Quick answer: Aankhen 2, the sequel to the 2002 heist thriller Aankhen, was announced in August 2016 with Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Arshad Warsi and others, and was due to start shooting in February 2017. It never released. The project was caught in a dispute over the film’s rights, changed directors more than once, and in June 2021 its then director Abhinay Deo said it had been put on the back burner after Amitabh Bachchan left. As of November 2026 we found no report of it being revived.
About this article
This page was first published in early 2017 as news about an upcoming film, “scheduled in 2017”. That release never happened. We have kept the cast and plans that were reported at the time, corrected what the original got wrong, and added what happened to the project afterwards. The details below were checked in November 2026.
The original Aankhen (2002)
Aankhen was directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and produced by Gaurang Doshi. It is a heist thriller, adapted from Shah’s own Gujarati stage play Andhalo Pato, about a sacked bank manager, Vijay Singh Rajput (Amitabh Bachchan), who takes revenge on his bank by training three blind men to rob it. The blind men were played by Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and Paresh Rawal, with Sushmita Sen as the teacher who trains them and Aditya Pancholi in a supporting role.
The film had its world premiere on 5 April 2002 at the IIFA Awards in Malaysia. It was praised for its concept and direction and became the fifth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2002.
An earlier version of this article made three mistakes about the 2002 film: it called Aankhen a comedy drama, said it was the biggest hit of 2002, and listed Anil Kapoor in its cast. Aankhen is a thriller, it was a hit but not the year’s biggest, and Anil Kapoor was not in it; he was cast only in the sequel. For lines from the lead actor’s other films, see our collection of Amitabh Bachchan’s best dialogues.
Aankhen 2: the cast announced in 2016
The sequel was officially announced at an event in August 2016, produced by Gaurang Doshi. The original article said it was written and directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah; that was not correct. At the announcement, Anees Bazmee was named as director, and he described the film as a thriller “with a good amount of humour”. The cast reported at the time included:
- Amitabh Bachchan, returning from the first film
- Arjun Rampal, the only other actor from Aankhen to return
- Anil Kapoor, as the antagonist
- Arshad Warsi and Vidyut Jammwal, as two of the blind men
- Regina Cassandra, in what was reported as her Hindi film debut
- Ileana D’Cruz, named at the August 2016 announcement
Shooting plans reported in late 2016
In December 2016, Bollywood Hungama reported that the film would start shooting in February, with a schedule in Mumbai followed by South Africa and Europe. It said the story moves to a casino in Johannesburg, that Anil Kapoor’s character was the casino’s owner, and that the team had permission to film at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. The looks of the blind characters were designed by Asa Kazingmei.
Gaurang Doshi was also quoted at the time describing Amitabh Bachchan’s character as the story’s sutradhar (narrator), with an “angry young man” look adapted to his age and a new hairstyle, and saying that Arjun Rampal, Arshad Warsi and Vidyut Jammwal would play the three blind men. None of this reached the screen.
What happened to Aankhen 2
- 2016 to 2017: The planned February 2017 shoot did not go ahead. Scroll later reported that the project had been caught in a legal battle over the film’s rights.
- 2018 to 2019: The sequel was announced again with Anees Bazmee as director and Eros International involved. Scroll reported a planned release in January 2020, which did not happen.
- 2021: In February 2021, Abhinay Deo, director of Delhi Belly, confirmed he would direct the film. In June 2021 he told SpotboyE that the project had been “put on the side burner” because it had to be shot entirely in Europe, which was not practical during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Amitabh Bachchan had left. Deo said he could not make Aankhen 2 without Bachchan.
- Since then: We found no later announcement reviving the film as of November 2026.
Many of the actors named in 2016 went on to other films. For lines from one of them, see our collection of Anil Kapoor’s dialogues. For other Hindi films that were being talked about in early 2017, see our pages on Golmaal 4 and Baadshaho.
Frequently asked questions
Was Aankhen 2 ever released?
No. It was announced in 2016 but was never released. The most recent update we found, from June 2021, said the project was on hold after Amitabh Bachchan left.
Who directed Aankhen 2?
No film was completed. Anees Bazmee was named as director in 2016 and again in 2018, and Abhinay Deo was attached in 2021. Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who directed the 2002 film, was not the sequel’s director.
Who was in the cast of Aankhen 2?
The 2016 announcement named Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Arshad Warsi, Vidyut Jammwal, Regina Cassandra and Ileana D’Cruz. Later reports named other actors, but no cast ever completed the film.
Was Anil Kapoor in the original Aankhen?
No. The 2002 film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, Sushmita Sen and Aditya Pancholi. Anil Kapoor was cast only in the planned sequel.
Checked in November 2026 against the 2002 film’s credits, Bollywood Hungama’s December 2016 report on the sequel, PTI’s August 2016 cast report, and later reporting by Scroll and SpotboyE (June 2021).
