Akshaye Khanna’s unexpected surge in popularity on Instagram Reels has once again highlighted how social media can give you a second life. A specific clip of his character’s entry has taken social media by storm. In the scene, he walks with a quiet, menacing swagger to the backdrop of the popular Bahraini hip-hop track 'FA9LA' by Flipperachi.
A similar phenomenon played out earlier this year with Bobby Deol following the viral popularity of his dance step from Animal. The clip spread rapidly across the internet, turning the actor into a trending digital figure almost overnight.
Riding on this wave of social media virality, Deol soon became a brand favourite. From WinZO and Beardo to Kia India, several brands signed him on, often casting him in roles that echoed his Animal character capitalising on the strong audience recall and familiarity associated with that persona.
However, unlike most viral stars who quickly capitalise on such moments, Khanna presents a unique case, as he is not present on social media, and it's been three weeks, and we have not seen any single brand’s campaign in which he is associated.
As brands scan the internet for the next cultural moment to tap into, the question arises: Can Akshaye Khanna’s virality translate into meaningful brand partnerships, or does his persona demand a different playbook altogether?
Danny Advani, Head of Business Strategy, Dot Media, believes Khanna’s relevance would be strongest in the luxury category, where distance from digital noise adds value. “Think whisky, watches, and classic menswear. In an oversaturated world where creators are constantly yelling into the internet abyss, his absence builds mystique, and mystique is brandable,” he says.
Khanna’s personality in interviews reinforces this perception. He appears largely indifferent to the outside noise, someone who keeps a distance from the social circuit and has little interest in parties or public visibility.
Traditionally, brands tend to gravitate towards extroverted personality figures who are highly accessible and easy for audiences to relate to. Khanna, however, stands apart from that mould.
Unsurprisingly, his brand associations have been limited. In 2016, he served as a brand ambassador for GUJCON (Gujarat Cement Company). Earlier, in the early 2000s, he was also associated with Asian Paints through select promotional campaigns.
Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru and Founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, believes personal brands are shaped in two distinct ways. One, when individuals consciously and actively craft their own persona. Two, when that persona is formed organically by viewers and consumers. “In that sense, Akshaye Khanna is a bottom-up brand,” he says. According to Bijoor, when individuals don’t aggressively attempt to define their own image, the world begins to do it for them, and that process creates far greater solidity.
“Silence is often golden in brand-building. The less you try to construct your own image and the more others do it for you, the bigger and more credible your brand becomes,” he explains. Bijoor strongly advocates for persona brands to be built externally rather than internally.
“When others build you, your foundation is shaped by people who have no personal stake in you, yet still choose to believe in you. That lends authenticity,” he notes. “When you build yourself, personal interest inevitably creeps in, and that affects credibility,” he highlights.
Advani points out that just because the internet is celebrating someone doesn’t automatically give brands the licence to jump in. The biggest mistake, he says, is forcing self-insert energy where brands awkwardly wrap campaigns around memes without anchoring them in what they genuinely stand for.
“The right approach,” Advani explains, “is to tap into the mood, not the man,” he highlighted.
In contrast to Deol’s brand associations, which largely leaned into his Abrar Haque persona from Animal, many campaigns cast him in roles that mirrored the same character. The question now is whether a similar character-led approach will emerge with Akshaye Khanna.
Lloyd Mathias, brand strategist, says that Akshaye Khanna has made a strong comeback without appearing to try too hard, which has only added to the intrigue around him.
He further highlights that, as a result, brands are increasingly likely to view him as a highly differentiated personality, one who prioritizes privacy, authenticity, and individuality over visibility and follower counts.
“Unlike Bobby Deol, whose recent brand resurgence was closely linked to a specific on-screen character, Akshaye Khanna brings with him a far broader legacy. His career spans a diverse body of work, allowing brands to tap into a wider range of associations rather than a single, dominant persona. This versatility makes him less likely to be boxed into one character type and offers greater flexibility for brand storytelling,” he mentions.
Mathias said that amid growing fatigue around heavily endorsed celebrities, Akshaye Khanna offers freshness without sacrificing credibility. BFSI emerges as a natural fit, along with serious lifestyle brands that value maturity, authenticity, and understated sophistication.
Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, KlugKlug, points out that today’s brands increasingly seek partners who can amplify narratives through their own digital channels, something Akshaye Khanna does not actively offer.
“His limited public visibility may also make it more challenging for him to monetise trends as effectively as creators who can convert attention into sustained, revenue-generating content. That said, for select luxury or heritage brands, Khanna’s enigmatic presence and the organic buzz around him could prove to be a strength rather than a limitation,” Gupta points out.
Toru Jhaveri, Founder, The Stuff of Life, echoes a similar view, noting that Akshaye Khanna does not naturally fit into the conventional system of brand associations. “That’s who he is and who he has always been. I doubt very much that he will do brand collaborations never say never, though,” she highlights.
Jhaveri also cautions against comparing Khanna with Bobby Deol. While Deol has been vocal about seeking more opportunities and embracing the traditional Bollywood spotlight since his resurgence, Akshaye Khanna has consistently chosen to maintain a low profile, even at the height of his popularity.
For brands, the Akshaye Khanna moment is less a case study in celebrity endorsement and more a test of strategic maturity.
His appeal isn’t in follower counts or constant visibility, but in credibility and his body of work. Whether he partners with brands or not, his comeback shows that influence doesn’t have to be loud, and not every brand win depends on going viral.
