Aankhen (1993)

Waste of time

A Disappointing Continuation

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

When David Dhawan started his career, he had a few ups and downs...well mostly downs. His first 4 films bombed but he gave 2 hits in Shola Aur Shabnam and Bol Radha Bol. However, his first monster hit came in Aankhen.Hasmukh Rai is a very wealthy man but is always upset with his buffoon sons, Munnu and Bunnu. (Chunkey Pandey-Govinda) The boys are good hearted but big troublemakers. They are spoiled brats who see the dark side of life when they witness a shootout. A shootout they have nothing to do with but a shootout that changes their lives.Aankhen is a film that works with an interesting plot but scores due to other things working out more than the plot. The comedy in the first half and parts of the second half is still memorable to me. The chemistry of the two lead actors is first rate. Not to forget their chemistry with Kader Khan. There is even more comedy with a twist in the second half.Also, the sequences featuring a minor love triangle between Kader Khan, Bindu and Saadishiv (Pyare Mohan) is thoroughly enjoyable. Not to forget the double role portions.Flaws? The film does dip in pace a bit in the second half.Music is fantastic. Love all the songs.David Dhawan's direction is excellent. One of his best works.The film belongs to Govinda and Chunkey Pandey. Especially Govinda in the second half. They make Aankhen what it is. Kader Khan is as always, fab! The villains in the movie are awesome. Shakti Kapoor, Gulshan Grover and Raj Babbar are perfect.Rest of the cast is great.Overall - A film that never bores you when its on and one of the David Dhawan's most underrated flicks. Superb!

First of all I can't hold it; Govinda is a turn off ! That guy, while being acceptably comic some times, wants to do all; comedy, action, romance, melodrama, and singing. Well dear, you're not Amitabh Bachchan ! I don't know for whom he makes his unbelievable movies? Why doesn't he stick to comedies? God, would I live long enough to watch a good, sane, entertaining movie for him ?! Sure Aankhen isn't that movie at all. However I kept laughing in front of it nearly all the time. Of course not for being funny, but for being idiot ! Originally it's a comedy, but it's full of blood; at extremely awful moment a kid is being shot in a rare scene for a movie of that sort ! It's not a melodrama, but at one of the strangest writing moves in history, the movie creates a lost-and-found theme with 2 look-alikes for the lead's father and the lead, and – try not to laugh – they are the father's twin brother and his son?? So, either the twin brothers married a twin sisters to born identical sons (unlikely!), or one of the brothers slept with the other's wife to gave birth to a twin kids he stole one of them (likely!), or maybe the crack, that the writer was on, was so BAAAAAAAAAD (as likely as not!). Another thing; this movie actually has an Indian god in it, the monkey, yet not as a wise adviser but as an action figure. See how many precedents this movie has ?!Then, Did you see the monkey? It seemed like a cat with a terrible mask for a monkey?, how it appears suddenly with the same outfit of the heroes? (In fact how any god could support this couple of slackers ?!!), Did you see how Govinda turned out to be alive? Or how the thieves of his match do nothing but to shave him (Did you heard about thieves that shave their victim before ?!), Did you see how Shakti Kapoor has a hate for wearing a shirt ?, Did you see the unknown man who the fake Chief Minister shots in the hospital, the one standing behind Chunky Pandey?! WHO WAS THAT MAN? AND HOW HE, NEITHER PANDEY, COULDN'T SEE KAPOOR HIDDING UNDER THE CHAIR IN FRONT OF THEM ???!, and please, Did you see how Govinda killed the evil man brutally at the end (by throwing him to a plane's fan), while he could have been easily handed over to the police?!, most probably they would have executed him later by exposing him to a copy of this movie. On second thought, throw him to a plane's fan more mercifully !Well, I can go forever with this "Did you see.." routine, since the idiot moments are endless, and forced is what this movie is all about. Still the most overblown one is the matter of the provincial look-alikes ?!! I still ask, what was the need to that storyline ?? This is one of the biggest mysteries I have ever met ? But wait a second, is it "I have ever met" or " I have ever met in an Indian movie?" Because there is an important difference, since at the second the sky is the limit (even if it wasn't a fantasy !).Despite that the editing could form a sane personality for a chain of absolutely crazy events, it's still so nervous movie. So with the overdone action, countless coincidences, Govinda, another totally incomprehensible and useless Govinda, a Rambo monkey (that wasn't meant for laughing), shouting everybody, and blood (not mine thankfully).. then it's a wild ride of Bollywood hallucination ! Near its end I felt hysteria. And when I read that it was 1993's biggest Bollywood hit I felt both mad and sad. You have to really pity the Indian moviegoers for loving such a movie that much. Mindless entertainment wasn't that mindless and unentertaining like that before. So how come a camp masterpiece, like Aankhen, IS a masterpiece for them at the moment ?!P.S : Again, why all the bad Indian movies that I have watched has to belong to the decade of the 1990s ?!

1993's Biggest Box Office Hit, 'Aankhen' is a Superb film! Though I had seen it ages back, but, even today, the film manages to hold my attention. David Dhawan directs this Out-And-Out Time-Pass fare nicely, while the performances are memorable.'Aankhen' tells the story of Two wealthy good-for-nothing kids, Munnu and Bunnu, played by Govinda & Chunky Pandey, who, get involved in a conspiracy to replace a Chief Minister with a lookalike by some corrupt government officials.It's an entertaining film. In fact, the first hour is full of hilarious moments. The second hour becomes intense, but the interest remains alive in it's viewer. David Dhawan knows his job, and he proves it once again. Music by the legendary Bappi Lahiri, is foot-tapping.Performance-Wise: Govinda is absolutely fantastic. He plays both the roles with unseen ease. Chunky Pandey does a good job. Raj Babbar is excellent. Kader Khan, Bindu & Sadashiv Amrapurkar, stand out. Shakti Kapoor shines. Gulshan Grover leaves a mark. Shilpa Shirodkar, Raageshwari & Ritu Shivpuri are passable.On the whole, A Must Watch for those who enjoy Entertaining Cinema, where anything can happen. Two Thumbs Up!

This movie is a typical David Dhawan fare. Be sure to turn off your brains while watching the movie. After that well the movie is pretty enjoyable and the gags are rather effective. Chunkey and Govinda are in a double role; as a result comedy of errors follows and hence laughter ensues. The supporting cast also fits in to the fullest. Kader Khan is at his best. The villains are pretty much dirtiest type a comedy can have and are rather menacing. Overall its a fun filled 3 hours ride, I would recommend it to anyone who can digest and enjoy Govinda-David Dhawan brand of humour. And yes look out for the monkey who's the third most important member of the cast.