Did you know 'Khakee's shocking twist was kept from Aishwarya?
What's the story
The 2004 neo-noir action thriller Khakee, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, is known for its shocking plot twist. To recall, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's character, Mahalakshmi, betrays her police team to join hands with her villainous lover, played by Ajay Devgn. Recently, Santoshi revealed that he didn't disclose this major character development to Rai Bachchan for the longest time during the shoot.
Director's decision
Why Santoshi didn't tell lead actors about Mahalakshmi's character arc
In a conversation with Galatta Plus, Santoshi explained his decision by saying, "Whenever a lead character is portraying a negative role, they always have a backstory justifying them. Like their mother was cruel."
However, that wasn't the case for Khakee. "There's no justification. She (Mahalakshmi) is bad. Period."
He also revealed that even other lead actors were kept in the dark about Mahalakshmi's true intentions until halfway through the shoot.
Plot twist
The shocking reaction of the lead actors
Santoshi narrated the character arc to Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Devgn halfway through the shoot. They were shocked and questioned how Rai Bachchan agreed to such a role.
Santoshi replied, "She doesn't know. I didn't tell her." He also revealed that he finally disclosed the entire arc to Rai Bachchan at her parents' house after she injured her leg on set.
Parental response
When Santoshi narrated the film to Rai Bachchan's parents
Santoshi recalled, "I met her parents, who are very nice people. So, I narrated the film in front of everyone."
He explained to them why he had initially withheld the information from Rai Bachchan.
"I told her, 'Why I didn't tell you initially is because I felt it'd stay in your mind subconsciously and you'd give it away.'"
"It was such a big shocking point...that nobody could've expected it. Even she didn't know she'd betray the team."
Film details
Everything to know about 'Khakee'
Co-written by Santoshi and Shridhar Raghavan, Khakee follows a police team tasked with transporting an accused terrorist (Atul Kulkarni) from a small town in Maharashtra to Mumbai.
The film's ensemble cast included Bachchan, Kumar, Tusshar Kapoor, Jaya Prada, Prakash Raj, Tanuja, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Lara Dutta in a special appearance in the popular dance number Aisa Jadoo.