The Comeback Club: How Akshaye Khanna, Bobby Deol & Other Yesteryear Stars Are Winning 2025 - And the Internet As Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol lead a powerful resurgence, Bollywood witnesses a rare cultural shift where talent, timing, and nostalgia collide to bring forgotten legends back to the spotlight.

In the past, Bollywood actors who had fallen from grace were the subject of whispers of empathy when they returned to the limelight. However, we are now, in 2025, experiencing an explosion of these same types of actors who had built up cult followings long ago and have since retreated from the public eye, coming back in force and shaking up the industry. Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol lead this unprecedented wave of cinematic resurgences, and they did so without any support from social media.

Akshaye Khanna: An actor's actor that became the internet's dark Horse

If you are still unaware of this, let us tell you that the internet has already proclaimed 2025 as Akshaye Khann's year. And not for nothing! Through Dhurandhar and Chaava, Akshaye has proven that it is possible to hold on audience's attention without having to shout or scream. His intensity when looking intently into the audience, his ability to deliver lines with understated elegance, and his unique capacity to restrain his emotions while still managing to convey them strongly, all continue to be viral sensations.

After his recent performance in Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar, Twitter is flooded with multiple posts like: "If subtlety had a face, it would be Akshaye Khanna." Netizens are posting his clips from the courtroom scenes in the film with the caption: "actors don't trend - performances do."

The journey of Akshaye Khanna as an actor from a sincere, charming, yet restrained NRI in Taal to a brooding Sid in Dil Chahta Hai to a sharp lawyer in Section 375 is an illustration of how the same career can go through multiple transformations when it is presented to the correct audience or at the correct time in one's career. His success today is a business and branding lesson to learn about: consistency in branding will lead to success again.

Bobby Deol: The King of Silent Impact Who Became a Viral Sensation

Bobby Deol is the "reigning king of impact without sound" who became an internet phenomenon. While Akshaye Khanna reinvented himself through talent, Bobby created his recreation through energy. The impact of his powerful performance in the movie Animal (2023) led to a cultural phenomenon, with what many would consider the equivalent of a "30-minute" impact lasting for several months and resulting in billions of views online.

In 2024 and 2025, Bobby Deol's "comeback" continued to grow, with: a resurgence in interest due to fans loving the movie Love Hostel, buzz generated by his two upcoming large-scale films, every public appearance resulting in viral moments, memes, etc., Deol became the poster child of "it's never too late". In this way, he also became an inspiration for not only actors, but for every person who desires to pursue their dreams of creative expression, entrepreneurship, fitness, and any other pursuit of true passion.

And They're Not Alone: The Golden-Era Comeback Is a Movement

Bollywood is not only returning to the past with Akshaye and Bobby; many 90's & 2000's Hits are reemerging. Here's a list of other actors who made it big with their powerful comebacks:

1. Karisma Kapoor

Through her role in Mentalhood and Brown, along with other streaming endeavours, Karisma Kapoor continues to redefine the meaning of "comeback" because they reflect growth and maturity rather than merely returning to acting after a break. Additionally, the resurgence of many of her dance performances from the 1990s serves to demonstrate that she remains the quintessential "Lolo" as she continues to exude unparalleled charisma.

2. Raveena Tandon

Since starring in KGF: Chapter 2, Raveena has become the epitome of relevance and longevity. Her interviews, fashion statements, and many appearances on multiple OTT shows have consistently gone viral; thus, she has established herself as the pioneer of how female celebrities should manage themselves evolving with confidence versus uncertainty.

3. Suniel Shetty

Suniel Shetty has rebuilt his reputation through his wellness brand both online and offline as well as the many business ventures and also powerful performances on various OTT platforms over the years.

4. Madhuri Dixit

With Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Madhuri Dixit has not just returned to acting in an exuberant manner; rather, she is also returning to us with exquisite refinement via OTT platforms, new depictions in dance videos, influencer-type content, and continuing to have a timeless quality. Her posts generally obtain over a million views.

5. Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt has taken the lead in a genre all by himself. Since the releases of KGF and Leo, he has become very successful at playing villains. Now he's involved in major collaborations with South Indian filmmakers and trying to bring this genre to Bollywood.

Audience members want more than just a touch of nostalgia; they want authentic depth, wisdom, and lived experience. As a result of this demand, the industry is continuing to evolve to meet the needs of their experienced audiences.

Why are comebacks in trending?

1. OTT picking up talents over actors - Directors are now focusing on the "fit" of actors for various roles and not their social media following, leading to several actors such as Akshaye Khanna, Bobby Deol, Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, and Suniel Shetty returning to the film industry with success.

2. Nostalgia - Millennials see these stars through the lens of nostalgia as if they are getting a hug from the younger version of themselves. For Gen-Z, it's like discovering someone new.

3. Reinventing - Actors are now coming back into the industry with fitness transformations, different kinds of roles, and more motivation.

4. Authenticity - More than PR stunts, audience wants to see the real story behind a successful man. For example, during the success interviews when Bobby Deol told his story of struggle while breaking down, his interviews were shared extensively because people want to see what's real.

In a nutshell, looking at yesteryear actor's journey, all we can see and understand is that talent ages and evolves with time, as does the ability to be relevant. Even though one may not be as 'hot' in the present, stardom will always remain, it just hits stop and pause at times. And last but not the least, any successful return is always about the combination of timing, patience and believing in yourself.

In a nutshell, when we look at the journeys of yesteryear actors, one thing becomes clear: talent evolves with time, and so does the ability to stay relevant. While a star may not always continue to be "popular" at a certain point in time, the most successful entertainers' stardom cannot ever really die; it just sometimes goes into a temporary state of suspension. Ultimately, any successful return is always a blend of timing, patience, and unwavering self-belief.