Esquire India, February 2026

 

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Sunday Mid-Day, December 2025

 

Khaleej Times, October 2025

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GQ India, September 2025

UpperCrust, September 2025

Mahindra BE 6 (Pack Two)

  

Nykaa

Mahindra Electric Origin SUVs

Assembly Luggage

Let's Talk About Style, Baby

Rahul Khanna on the Fashionably Pernia Podcast, Sept 2024

Cottonworld, Spring/ Summer 2024

Christian Louboutin x GQ India, June 2023

 

India Today, April 2023

The Boutique Bollywood Actor, Incurato, November 2021

A man of style, a man of substance, and a man of mystery: is Rahul Khanna the best argument in India for digital curation of the celebrity self? Starring the actor as the thinking person's crumpet.

Bollywood star-kids these days are a lot like their regular, normie peers: the latest generation makes Instagram reels set to Shah Rukh Khan songs and Madhuri Dixit routines, they endorse preppy brands and happily accept sponsored holidays at the same resorts, they strike the same poses at all the same awards shows. Years before they join the Bollywood- Assistant Director- to- Romantic Lead pipeline, you can catch them preparing for it via whatever is trendy at the moment to grab maximum eyeballs – back when lip-syncing to 90s songs and dialogues was a thing (remember that one halcyon summer when Dubsmash was big?), you could find Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of actor Saif Ali Khan, doing pitch perfect impersonations of the superstars he’s probably known his entire life. Janhvi Kapoor has weathered some severe nepotism attacks by posting her kathak practice sessions set to old-school Bollywood songs – a strategy adapted by cousin Shanaya Kapoor as she prepares for her Bollywood debut, although she prefers belly dancing, which is absolutely on trend for the newer and hipper Instagram Reels. 

Indeed, in Bollywood as in Hollywood, a robust social media presence has become de rigueur for the savvy star or star-to-be. Memes, funny videos, and performative evidence of hard work have become the young person's strategy to building a runway for their star aspirations. Meanwhile, more seasoned stars such as Kareena Kapoor Khan have integrated their brands into their personal account for that influencer cachet that will outlast their years as leading cast members in Bollywood extravaganzas. Male stars of a similar pedigree from that generation have typically been more reticent - they’re either still working superstars who primarily use social media to update their fans, such as Hrithik Roshan, or also-rans who pop up here and there for a bit of witty repartee and general goodwill, like Abhishek Bachchan on Twitter, or, they are diligently offline as in the case of Fardeen Khan.

But there are a few star children who have managed to hew their own path: Abhay Deol, for instance, who blazed an indie trail for a few glorious years before retreating to Goa and refusing to say another word; Sonam Kapoor, who (as Twitter user @Salandthebadpun has pointed out) all but invented the multi-billion-dollar relationship between Bollywood and fashion. And then, of course, there’s Rahul Khanna.

Harper's Bazaar India, June 2020

Proust Questionnaire, The Leela Magazine, Autumn 2019

First Of Many, The Indian Express, November 2019

In a career spanning over two decades, Rahul Khanna has done around a dozen film projects, many of which have left an indelible impression in the minds of the audience. The actor who was seen in Netflix series Leila earlier this year, is fondly remembered for movies including Bollywood/Hollywood, Raqeeb, Love Aaj Kal and Wake Up Sid.

The model-turned-actor has remained a favourite television anchor starting 1990s, and has also hosted various award shows and B-town's big events. From endorsements to writing, there's nothing that Rahul hasn't done. But one of his most striking work is Deepa Mehta's directorial 1947: Earth, the second movie in Mehta's elemental trilogy (Fire, Earth and Water). It was a story about a group of friends, set in 1947, against the backdrop of the partition of India and Pakistan, and seen through the eyes of a young Parsi girl. 1947: Earth was also India's official entry for the Academy Awards in 1999.

But how did Rahul, who was already hosting shows on MTV, land the role of Hassan in 1947: Earth, which also got him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut? 

Here's what the actor shared:

Architectural Digest India—The Alibag Issue, March 2019

RAHUL KHANNA

The dapper actor began visiting Alibag as a teenager, after his mother’s best friend, an early ‘pioneer’ to the area, built a home. Nowadays he visits his brother, who can be spotted regularly on the jetty. “I love the sense of community, and that everyone knows everyone,” Rahul says. “It’s a much gentler social ecosystem than in Mumbai. People socialize, but it’s low impact. And everything is outdoors, which we don’t have in Mumbai.” Rahul is photographed here in a Kunal Maniar-designed pool and garden

Photographer: Bikramjit Bose, Stylist: Tanya Vohra, Hairstylist and Make-Up Artist: Akgun Manisali, Swimming trunks: Orlebar Brown, Words: Gayatri Rangachari Shah

100 Pipers

The Art of Packing, Mint, April 2018