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Khakee Then vs Now: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar to Aishwarya Rai; what actors are upto after 20 years
Khakee remains one of the most celebrated Bollywood action films of the past several decades. As the film clocks 20 years, it's time to take a look at its star cast.
Rajkumar Santoshi's action cop film Khakee was released on January 23rd, 2004. The film had an ensemble star cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai, Tusshar Kapoor, and Atul Kulkarni, among others. The film, written by Santoshi and Sridhar Raghavan, turned out to be a major critical and commercial success.
It is also known for its realistic portrayal of how police function, unlike previous films in the same genre. As its theatrical release turns 20 years old, let us take a look at where the film's cast members are now.
Khakee: Then and Now
Amitabh Bachchan as DCP Anant Kumar Srivastava
Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of DCP Anant Kumar Srivastava, a fragile cop with retirement just around the corner. Despite being an honest cop, he is someone who has never got his due from the department. As he leads the team of several cops to bring a terrorist back, we see a change in his character. Big B showcases the vulnerability of this character very beautifully. He was already one of the biggest stars in India when the film came out and has remained after its release. Mr. Bachchan continued to star in successful films post-Khakee.
Akshay Kumar as Senior Inspector Shekhar Verma
Akshay Kumar plays the role of senior Inspector Shekhar Verma, corrupt from the get-go. We are introduced to him taking money from a guy for keeping his mouth shut. The character goes through a change of heart as the story progresses, which is amazing to witness. Prior to Khakee, Kumar was an established name in the action genre throughout the 1990s. Around this time, he made a switch to comedy film and has continued to experiment. He remains one of the most bankable actors in Bollywood.
Ajay Devgn as Yeshwant Aangre
Ajay Devgn is the villain in the film, playing the menacing Yashwant Aangre, a former cop turned criminal. He tries to kill the supposed terrorist whom Anant and his movie are trying to bring to justice. Devgn gives the performance of his career without a flinch. After acting as the lead throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he opted to play the grey role in Khakee. Post its success, Devgn continued to act in many films. He has also directed a couple of films since then.
Aishwarya Rai as Mahalakshmi
Aishwarya Rai plays the role of Mahalaxmi in the film, who accompanies the police party on a dangerous mission as they escort a terrorist. Mahalaxmi is a happy-go-lucky girl who falls in love with Shekhar in the film. However, later, we get to know the dark side of her, which changes the trajectory of the story. Aishwarya was one of the most popular actresses in Bollywood when she did Khakee. After its release, she has continued to act in movies.
Tusshar Kapoor as Sub-Inspector Ashwin Gupte
Tusshar Kapoor plays the role of an earnest and honest cop, Ashwin Gupte, who is also one of the moral compasses of the film. He plays the role with complete dedication and is a crucial part of the end. Post its success, Tusshar's appearance in films became less frequent. Over the years, he has appeared in several films. He was last seen in 2022 in Maarich, which he also produced.
Apart from the above-mentioned names, there are many actors who also play equally important roles in Khakee. This includes Atul Kulkarni who plays Dr. Iqbal Ansari, Kamlesh Sawant (Constable Kamlesh Sawant), Sabyasachi Chakrabarty (Deodhar), Prakash Raj (ACP Shrikant Naidu), Tanuja (as Iqbal Ansari's mother), Jaya Prada (Jaya Srivastava), Ashwini Kalsekar (Kamlesh's wife) and Vivek Vaswani. Abir Goswami, who plays a photographer in the film, passed away in 2013. Lara Dutta also has a special appearance in the song 'Aisa Jaadu.'
Khakee is a fine example of a masala film done right. It perfectly balances the commercial demands of the market with the sensibility of a realistic cop drama like Ardh Satya. Despite having a star-studded cast, none of the actors overpowers any character and remain without their roles. It remains one of the finest cop films of Bollywood as well as one of the best works of Rajkumar Santoshi.
Apart from its well-choreographed action sequences and clap-worthy dialogues, Khakee also gives a strong message about secularism, as well as petty politics. It closely examines how politicians use certain things in our society for their own political goals. It set the precedence for more masala cop movies that came out of Bollywood in later years.
Even after so many years, Khakee remains worth watching and has aged like a fine wine. As the film turns 20 years old, do give it a watch if you are into well-made action stories and haven't checked this gem.
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