Aankhen 2 brings Bazmi, Bachchan together
After a long wait, director Anees Bazmi gets a chance to make his sequel with his idol Amitabh Bachchan.
Finally, Aankhen 2 is happening. The sequel to the popular heist thriller released in 2002 has been on the anvil for a while. The film was stuck in a legal dispute, which has now finally been resolved.
Says director Anees Bazmee, “As you know, Aankhen 2 was to be produced by Gaurang Doshi, who had produced the original Aankhen film in 2002. I knew Rajtaru Studios (co-partners Raj Rajtaru and Tarun Aggarwal) were co-producers. I kept asking Gaurang to get a NOC from Rajtaru. He insisted that I shouldn’t worry. ‘If I am investing money, surely I’ve got the basic rights in place,’ Gaurang told me. I went ahead with his conviction. We even had a mahurat ceremony that was attended by Bachchan saab.”
It was then that Rajtaru Studios raised objection to Doshi producing Aankhen 2.
Says Anees, “Sadly Gaurang is no longer a part of Aankhen 2. It is being co-produced jointly by Rajtaru and Eros International.”
Anees intends to plunge into the project in the second-half of 2019. “I’ve cracked a really interesting idea for the Aankhen sequel. This is the first time that I’m working with Bachchan saab. Like millions of Indians, I am his fan. And like every filmmaker in the country, I too wanted to work with him. This is my chance. I want to make sure Aankhen 2 justifies his presence.”