MUMBAI: A recent clip that compared Vikramaditya Motwane's Bhavesh Joshi Superhero to Matt Reeves' The Batman was well-received by his fans. Although the evidence was limited to surface-level similarities and some fundamental conceptual links between the two superhero movies, it was nonetheless convincing enough to be taken seriously. However, no one has created a reel like this for Rajkumar Santoshi's cop epic Khakee, which shares so many similarities with Skyfall (the James Bond movie) that you could almost imagine director Sam Mendes seeing it on its premiere night in Mumbai.
Why can't the Oscar-winning Mendes use the same tactic on an Indian movie if Pritam can elevate the music of a little-known Indonesian band without raising any red flags? It is possible, of course, that this is all simply a huge coincidence, but that wouldn't be very interesting to talk about would it? After being released almost ten years after Khakee, Skyfall became the highest-grossing Bond movie ever. The movie offered a more personal portrayal of Bond than previous entries in the legendary series, revealing details about his life that we were unaware of.
For example, the climax was staged in Bond's childhood house, where he confronts the evil Silva, a resentful former MI6 agent with an enmity against his former boss, M. The action mostly takes place inside Bond's mansion before spilling out onto the expansive grounds of the property, which is set up like a Western siege. You'd never think it, but a nearly identical scene plays out right before the credits in Khakee, the famous 2004 movie that blended classic Bollywood spice with the gritty charm of Ram Gopal Varma's Satya.
In the film Khakee, Amitabh Bachchan plays senior police officer Anant Srivastava, who is tasked with organizing a top-notch squad to transport a suspected terrorist from a tiny hamlet to Mumbai, a neighboring city, where he will face justice for his claimed crimes. This is a stereotypically Western setup, seen in movies like 3:10 to Yuma and, more recently, The Hateful Eight by Quentin Tarantino. Even though they manage to fit in a CGI-heavy dance routine, "Dil Dooba," Anant and his group are aware of the danger they are in and they travel to Mumbai with determination. A shadowy antagonist follows them about, mocking them with well-meaning salutations and sounding suspiciously like he's ready to promote mouthwash.
In a rare negative turn, Ajay Devgn plays this character as Aangre. His most remarkable characteristic, aside from his hairstyle that gives the impression that he just left the salon, is a pair of sunglasses that the Gen Z generation has just made trendy again. He wears a simple jacket over an even simpler vest. Anant and his group are ambushed by Aangre along the route, and after suffering significant injuries, they are forced to flee to a remote mansion.
This pivotal scene bears a striking resemblance to the conclusion of Skyfall in terms of staging, the company, and even stakes. To begin with, an elderly caretaker greets Anant and his group as soon as they arrive at the mansion. The ancient gamekeeper on the property, played by Albert Finney, greets Bond and M as well in the movie Skyfall. Tensed, they batten down the hatches, readying themselves for Aangre's imminent assault. Gunfire shatters the glass, trapping the characters. Like many of the most iconic Bond villains, including Silva, Aangre's face is horrifyingly scarred when he takes off his shades in this moment.
The most remarkable aspect of all of this, though, is Aangre's past. Living according to the ideals of "zameer" and "vivek," Anant learns that Aangre was formerly his police colleague and that he was dishonourably discharged for frequently using the "extra-judicial" method of enforcing the law. He's retaliating against Anant by threatening him a few days before he retires. Silva, played by Javier Bardem as the disgraced former agent in Skyfall, also wants revenge on M, who disregarded him for enforcing the law on his own.
It's interesting to note that Khakee differs from Skyfall in one important area: it is generally more progressive. Khakee was very progressive not only for its time, but even by today's standards, twenty years ago. In contrast, the Bond film, for all its numerous accomplishments, presented an almost romanticized image of the UK's colonial past. However, given the cultural dominance that Rohit Shetty's "copaganda" movies hold, that isn't really saying much. It's no accident that Sridhar Raghavan, one of the main creative minds behind the more recent (and even more radical) Tiger 3 and last year's subtly subversive Pathaan, co-wrote Khakee.
Islamophobia is one of Khakee's main topics; Anant and the gang band together to protect and uphold the honor of a Muslim man who has been wrongfully convicted of horrible crimes. Its portrayal of the doctor Ansari, portrayed by Atul Kulkarni, years ahead of Jawan's, foreshadowed Kafeel Khan's tale. And that's the impression that the film sticks with you. The image of Amitabh Bachchan teaching a violent mob about the Constitution will endure forever, but the conspiracy theories around Skyfall are entertaining for the time being.
(Also read: Good News! Amitabh Bachchan will mark his return next year to Kaun Banega Crorepati; Read on to know more here! )
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Credit- The Indian Express
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