Not since Sanjay Dutt played the villainous Afghan King Ahmed Shah Abdali in Ashutosh Gowariker’s 2019 drama ‘Panipat’, and Saif Ali Khan menacingly portrayed Aurangzeb’s Rajput general Udaybhan Rathod in Ajay Devgn’s 2020 actioner ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’, has Bollywood looked forward to an evil warrior stepping out of the history books onto the silver screen as they do to Akshaye Khanna playing the role of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Dinesh Vijan’s ‘Chhaava’ releasing on February 14.

Akshaye has played the Bollywood antagonist before, if not the actual baddie. Fans will remember him as the alcoholic antagonist in Abbas–Mustan’s 2008 action thriller ‘Race’. And later, in Sajid Nadiadwala’s high octane actioner ‘Dishoom’ in 2016, as the wisecracking, flamboyant Afghan bad guy. Now fans are already raving about Akshaye being pure evil in ‘Chhaava’ – a remarkable performance by him that left those who saw the trailer reportedly frightened.  

  The actor, who was last seen as a suave but crafty IPS officer on Ajay Devgn’s trail in 2022’s ‘Drishyam 2’, has come in for huge praise for his transformation and commitment to the role in ‘Chhaava’. He is said to have brought a muted sliminess and cunningness to the ruthless Mughal ruler. One reviewer of the trailer said that though he has very little dialogue, Akshaye conveys his fierceness with his eyes. The film, which has been directed by Laxman Utekar and stars Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles, promises to be a cinematic experience.