More than just looks: What similarities actress-ex-Miss India sees between son Akshaye Khanna and father Vinod Khanna?

Akshaye Khanna is currently getting a lot of love and praise for his performance in the box office hit Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar. Besides Dhurandhar, the actor also made headlines for making a cameo in Border 2, the sequel to his 1997 film Border, which was directed by J. P. Dutta. The versatile actor is the son of legendary Vinod Khanna. They are both prominent figures in Hindi cinema. Recently, actress-ex-Miss India Kalpana Iyer pointed out similarities between the father-and-son duo.

What are the similarities between Akshaye and Vinod Khanna?

During an exclusive conversation with IANS, she recalled working with the superstar and called him 'a wonderful person' who was always humble and polite to everyone around him. Going forward, she praised Vinod Khanna and said that, aside from his charismatic looks, Kalpana Iyer is quite ecstatic to see that Vinod Khanna's son, Akshaye Khanna, also has the same smile as his father.



However, during a separate interview in 2017, Akshaye was asked if he ever considered playing his father in a biographical film. His reaction was as simple as always. "Playing his father is not an option for me because I do not resemble Vinod Khanna." I don't look like my father... "Not an option," he stated.

Vinod Khanna was known for his films like Amar Akbar Anthony and his commanding screen presence. At the peak of his career, the actor left Bollywood and turned to spirituality. On the other hand, Akshaye Khanna, his son, made his Himalay Putra debut in 1997 and has since developed a distinguished career with subtle performances in Border, Dil Chahta Hai, and Taal.

He also reaffirmed his stardom after portraying Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhar's directorial venture Dhurandhar. The film broke several records at the box office and is the highest-grossing Hindi movie of 2025.


Recently, Border 2 producer Nidhi Dutta, daughter of JP Dutta, opened up about how Akshaye didn't want to become an actor until her father offered him Border. She told News18, “Akshaye was actually leaving for studies abroad, and he never wanted to be an actor, and he was having dinner with my father and Vinod uncle at Vinod uncle‘s house, that’s what I have been told, and dad asked him, will you act in a war film? Akshaye was to leave in two days, and that’s why they were having this farewell dinner. Akshaye said, ‘Yes, I will do it. Vinod uncle was like, ‘Are you crazy? You want to be an actor, you never told me this.’ Akshaye said, ‘I’m telling you now. I will be an actor.”

Meanwhile, the makers are gearing up for the release of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, which is slated to arrive in theatres on March 19 this year.