Aks began, in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s account, as a 25-page story about good and evil. Its supernatural premise eventually became a film about a killer’s soul entering a police inspector’s body—an ambitious idea made through an incremental, hard-won production. In a 2021 excerpt from his autobiography, Mehra looked back on how the film took shape and what happened after its release.
What is Aks about?
The story follows Inspector Manu Varma, played by Amitabh Bachchan, and Raghavan, a killer played by Manoj Bajpayee. After Raghavan is shot, his soul enters Manu’s body. Neeta, played by Raveena Tandon, senses the paranormal change.
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That premise turns the crime story into a contest over identity: the lawman and the killer are no longer separated by a simple pursuit. Mehra’s recollection of Bajpayee’s response captures the film’s philosophical ambition. Bajpayee told him, “Mehra Sahab, aap film nahi philosophy bana rahe hai”—“You’re not making a film, you’re propounding a philosophy.” The remark is recounted by Mehra in the book excerpt, not presented as a separately recorded interview.
How did Mehra get the film made?
From “Good vs Evil” to a feature
Mehra writes that he and Rensil D’Silva drafted a 25-page script called “Good vs Evil” in the winter of 1998. Bachchan agreed to take part after reading it. Mehra says he chose Bajpayee as Raghavan after seeing his performances in Satya and Shool.
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Financing it in increments
Mehra recalls that ABCL had been expected to provide financing, but that plan fell through. He says he then made advertising films and used the proceeds to shoot Aks in increments. This is Mehra’s retrospective account in the excerpt from The Stranger in the Mirror; the excerpt does not offer independent financial records.
Making the leads appear to be each other
The role-swapping premise called for Bachchan and Bajpayee to impersonate one another on screen. Mehra describes face-mask prosthetics as part of how the production achieved that effect. He credits Nick Dudman with make-up effects and creature design, and Paul Sims as visual-effects supervisor. Samir Chanda was production designer and Kiran Deohans cinematographer.
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A soundtrack built through collaboration
Mehra says Anu Malik and Ranjit Barot worked together on the music, with Gulzar writing the lyrics. He viewed the result as a blend of melody and newer sound design; that description is Mehra’s assessment of the collaboration.
How did Aks perform commercially?
Mehra recalls a mixed box-office response and says the film did not perform as he had hoped. He says he initially recovered only part of his investment, then recouped another 80 lacs through sales of VHS, satellite, digital and television rights, which he says he returned to ABCL. The excerpt gives no independent accounting, currency clarification beyond “lacs,” budget, gross or box-office ranking, so the figure should be understood as Mehra’s recollection rather than an audited result.
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The same account describes some cinema lovers appreciating the film despite its commercial underperformance. It does not establish a broader critical consensus or provide review scores or audience statistics.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where does Mehra’s account come from?
These details come from a July 30, 2021 Scroll.in excerpt from The Stranger in the Mirror, Mehra’s autobiography co-written with Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta and published by Rupa Publications. It is a first-person retrospective about the making of Aks, not a new interview; production finances and reception are therefore presented as Mehra’s recollections.
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