Mohan Kapur recently spoke Akshaye KhannaThe actor’s talent, why he may not have always been at the top commercially, and even praised Ranveer Singh for his versatility and generosity as a performer.Asked why people today feel Akshaye Khanna is finally getting the recognition and respect he always deserved, Mohan said that he has always considered Akshaye an exceptional actor.
“Akshaye Khanna has always been a very good performer”
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Mohan said, “You’re right. Akshaye Khanna has always been a very good actor. He’s a great actor. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say for sure, but people often say he’s moody or selective. And work on his own terms.”He also added that some actors choose to leave only when they find something really exciting. “Maybe he was on that kind of sabbatical where he felt, ‘I’ll come back when I feel like it and find something worth doing’. Or maybe it’s just fate; sometimes your stars align later. But one thing’s for sure, he’s always been a great actor.”
Mohan Kapur at Akshaye Khanna’s performance in Dhurandhar
Talking about Akshaye’s latest work Aditya DharOn Dhurandhar, Mohan said he watched the film a couple of weeks before the release of the second part, as he usually avoids films that are overhyped at the beginning.“I only saw it, and when I came out of the theater, I understood why people were praising it so much. Everyone in the film did an amazing job. It’s a very intelligent story,” he said.He explains that the film has provoked strong reactions because of its ability to mix fictional stories with real-life references. “It has its critics and its admirers, and that’s because it’s so cleverly written. They’ve taken real-life cases and woven them into a clever fictional plot that will make people think it’s real.’Coming back to Akshaye, Mohan added, “He was phenomenal in the film, but honestly, that’s just Akshaye Khanna. He’s always been that good. People are suddenly excited because they saw him in a never-before-seen avatar.”Using an analogy, Mohan explained why Akshaye’s comeback made such a big impact with the audience.“If you eat biryani every day, after a point, the excitement wears off. But if you have it after a long gap, suddenly it feels amazing again. That’s what happened with Akshaye Khan. The audience hadn’t seen him for a long time, so it became a huge moment,” he said.
Mohan Kapoor calls Ranveer Singh “the real chameleon of this country”.
Mohan also praised Ranveer Singh for letting the other actors shine despite carrying a film on his shoulders.“It’s great to let someone else take the spotlight while you take it easy on the film. Ranveer Singh is the true chameleon of this country. There is no actor like him,” he said.Recalling his first reaction after watching Band Baaja Baaraat, Mohan admitted that he initially thought that Ranveer would be able to play similar roles as he was a natural in the film.“Honestly, I told my friends that this guy probably can’t do anything else because he was so convincing in Band Baaja Baaraat. Imagine, I call myself an actor and I got it wrong,” he joked. He then pointed to his performances in Padmaavat and Gully Boy as examples of Ranveer’s ability to completely transform into every role.“He transforms completely. He is a terrific actor. Even in Dhurandhar, he was something else entirely. And beyond that, he is a wonderful human being – whole hearted,” concluded Mohan.
