When director Vipul Amrutlal Shah revealed the script, Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan immediately said ‘Yes’ after reading it, impressed by its engaging storyline

Vipul Amrutlal Shah is one of Indian cinema’s finest filmmakers and producers, known for delivering classics. One such gem is Aankhen, which marks 23 years of its release. Starring Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles, the film became a massive hit upon release. Its gripping storyline, visionary direction, and stellar performances from the cast made it a cult classic. Vipul Amrutlal Shah once revealed how he got the entire cast on board, stating that both Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan immediately agreed to be part of the film after the script reading.

In a previous interview, the director recalled how he was skeptical about Amitabh agreeing to the role, saying, “The reaction to the script was surprisingly fantastic. When I met Akshay, I didn’t know how he would react because he didn’t have a heroine in the film. And when I met Amit Ji, I was not sure if he would want to play a negative character or a gray character. Paresh, I was very sure he would love the character, and he had seen the play also. When I called him, he said, ‘You are doing your first film; I am on board, and the rest we can discuss later.’”

He recalled how Amitabh and Akshay immediately agreed to be a part of the film: “With Amit Ji and Akshay, we had one full night of narration each. They both loved the idea and script, and the same night, after the narration of the film, they agreed to do it. When I met Sushmita, she was on board immediately, and the same with Arjun. They were all the first choice and came on board the same day they heard the script.”