their complexity—far from one-note threats, they mirror real-world gray areas, pulling viewers into moral dilemmas while delivering edge-of-your-seat thrills.[2][1] Bedi even teased a darker turn for his own character in the *Dhurandhar* sequel, promising more manipulative chaos opposite Khanna's reign.[3] **Have you rooted for a Bollywood villain lately? Drop your favorite in the comments below—Akshaye Khanna's Rehman Dakait or a classic Shatrughan Sinha baddie?** Share this post with fellow movie buffs and let's spark the debate!
Citations
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshaye_Khanna
2.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/are-villains-the-new-heroes-of-bollywood-from-riteish-deshmukh-in-raid-2-to-akshaye-khanna-in-dhurandharantagonists-who-stole-the-show/articleshow/125961588.cms
3.https://www.news18.com/movies/bollywood/villains-like-akshaye-khanna-get-cheered-rakesh-bedi-compares-dhurandhar-star-to-shatrughan-sinha-ws-kl-9808093.html
4.https://lehren.com/actor-akshaye-khanna-becomes-first-indian-actor-after-srk-crossed-2000-cr-in-a-single-year/
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