Aankhen
Aankhen
| 27 March 2002 (USA)
Aankhen Trailers

After his hatred of dishonesty costs him his job, an embittered man goes over to the dark side and plots to rob the bank he once managed.

Reviews
Peter Young

When Vijay Singh Rajput, a quirky, honest and extremely strict bank manager finds one of his employees trying to con a customer, he completely loses his temper and brutally beats him. As a result he is fired from his job. A broken and angry Rajput, who has given all his life to this bank, is decisive to take revenge, and what can be a better way to take revenge if not rob the bank itself? His plan is further progressed when he meets Neha, a teacher at a blind school. Rajput decides to use Neha to fulfill his plan, and he kidnaps her young brother to blackmail her. He then finds the ultimate team of three blind men: Vishwas, Arjun and Ilias. What happens next is what forms the film's suspense.That's the basic story of Aankhen, a highly enjoyable and twisted thriller which is quite cleverly scripted. The film's concept is rather unusual for Hindi movies, and even though the story is hard to believe, the film is captivating and is generally well developed and convincingly made. Aspects that contribute to it include the great cinematography, the effective editing, the witty dialogues, and the unpredictable proceedings. The film is not without its flaws, and at times it really lacks depth and focus. The character of Rajput is particularly faulty in this regard. Towards the end, after the robbery scene everyone was much awaiting happens, the film loses its balance, and the ending is quite disappointing.Aankhen is well acted, and of course Amitabh Bachchan excels in his negative role which allows him to have fun with his character's inexplicable nature. Akshay Kumar is very good as the sensible and intelligent Vishwas, and Arjun Rampal is well cast as the kindhearted Arjun. The film, however, has two actors who utterly steal the show, and they are Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. Sen is outstanding as the tormented and vulnerable Neha, and Rawal is also superb in a wonderful comic role which is both funny and touching. What I liked about the film is that every character was given a story of its own, thus making easy to understand their motives to do what they did.In a few words, Aankhen is very good Hindi entertainment, and in spite of its flaws manages to be a good watch with family and friends.

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Hidden Voice

This is the first time bollywood has taken an interesting concept and taken a step further in film-making .Which is also copied from a film that was made in the south of India.A very impressive ,interesting concept and story,gripping and intriguing.It could've been a great Hollywood thriller.Unfortunately it went into the hands of Bollywood filmmakers which means loads of songs ,massive flaws/plot holes and lame execution makes this could've-been highly successful film into a dumb thriller.What a film it could've been.Why did they ruin it ,that is the biggest regret to have watched this film,instead of watching a Hollywood remake.Aankhen (EYES) could've been a great film ,I hate the Bollywood filmmakers for wasting such a good premise.I gave it a 4 only for its concept.I wish they was someone in Hollywood who could make this flick.I don't understand why indians appreciate cheap cinema so much,like this one.*1/2 out of five.

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Sathya

The movie is about a recently fired schizophrenic bank manager scheming to get even with his employers by robbing the bank with the help of three blind men and a beautiful blind school teacher! Amitabh Bachchan as the bank manager excels in his role. He is one of the most talented guys out there today. Pity not all his movies are as good as this one or his earlier Aks. The movie moves with a fast pace initially, but slows down towards the middle with cursory song and dance sequences spoiling its pace(the two songs - one with the three blind guys and the other in the bar are very painful to sit through). It picks up pace towards the end and even has quite a few surprising twists that I most certainly didn't expect in a mainstream hindi movie! Good job director and script writer! Thank goodness you didn't make the movie boring by removing those twists and giving us a bland fare which most box-office fearing mediocre directors would have done. Akshay, Paresh, Arjun and Sush all perform their roles well. There are a few glitches in the movie - like the name of the bank. A most ridiculous name. Then the location of the bank itself. A bank that has a lobby looking like that of a 3-star hotel is located in the midst of a busy and dirty side street in Mumbai! Sure! None of the songs are appealing, except the one with Bipasha Basu - in fact the rest of the songs are really irritating and definitely jarring in the midst of an interesting screenplay. Directors of India - I LOVE songs in a movie; but not when it interrupts the movie's flow drastically. Overall, a must see movie.

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aapka_anuj

The expression "Whoah !" comes running to my mouth as I step out of the cinema hall having consumed Bollywood's answer to the popular gujarati play -- 'aandhlo paato'.Racy, wild ... thrilling ... I think you're getting the picture !Needless to say, the trump card held by Vipul Shah (director) is the intricate and intriguing plot of this "tighten-your-seat-belts" extravaganza !Bravura performances by the infallible Big B, Akshay Kumar and the proficient Paresh Rawal ... a gripping pace ... an unusual story and technical finesse bring to you a product that is almost flawless !There ... ! That's the catchword --- "ALMOST" ! Yes ... the beautiful visage of this film is marred by a few unsightly blemishes.The sidey lovey-dovey twosome working in the bank grate on your nerves each time they make an unwanted appearance. And pray ... WHY oh WHY the name "Vilasrao Jefferson" for the bank that resembles a 5-star hotel lobby ?Moreover, the sharp-as-nails and witty-as-can-be Paresh Rawal is shown putting his foot in his mouth over the silliest of issues and royally messing up the bank robbery. Without mincing words, there are times when you are tempted to whack him on his behind and warn him not to reduce the most dramatic sequence of the movie into a farce.These minor moles and warts apart, the movie is a delight and a must-watch for every soul thirsty for innovation and creativity in Indian Cinema. I give this one an 8 on 10 !

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