Filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah recently made a candid appearance at The Comedy Factory’s Lavari show, where he opened up about the making of his 2002 thriller Aankhen and revealed that the film actually had two different endings. The conversation took a humorous turn when host Chirayu Mistry admitted he had watched the alternate ending through a pirated copy on YouTube, prompting Shah to joke that he might have to take action against the piracy of his own film.
Vipul Shah talks about the two conclusions in Aankhen
Speaking about the alternate conclusions, Shah explained, “In one, Ilias dies. The second one was the planned where the diamonds and jewelry looted by those people were hidden in the harmonium. After Ilias dies, those two accidentally get it.”
He went on to describe the second version, which was released overseas. “The other ending, which we released overseas, was that those two guys, Akshay and Arjun Rampal says, ‘People are leaving, Amitji comes out of jail and is standing at the railway station. They’re watching him, and Akshay says, ‘I have a feeling he’s here.’ Amitji says, ‘Dangerous Game is about to begin,’ and that’s where the film ends.’”
According to Shah, this cliffhanger was intentional. “So, that was the plan back then, to make a sequel. That’s why it ended on a cliffhanger. Then my producer was so talented, the sequel was almost ready, but I forgot everything and promised myself I wouldn’t make a sequel. So yeah, from then on, I swore I’d become the producer myself.”
Why he became a producer?
The director also reflected on why he eventually turned producer. “Actually, I was kinda forced into it. Becoming a producer was a big compulsion because, you know, I had my own vision,” he said. “I met almost all the big producers in the industry, and everyone wanted to work with me. The films were doing really well, but after meeting them, I used to have these horrible nightmares at night, thinking, ‘Oh my God, what kind of people are these?’”
He added, “They were all so intense and tough. It felt like by the time you hit 30, you’d end up in the hospital. After meeting all these producers, we decided we weren’t going to do it. Then I thought, okay, I’ll just produce it myself. So, that’s when I started my own banner.”
Shah’s revelations not only shed light on Aankhen’s alternate ending but also on the personal experiences that shaped his journey as a filmmaker and producer.
