Aankhen Celebrates 21 Years Of Success: Vipul Shah’s Directorial Debut Introduced A New Scope Of Storytelling In Indian Cinema

Vipul Shah’s directorial debut, Aankhen, fronted by Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, and Sushmita Sen, has completed 21 years of its release today. While today the film is a huge success, back then, nobody really believed in the story. Yet today, Aankhen is one of the most unique, well-written, and exceptionally directed films. Not only was Aankhen a remarkable debut for Vipul Shah, a debut which filmmakers can only dream of, but it also introduced a new scope of storytelling in Indian cinema.

As Aankhen marks 21 years since it was released, it certainly is an interesting time to bring the film and its much un-discussed open endings to light. The film had two endings, while the makers were unsure if the Indian audience would accept the ending with a hint of a sequel, they released a separate ending overseas and a different one in India.

Aankhen rendered a new manner of making films in Indian cinema. It was hard for the audience to believe that Amitabh was the antagonist, Akshay Kumar had no heroine in the film, and the industry had its bets that the film would not work. Regardless of any faith in the film, Aankhen did wonders when it was released. It became the second highest-grossing Bollywood film in 2002, and viewers loved the concept of the film.