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Rediff.com  » Movies » Why is Khakee different from other cop flicks?

Why is Khakee different from other cop flicks?

By Tanmoy Chakrabarti
Last updated on: January 25, 2004 18:19 IST
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A stiill from KhakeeIt has a gripping storyline, amazing twists and is technically magnificent. But Khakee is different because it gives all its characters screen space.
 
Take, for example, the character played by Amitabh Bachchan: a failure who considers himself a failure. Now that is a person who is low on confidence. He is forced to take up an assignment out of sheer compulsion to prove himself. Was he really thinking about the country then? Not really. All he would have thought about was proving himself with this one last chance.

He becomes a hero by simply overcoming his limitations. There are no over-exaggerated motivational dialogues from him. On the contrary, he vents his frustration even while he is being acknowledged by his students in the first act.
 
Perhaps the best scene is when he interacts with the minister, played by Sabyasachi Chakraborty. 
 
Akshay Kumar's character is an upstart. He is 'practical': when you can't beat the system, join it. And though he is smart, intuitive and savvy, he does not need to prove himself: why take the trouble?

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His comic timing and caustic remarks are amazing. He transforms, not because of AB's urging, but because he realises he is trapped in a system that is flawed. He realises he is just wasted.

Tusshar Kapoor looks a misfit. He is a newcomer who decides to quit, but then learns the tricks at the end. He is a New Age guy who learns that honesty pays when one compromises intelligently. Join the system and use the same weapon to heal it.

To Tusshar goes the credit of the last scene. He has potential. He does not need to flex his muscles. He uses his eyes and his soft looks.

Aishwarya Rai without the glamour is subtle. There is little scope for her to perform. 
 
Ajay Devgan is at his scary best. He has matured with his films. Here, his character has an underlying frustration. He
is sly, crooked and does not have any morals. No big lines, only one motto: hit the guy who hits yours. 

Sabysachi Chakraborty as Deodhar is excellent. A new face in the Hindi film industry, he has perhaps helped shed the image of politicians usually shown in Hindi films. His best scene is when he fends off AB's slap. He has no big dialogues, but his frustration is expressed well, with well-scripted dialogues.

That is what makes Khakee different.

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Tanmoy Chakrabarti