 |
|
|
|
|
|  | |
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Music: Ram Sampath
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor, Aishwariya Rai, Lara Dutta
A crack team of 5 tough cops is entrusted with the task of safely transporting an ISI agent from a remote town to Mumbai. A nameless but deadly enemy is slowly but surely tracking them, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The story has the makings of a taut and nerve-racking action thriller.
For the first half, it actually seems as if Khakee has cracked the 'thriller' formula. But, from then on, the film seems to go downhill.
DCP Anant Sirivastav (Amitabh Bachchan) is an over the hill, but loyal officer, who has been put to pasture at the police academy. He is called upon for one last grand mission, which will earn him the glory, and success he has always deserved. Part of his crack team is Sr Inspector Shekhar (Akshay Kumar), a womanizer who would do anything to save his own skin and Sub-inspector Ashwin (Tusshar), a greenhorn cop with lofty ideals. These three officers accompanied by two constables are given the charge of escorting the dreaded terrorist from Chandangadh to Mumbai.
To add glamour and romantic possibilities to the journey, is their jeep mate, Rajlakshmi (Aishwariya Rai), a teacher who needs a police escort to Mumbai.
With lots of hits and misses, bullocks and bombs and dust and dream sequences along the way, the script itself seems to miss the mark, meandering off into a slightly hysterical and preachy saga about murderous ministers, corrupt cops and the misunderstood minority.
Mr Bachchan towering screen presence is diluted with over-emotional monologues in moments where action is of essence. Akshaye Kumars's character is captivatingly incorrigible and carefree…till he decides to turn over a new leaf (yawn). Tusshar is consistent and effective as an idealistic rookie.
The film is also plagued with some basic incongruities like, a deadly ISI terrorist being transported by train or road, that too in a police van with no radio or means of communication other than the popular mobile phone. The police team escorting an ISI terrorist agree to take along a young woman, that too a civilian on a dangerous journey.
But, one must give Mr Santoshi his due for some moments in the film, which stand out. The sequence when Akshay Kumar talks his way out of a tight spot with Vivek Vaswani's wife, Amitabh Bachchan's self-deprecating introduction and of course the unexpected twist at the end, come to mind.
Khakee is a film, which had tremendous potential…for thrilling action, for a tense music score, for intense but restrained performances, for a story without a moral… for a hit film.
Khakee does not fulfill its potential.
-- Vinati Malik
|
|
|
|
|
|
