Prasanth Varma unveils Akshaye Khanna’s first look as ‘Asuraguru Shukracharya’ in Mahakali

Filmmaker Prasanth Varma on Tuesday unveiled the striking first-look poster of veteran actor Akshaye Khanna as the enigmatic Asuraguru Shukracharya in his upcoming film Mahakali. The poster shows Khanna in a never-seen-before avatar, leaving fans stunned with his powerful transformation.

The film marks Akshaye Khanna’s Telugu debut. The actor was last seen in Laxman Utekar’s historical action epic Chhaava, where he portrayed Mughal emperor Aurangzeb alongside Vicky Kaushal.

Sharing the poster, the makers wrote:
"In the shadows of gods, rose the brightest flame of rebellion. Presenting the enigmatic #AkshayeKhanna as the eternal ‘Asuraguru SHUKRACHARYA’ from #Mahakali."

The post has already crossed 30,000 likes and hundreds of comments within hours.

Social media reacts

Fans were quick to draw comparisons between Khanna’s look and Amitabh Bachchan’s Ashwatthama from Kalki 2898 AD. One user commented, “Ashwatthama look Amitabh Bachchan,” while another wrote, “Thought Ashwatthama looks same.”

About Mahakali

The Telugu-language epic is produced by Riwaz Ramesh Duggal, created by Prasanth Varma, and directed by Puja Aparna Kolluru. The film is part of the expanding Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU), which also includes HanuMan, Jai Hanuman starring Rishab Shetty, Adhira featuring Dasari Kalyan, and an untitled project with Mokshagna Teja.

Akshaye Khanna’s work front

Over the years, Khanna has delivered memorable performances in films like Dil Chahta Hai, Border, Race, and Drishyam 2. Up next, he will be seen in Aditya Dhar’s much-anticipated film Dhurandhar, releasing on December 5, 2025. The star-studded project also features R Madhavan, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles.