''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' is a 2007 Hindi feature film directed by Apoorva Lakhia. It is based upon the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, a real-life gun battle between gangsters and Mumbai Police.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) A.A Khan Head of the ATS attacked the Lokhandwala Complex on 16 November 1991, with a force of around 100 armed Policemen. Dreaded gangster Maya Dolas was hiding in the complex. The leading protagonists in the film have slightly different names than their real-life counterparts and the film caption is "''based on true rumours''." The film was released on 25 May 2007, while inspired by ''Goodfellas''.

Plot

The film moves to the offices of former chief justice turned private prosecutor Dhingra (Amitabh Bachchan) where he interviews the three leading members of the Mumbai Police Encounter Squad , Assistant Commissioner of Police Shamsher.S Khan(ACP.S.S Khan)(referring to A A Khan, played by Sanjay Dutt), Inspector Kaviraj Patil (Sunil Shetty) and Sub-Inspector Javed Sheikh (Arbaaz Khan). The main film timeline is the extended interview of the three officers by Dhingra; as the officers answer Dhingra's questions, the film flashes back to show the incidents.

Dhingra asks about the Encounter Squad. Khan explains that he hand-picked 27 of Mumbai Police's best enlisted men and officers. He borrowed the concept from the LAPD SWAT Special Weapons And Tactics team to help combat crime in the city. The film flashes back to show Khan selecting his men and putting them through intensive physical and mental training to be "fast, efficient and deadly". Dhingra is hardly impressed: he points out that if Khan chooses to "''shoot to kill''" then Khan is no different from the gangsters he seeks to destroy.

Dhingra asks why Khan felt he had do this. Khan explains that following Operation Bluestar in 1984, several Sikh terrorists fled to Mumbai and began establishing a base in the city. They engaged in violence, extortion and other subversive tactics to grow their operations. The film flashes back to show Sub Inspector Abhishek Mhatre (Abhishek Bachchan) , a very brave officer and disciple of Khan , pursuing and subsequently getting shot down by a group of Sikh terrorists. Khan is deeply frustrated when the Mumbai Police, mired in internal bureaucracy and corruption, fails to act. He obtains clearance from the police commissioner Krishnamurthy (played by the real A A Khan) and sets out after the militants. Khan asks Meeta Matu (Diya Mirza) to cover the incident so as to deter future terrorists. True to Khan's words, he successfully "encounters" (a practice mistakenly considered unique to Indian Police; it indicates summarily gunning down criminals; 'extra judicial killings' is the term accepted internationally) the terrorists who had shot PSI Mhatre. As per Aftab Ahmed Khan the encounter with Khalistani Extremist was more dangerous and tough than Shootout at Lokhandwala.

At this point the film segues into the life of Maya (referring to Mumbai gangster Mahindra Dolas though the film never mentions "Dolas" specifically; played by Vivek Oberoi). Maya is the second-in-command of the "big boss" in Dubai (a clear reference to Dawood Ibrahim though the film does not mention his name at all) and runs Dawood's criminal activities in Mumbai. Maya recruits Bhua (referring to Dilip Buwa, played by Tusshar Kapoor) after successfully hatching a plot to eliminate Bhua's old gang led by Ashok Joshi. At this point, Maya and Bhua are at the top of Mumbai's underworld, reporting directly to the big boss in Dubai.

Things heat up when Khan recognizes, through his network of spies and informers, that Maya is responsible for several criminal and possibly terrorist activities. Around this time, Maya's ambitions, fueled by his ''Aai'''s (Amrita Singh) insistence, grow to the point where he wishes to assert his independence from Dubai and take over Mumbai himself.

Khan's ATS now focuses on eliminating Maya and Bhua, and begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game where neither side shows any overt aggression but tries to disable the adversary by tactical maneuver. Khan launches "visits" to the criminals' families to try and "persuade" them to counsel the criminals to surrender. In turn, Maya and his men return the "visit" by approaching the cops at social situations. Maya visits Khan at a restaurant where Khan is having dinner with his family. Maya quietly tells Khan: "This is between your men and mine. Leave the families out of it." Khan retorts: "I did this to give you an opportunity to come clean. But now it appears that any resolution hangs off the barrel of a gun."

Maya's rage intensifies when he gets thrown out by prominent city builder Wadhwani (based on real life builder and politician Gopal Rajwani, owner of the building that the movie was set in). Maya had demanded 40 lakhs protection money; Wadhwani claimed to deal directly with Dubai. Maya kidnaps Wadhwani's sniveling and overweight kid. When Wadhwani complains, the big boss asks Maya to cut it out and return the kid immediately. Maya quietly informs the boss that he has upped his demands and that he wants to reign supreme in Mumbai.

The film also explores the personal lives of the protagonists. Khan's wife Rohini (Neha Dhupia) is unable to bear his constant neglect of his family life. She files for divorce. Patil's divorce is nearly upon him, too. In the enemy camp, Buwa has shacked up with a bar dancer Tanu (Aarti Chhabria) but is unable to spend any quality time with her. Fellow criminals Phatu (estranged from his parents) and RC (plagued by ghost-like visions of an innocent family he gunned down) have similar troubles.

It all comes to a head in November 1991. The five criminals including Maya and Buwa secure themselves, while holding Wadhwani's kid, in a flat at Swati building in Lokhandwala. Khan is tipped off of the location by an informant. (In Dhingra's questioning, Khan allegedly also received a call from the big boss in Dubai. Khan vehemently denies this.) Khan assembles a large squad of cops and lays siege to the location. He announces over the bullhorn that residents are advised to stay indoors and bolt their windows.

A long and devastating gun battle begins. The criminals launch RPG (rocket propelled grenade) from their flat and try to escape. But they are overwhelmed by police fire and all five criminals are eventually slain. The battle lays waste to the entire building: film shots show the staircases, hallways and several civilian flats completely pulverized by gunfire. Reporter Meeta Matu covers the action live.

Up to this point, Dhingra has been negative and denigrating of Khan and his efforts with the ATS. He cites press reports and civilian complaints that condemn Khan (and the ATS) of unilateral and unwarranted excessive force in a residential locality. Charges are brought against Khan and the ATS. But when Dhingra rises to defend them as their appointed counsel, he, in a surprising twist, presents an unconventional argument as defense.

The film ends with Khan and the ATS being acquitted.

Cast

Production

It would have been difficult to shoot this sequence with the public around. Hidden cameras were used at five places and the two actors ran 200 meters at the real location to can the scene.

Controversy

Soundtrack

#Sunidhi Chauhan & Anand Raaj Anand - Mere Yaar (मेरे यार) #Strings - Aakhri Alvida (आखरी अलविदा) (Urdu: آخری الودا) #Mika & Anchal - Ganpat (गन्पत) #Sukhwinder Singh, Mika & Anand Raj Anand - Unke Nashe Mein (उन्के नशे मे) #Biddu - Live By The Gun #Dr.Palash Sen - Sone De Maa (सोने दे माँ) #Mika & Anchal - Ganpat Rap (गन्पत rap) #Strings - Aakhri Alvida [Club Mix] (आखरी अलविदा (club mix)) (Urdu: آخری الودا (club mix)) #Sukhwinder Singh, Mika & Anand Raj Anand - Unke Nashe Mein [Club Mix] (उन्के नशे मे (club mix))

Box office

Awards and nomination

Filmfare Awards

Star Screen Awards

Zee Cine Awards

Stardust Awards

IIFA Awards

Other

See also

References

External links

Category:2007 films Category:Indian films Category:Hindi-language films Category:Films set in Mumbai Category:Films about organized crime in India Category:Organized crime events in India Category:Films based on actual events