That veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is a masterclass of acting need not be said. It certainly need not be reiterated as the ace actor turns 76 and is better at his craft than ever.
What's interesting recently is how incredible talents from the '80s and '90s have found their second innings in the cinematic landscape extremely rewarding. Old gen, new crowds - they are all there to praise stellar performances. And Naseeruddin Shah has had a swell 2026 so far.
He is being applauded for his performances in Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga and Made In India: A Titan Story on OTT, both of which have highlighted that he's owning the year with less showsha and more work.
This invariably reminds us of another actor who had an equally fruitful 2025, all while remaining in the shadows of overflowing fan love.
Akshaye Khanna.
Not that we are comparing the two actors - they weren't of the same generation to begin with. While Naseeruddin Shah rose up the ladder in the '70s and '80s, Akshaye Khanna began his journey in the '90s.
But the common thread between the two vastly different and availed actors is the renewed recognition they have received within a year. And it indeed is commendable.
Naseeruddin Shah - The Moment
Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga has been a classic example of how you flip the table, becoming a sleeper hit.
Sharvari and Vedang Raina were impressive, but Naseeruddin Shah (Ishwar Grewal), who plays the older version of Vedang Raina's character - Keenu - stole hearts and triggered a meltdown of sorts. He delivered a convincing portrayal of a 95-year-old partition survivor losing his memory as he is haunted by hallucinations due to Alzheimer's and dementia.
All he wishes is to keep his promises: to return to his ancestral home and his lost love in Pakistan, from whom he was estranged when communal violence gripped the nation on the brink of independence.
The heart-wrenching pain and emotional depth that an actor of Naseeruddin Shah's calibre captured have received thunderous applause from far and wide, across age groups. At one point he was so immersive that he embodied the lingering longing of Ishar Grewal, his onscreen soul, completely.
Main Vaapas Aaunga came right after his massively acclaimed OTT series, released just a week after Made in India: A Titan Story. He played legendary Tata Group leader JRD Tata in the latter, the tale of how the visionary established Titan Watches.
Naseeruddin Shah's grace and strong screen presence blended effortlessly with the dignity and gentle manner expected of someone playing a character as formidable as JRD Tata. That left critics impressed, and they duly expressed it.
Naseeruddin Shah was the sun, and June its brimming rays. With the first half of 2026 behind us, it's safe to say the veteran actor led with true-blue main-character energy.
And this makes us want to revisit a similar success story from 2025, when Akshaye Khanna was critics' and audiences' favourite.
Akshaye Khanna - The Moment That Was
Akshaye Khanna had his OTT film Ikka released earlier this month, headlining with Sunny Deol and directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra. While fans were excited to see him again after the Dhurandhar craze he unleashed as the menacing crime lord Rehman Dakait, it still doesn't match the frenzy that enveloped him in 2025.
Akshaye Khanna literally started and ended 2025 with a bang. He began with Laxman Utekar's Chhava and ended with Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar; what's more, he played villains in both.
In Chhaava he was the ruthless Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who challenged Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and led to his merciless death. Rather than adopting a loud approach to antagonism, Akshaye Khanna brought a chilling restraint. He was cold, heartless, and could compel anyone to hate him - and he did. That's just an example of how terrific he was.
He underwent an intense transformation that impressed the masses: long grey hair, a heavy beard, kohl-rimmed eyes and hours of prosthetics were all part of the process.
And he carried the same determination into Dhurandhar.
Aditya Dhar's spy film had an ensemble cast, with Ranveer Singh headlining alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan and Rakesh Bedi as irreplaceable additions. But Akshaye Khanna, as the powerful crime kingpin, stole the limelight - and how!
From his dance moves to his flip-and-flaunt flair, to his cold stare, to a brawl with Ranveer Singh and a climatic fall at the end of Dhurandhar Part 1, Akshaye Khanna became the internet's sweetheart.
The internet was in love with Akshaye Khanna, and while he remained as reclusive as ever, far from the uproar of fan frenzy, 2025 ended on the note that Akshaye Khanna had nailed it.
If we compare, Naseeruddin Shah and Akshaye Khanna's journeys in 2026 and 2025 respectively, they do have dissimilarities. Akshaye Khanna's soaring success and recognition were visible in roaring box-office numbers; Naseeruddin Shah's time in the sun came as critical acclaim, rampant social-media appreciation and glowing reviews.
Both are killing it in their own styles, just like their diverse filmographies.
Either way, it's an excellent time to enjoy cinema, with actors from different generations and with distinct skill sets giving viewers performances worth watching.
ALSO READ | Anupam Kher Says He And Naseeruddin Shah Hugged And Moved On After 'Clown' Remark Resurfaces
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