Some years announce a star loudly. Others arrive quietly and leave a bigger impact. For actor Akshaye Khanna, 2025 turned out to be the latter. After three decades in the industry, this year didn’t just reward him with praise – it placed him in a rare commercial league.
Actor Akshaye Khanna’s Quiet Takeover of 2025’s Box Office
In 2025, Akshaye Khanna became the first Indian actor after Shah Rukh Khan whose films crossed ₹2000 crore at the global box office in a single calendar year. What makes the feat even more striking is that he achieved it without even playing the lead.
Two Films, One Historic Milestone
The run began in January with Chhaava. Directed by Laxman Utekar and led by Vicky Kaushal, the historical drama saw Akshaye step into the roaring role of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The performance which drew attention towards him for its restraint and depth. The film went on to gross ₹809 crore worldwide, holding the title of the year’s highest-grossing Indian film for months.
Dhurandhar Changes the Game
December brought Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller packed with stars like Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal. Yet, it was Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of gangster Rehman Dakait that clearly lingered with audiences.
Fuelled by strong word of mouth, Dhurandhar emerged as the most successful Hindi film domestically in 2025. Its worldwide collection currently stands at ₹1167 crore and continues to grow. Together, Chhaava and Dhurandhar pushed actor Akshaye Khanns’s yearly total to approximately ₹2001 crore.
Until now, only Shah Rukh Khan had crossed the ₹2000-crore mark in a single year which he achieved it in 2023 with Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki. Others like Aamir Khan, Prabhas and Allu Arjun came close but under different timelines or figures.
What adds irony to Akshaye’s story is that he almost didn’t do Dhurandhar at all. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed how difficult it was to convince him, with Akshaye initially reluctant even to hear the script. Today, that near-rejection stands in sharp contrast to the impact the film made – helping him achieve a box office milestone that most actors only dream of, all through powerful supporting roles.
ALSO READ: 10 Most Underrated Hindi Films Of 2025 You Probably Missed But Shouldn’t!
source https://lehren.com/actor-akshaye-khanna-becomes-first-indian-actor-after-srk-crossed-2000-cr-in-a-single-year/
