Amitabh Bachchan returns with sequel to heist drama with ‘Aankhen 2’

If Amitabh Bachchan’s 2002 heist drama had you perched at the edge of your seat, then its sequel will probably have you equally excited.

The sequel to ‘Aankhen’ is now officially in the works and will start filming as early as May of this year. Bachchan will return to reprise his role as the criminal mastermind, Vijay Singh Rajput, who is training three new recruits this time around, played by Sidharth Malhotra, Akshaye Khanna and Sunil Grover.

The original film was directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and was adapted from his own Gujarati play ‘Andhlo Pato’, which saw Bachchan’s character train three blind men — played by Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and Paresh Rawal — to rob a bank. Sushmita Sen and Bipasha Basu also had roles in the film.

Shah will not return as director, according to a Mid-Day report, but will see Abhinay Deo (‘Delhi Belly’) take the helm.

“The heist in ‘Aankhen 2’ is being planned on a grander scale. The temperamental Vijay Singh Rajput returns after serving his prison sentence and leads a new team of visually-impaired people, played by Sidharth, Akshaye and Sunil, as they rob a gaming establishment,” a trade source was quoted by the daily.

The source further said that the story will not be set in India, like the original, but will be filmed in the UK and Bulgaria.