Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi’s iconic Khakee completes 22 years today. To mark the occasion, here’s a throwback interview with the film’s lead star Amitabh Bachchan.

Throwback: Amitabh Bachchan on Khakee, "It made a very pertinent comment on the secular backbone of our country"

Throwback: Amitabh Bachchan on Khakee, “It made a very pertinent comment on the secular backbone of our country”

You played an ageing and asthmatic DCP, AnantShrivastav,whose assignments so far afforded him a cushy existence, suddenly finds himself in charge of a crucial mission?
In a very roundabout way, I seeKhakeeas an extension toBaghban…Let me explain. In both, I was put in the central position in the plot. In Khakee, I was 60-ish cop on the verge of retirement. He’s haggard, paunchy and unwell. Then he’s put in charge of a dangerous mission. It turns out to be a nightmare for him. He emerges wiser if more battered in the experience. There’s a moment when he tells his juniors to quit sincethey’vetheir whole lives ahead. They turn around and tell my character, ‘Nothing doing, buddy.We’rewith you all the way.’

How important do you consider Khakee to be to your career?
It made a very pertinent comment on the secular backbone of our country. I’d saymy cop’s character inKhakeewas Vijay inZanjeerafter thirty years. There was a lot of physical action which was done in a way that’s commensurate with my character. Wedidn’tmake him a superman. He was physically slowed down by age, and that’s the way we show him. It was a very real cop. If he was chasing Ajay Devgan, he was shown hecouldn’t keep up with him.

Is Khakee your favourite cop role after Zanjeer?
I’veplayed cops repeatedly but never one who acts completely in character. Shooting this film was a great joy. I now know why earlier in my career, so many people used to advise me to work with Raj Santoshi. I was so happy I finally did. He was to direct our home productionRanveer. I hoped to work in several other projects with him. That didn’t happen. We did one other film (Family) together.