I like being invisible - Akshaye Khanna

MUMBAI: Talented actor Akshaye Khanna has come out of his cocoon to promote his forthcoming thriller Aakrosh, but the low-profile actor admits he loves dodging the media glare and enjoys being invisible.

“I love being low-profile. I don’t like to be in the press all the time. There are some people who love to be everywhere and be visible all the time. I don’t like it. I like to be invisible,” said Khanna, who is known as a recluse in the industry.

But he doesn’t mind bending his own rules to promote his films. “When my film is about to release, I do whatever I can. In my invisible time, I watch a lot of movies, I read a lot, I have friends and family so I spend time with them and I sleep to the fullest. That’s what I enjoy,” said the actor.

Khanna was introduced to the Indian film industry by his actor-turned-politician father Vinod Khanna with the 1997 movie Himalaya Putra. His brother Rahul Khanna is also an actor.

The 35-year-old, who has done films like Taal, Border, Dil Chahta Hai, Humraaz, Hungama, Hulchul, Gandhi - My Father and Race, doesn’t do too many films and claims it is safer to operate that way.

“I believe in today’s time it is better to sit at home than do a bad film. I’m very satisfied with my career. It has been 16 years since I gave my first shot. It has been a long time. In a population of one billion, very few people get this opportunity to work in films. So I feel very blessed. It’s not easy to survive as an actor,” added the actor.

Khanna, who was last seen in the 2009 film Shortkut - The Con is On, is looking forward to Aakrosh.

Aakrosh is an action drama that revolves around honour killings and will see Khanna working with Ajay Devgn after a gap of eight years. The two were last seen in the 2002 film Deewangee.

“I’ve worked with Ajay in a film after eight years. In fact, I told him recently that we should work together more often. Apart from having a very good personal relationship, I think we share very good chemistry on screen.

“We work well together as actors and there is a comfort level between us and I think that’s very important,” revealed Khanna, who is playing a cop in the film.

The film has been directed by Priyadarshan and also stars Bipasha Basu and Paresh Rawal.

The soundtrack features a song by Pakistani musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

When asked whether he would like to get into production or direction like his contemporaries, the actor refused.

“I have no plans to get into direction or production. I just don’t have any inclination. Some people have and they feel that one day they will direct a film, but I don’t have any such wish. I’m very happy being an actor.”

After Aakrosh, the actor will also be seen in Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan, which is scheduled to release at the end of the year. Tees Maar Khan stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif and is Farah Khan’s third directorial venture after her hit films Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2010.