Subhash K Jha takes a look back at Rajkumar Santoshi’s drama Khakee as it clocks 21 years.
RajKumar Santoshi dismantles the stereotypes of the cop universe in a tale that entertains and reflects on all that is wrong and right with the police.
The aging and asthmatic DCP, Anant Shrivastav (Amitabh Bachchan), whose assignments have so far afforded him a cushy existence, suddenly finds himself in charge of a crucial mission. He is backed by the unscrupulous Shekhar (Akshay Kumar) and the overenthusiastic fresh recruit (Tushar Kapoor). The trio, along with two constables, must escort the prized catch, the most-wanted ISI agent, Iqbal Ansari (Atul Kulkarni), safely to Mumbai.
The chain-smoking, well-connected enemy (Ajay Devgan) is out to foil their mission and has a head-start most times. Even before the operation gets underway, the police party is under the scanner. And what was meant to be a three-day journey turns out to be a drawn-out battle, which seldom loses steam, even if you know that ultimately, good will prevail over evil.
The screenplay by Santoshi and Sridhar Raghavan (not to be confused with brother Sriram of Ek Hasina Thi) introduces enough elements to spring a surprise every 10 minutes, with some exciting twists in the tale.
Tinu Verma has executed the action scenes well, particularly the one where the police find themselves amidst a cattle fare.
Santoshi, whose earlier features (Damini, Legend Of Bhagat Singh ) have earned National Awards for its actors, has an able cast, particularly in Bachchan as the aging official and Tushar Kapoor as the idealistic rookie. Devgan does well, but his incessant smoking and styling as the evil guy looks a little hackneyed.
Four songs might not be much by Bollywood standards, but could have been easily chopped in this 3-hour absorbing drama. What really goes to Santoshi’s credit is that if at all something seems unreal in the beginning is justified in the end by the tight plot.
