Celebrating 21 Years of Khakee: The Enduring Legacy of Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar

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For 21 years, Bollywood has not seen a genuine police thriller until the emergence of the Singhams series. The film in question is Khakee, released in 2004, which marked the return of Amitabh Bachchan in the role of a police officer, evoking a sense of "Zanjeer" reimagined for the 21st century. Directed and penned by Rajkumar Santoshi, Khakee is categorized as a neo-noir action thriller. The narrative spans from a small village in Maharashtra to the bustling city of Mumbai, chronicling the journey of an Indian police team tasked with escorting an accused terrorist. The film features a notable ensemble cast, including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Tusshar Kapoor.

Khakee plot overview: High-stakes mission with unexpected obstacles

In Khakee, a committed police officer named Inspector Anant Kumar (Amitabh Bachchan) is sent from Chandigarh to Mumbai with the mission of rescuing a wanted terrorist named Iqbal Ansari (Atul Kulkarni), forcing him to skip his daughter's wedding. Along with him, he brings four officers. Terrorists begin attacking and obstructing the mission, making the voyage less than ideal. An inspector suggested releasing Iqbal, but DCP Anant shot that proposal down. Iqbal, who is exhausted and irritated, decides to speak up and exposes their assailants' real motives. What impact will this revelation have on the mission? Is Ansari going to be able to transport them safely to Mumbai?

Critical reception: Success and financial impact of Khakee

The critical reception of Khakee was exceptionally favourable following its theatrical release on January 23, 2004, with acclaim directed towards the screenplay, direction, and performances. The film achieved both critical and commercial success, boasting one of the largest budgets of its time. With a global box office revenue of Rs. 50 crore during its release, it secured the fifth position among the highest-grossing films of 2004, following Main Hoon Na, Dhoom, Veer-Zaara, and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

In terms of the film's backstory, Anjum Rajabali played a pivotal role in introducing Shridhar Raghavan to Santoshi, who expressed interest in working with Bachchan on a police-themed drama. During their meeting, Raghavan presented a script centered on police officers, which Santoshi found appealing. Raghavan noted that they used this initial concept as a foundation and began a collaborative process of writing and rewriting.

Casting and roles: Key players in the film

One of the initial actors selected for the film was Bachchan. The role of Senior Inspector Shekhar Verma was initially offered to Devgn, while Akshaye Khanna was assigned the role of Sub-Inspector Ashwin Gupte. Despite Khanna's departure from the set, Devgn was subsequently cast as Yashwant Aangre, the film's antagonist, marking his second portrayal of such a character after the 2002 thriller Deewangee. Later, Tusshar Kapoor was brought in to play Ashwin Gupte. Lara Dutta was also signed on for a special dance sequence titled Aisa Jadoo.

After several female actors were turned down, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was ultimately cast as Mahalakshmi. Kumar and Bachchan collaborated once again, marking their third project together after Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love and Aankhen.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's accident during filming

While filming Khakee in Nashik, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was struck by a rogue Jeep, causing her to be thrown into adjacent bushes. The scene required the Jeep to approach and stop twenty feet away from the actors, a sequence that was being rehearsed with her and Kapoor. However, the driver lost control and veered off the road without applying the brakes. As a result, she sustained bruises and suffered a fracture to her left foot.

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