Aankhen (2002)

Today, a movie from 2002 directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, called Aankhen, meaning “eyes” in English. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan as the incredibly insane Mr. Vijay Singh Rajput, an interesting bank manager who does not take...lightly to being fired. Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and the unforgettable Paresh Rawal as the three blind men that Mr. Rajput hires to carry out a heist against the offending bank.

That’s right. Three blind men, robbing a bank. But as Mr. Bachchan reminds you throughout the movie, truth is stranger than fiction! "Sach! Bohoti ajeeb o ghareeb hota hai yeh sach."

I have become completely disillusioned with movies, meaning it takes a lot for movies nowadays to surprise me. I can see plot twists a mile away, so I focus now more on acting, direction, and the visuals of the movie. When a movie manages to put me on edge, when a movie demands my attention enough that I can ignore my phone…you know there’s something special about that movie, and you have to watch.

Aankhen is such a movie!

This movie is special not only because of its ability to keep the viewer at the edge of their seat, but also because Mr. Bachchan plays the villain. A rare phenomenon, sure, but a phenomenon that deserves repetition.

I’m sure you have noticed that I like Mr. Bachchan in unusual roles, in roles that break the mold that has been constructed for him. It is not only a delight for me as a viewer when he plays an out-of-the-blue character like Babban Singh from Ki Aag or Mr. Rajput of the schizophrenics, but it also proves to the universe that Mr. Bachchan is an actor’s actor; an actor to admire, an actor who knows his craft well.

There are actors who cannot jump from hero to villain so easily, they are often unconvincing in their attempting to tell me they are up to no good. Often actors that are always typecast as heroes think they can become villains by practicing a grimace in the mirror that only succeeds in showing the world what their face looks like when they are constipated.

Ladies shall appreciate the sexiness that is on display in this movie

I am a lover of Deewar as you know, and Baadshah Khan from Khuda Gawah, Mr. Bachchan will always be my hero, he will always be the man that stands up for his principals, who upholds humanity by always choosing the path to truth. But when he plays a villain, and strikes terror in your heart, how can you not love this man? How can you not dedicate blogs such as this to him? To his work?

How can you not tell the world about him? Seriously! It is impossible and selfish not to share the magic that is Mr. Bachchan.

In Aankhen, his Rajput is completely out of his mind. One moment he is laughing, the other there is such rage in his eyes. The magician’s eyes burn with an insane, wild fire.

The movie is a ride. I don’t know how many “oh shits” I said throughout but I am sure it was in the triple digits. It also has some surprisingly hilarious moments that are usually attributed to the character of Ilias, played by Paresh Rawal. And the three blind bank robbers are exceptional at playing blind, and Sushmita Sen as their helpless teacher gains your sympathy as she faces Mr. Rajput’s madness alone for most of the movie. And you can totally ignore Bipasha Basu’s special appearance in the movie, just like I did!

No notes to report on the music because, other than the song at the opening credits, I skipped the rest of the songs. So if you think they’re good, let us know! Other than that….!

So with our lovely Mr. Bachchan as the villain, and with a movie with enough twists and turns to keep even movie-snob me happy, watch this one!

I am about to engage in a dangerous game,

Ishtar