Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s heist thriller Aankhen released sixteen years earlier, in 2002. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Arjun Rampal and Sushmita Sen and was a hit. A sequel to the film was announced in 2016 by the original producer Gaurang Doshi but due to legal troubles, the project will be produced by Rajtaru Studios and Eros International and will be directed by Anees Bazmee.
Speculations about the star cast have been rife for quite some time and the names of various actors have been floating around. However, one thing is clear that Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in to play the main lead in the film. A leading daily reported, “Amit ji liked the script and has given his nod to the project. Anees has begun prep and will start shooting in 2019. The team is targeting an early 2020 release.” The daily also reported that Sushant Singh Rajput and Vicky Kaushal are in the running for the other two lead roles along with Jackie Chan.
The daily reported, “Since the story revolves around a casino this time owned by a Chinese, the makers are considering Jackie Chan for the part.” Chan has already collaborated with a few Indian actors and was in India in 2016 to shoot for his adventure-comedy Kung Fu Yoga. The film also featured Sonu Sood, Disha Patani, and Amyra Dastur.
Aankhen was based on Vipul’s Gujarati play Andhalo Pato (Blindman’s Buff). The film revolved around Amitabh’s character a hard-working but temperamental man who spends his life working at a bank but is fired when, in a fit of rage, he beats up a colleague. In order to take revenge for his insult, he decides to rob the bank with the help of three blind men, played by Akshay, Arjun, and Paresh. Sushmita plays a blind instructor who trains the three men for the heist.
