Paresh Rawal & Akshay Kumar Movies Together List — 21 Films

The shape of the work

The 1990s belonged to Aankhen; the 2020s to Sarfira. Paresh Rawal acted in every film; Akshay Kumar acted in all of them. Strictly Hindi cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Their first film together, Aankhen (1993), almost didn't happen. The director wanted a bigger star for Akshay's role, but Paresh Rawal insisted on casting him after seeing his audition tape. Akshay later said Paresh 'fought for me like a brother.'
• In Hera Pheri (2000), Paresh's Baburao was written as a straight man. But on set, Akshay kept feeding him absurd lines. Paresh started improvising, and the 'thoda khao, thoda pheko' rhythm was born. They built the comedy by bouncing off each other's timing — no one else could match that pace.
• Their pairing in Welcome (2007) directly launched the 'comedy gangster' trend in Bollywood. After that film, every producer wanted a loud, lovable goon (Paresh) paired with a cool, clueless hero (Akshay). Films like Golmaal and Dhamaal owe their tone to this template.
• On every shoot, Paresh and Akshay had a ritual: they'd share a cup of chai before the first take, no matter how late they were. Akshay once said, 'If the chai didn't happen, the scene felt off.' They kept this up for 12 films over 33 years.
• Akshay Kumar on Paresh Rawal: 'He is the only actor who can make me forget my lines because I'm laughing so hard. In Bhagam Bhag, I had to turn my back to the camera just to hide my smile.' — Interview with Filmfare, 2007.
• In Oh My God (2012), Paresh played the atheist lead while Akshay played Krishna. The trick? Akshay deliberately underplayed his godly role, letting Paresh's rage and confusion drive every scene. Paresh later said, 'He gave me the stage. He knew the film needed me to be loud, so he stayed quiet.'