Shootout at Lokhandwala

About the film

Shootout at Lokhandwala is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Sanjay Gupta and Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures and White Feather Films. Based on the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, it stars an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Abhishek Bachchan, Tusshar Kapoor, and Rohit Roy.

Overview

The film is inspired by the 16 November 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, in which ATS chief Aftab Ahmed Khan led a police operation against gangster Maya Dolas and his associates. Several characters are based on real-life individuals but are portrayed under slightly altered names. The opening caption states that the film is "based on true rumours", reflecting its dramatized interpretation of the events.

Plot

Former Chief Justice Dhingra interviews members of the Bombay Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), led by Additional Commissioner of Police Shamsher S. Khan, ahead of an inquiry into their conduct during the 1991 Lokhandwala shootout. Khan recounts the formation of the ATS, modeled on the Los Angeles Police Department's SWAT units, and its operations against militants and organized crime in Bombay.

The ATS turns its attention to Maya, an ambitious lieutenant of the Dubai-based gangster Dawood Ibrahim who seeks to establish control over Bombay's underworld. After a police informant links Maya's gang to a series of murders, the ATS launches a manhunt. Maya retaliates by targeting the informant's family and resists repeated attempts by the police to secure his surrender through intimidation and bribery.

Maya further escalates the conflict by kidnapping the son of a prominent builder who refuses to recognize his authority. Acting on information from an informant, Khan learns that Maya and his associates are hiding in a flat in the Swati Building at Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri. In November 1991, the ATS surrounds the building with a large police force. During the ensuing gun battle, Maya's gang attempts to escape and seeks assistance from associates in Dubai and corrupt officials, but their efforts fail. Maya and all of his associates are killed in the encounter.

Production

Several scenes were shot on location at the Lokhandwala Complex in Mumbai.

Controversy

The film attracted controversy over its fictionalised depiction of the 1991 shootout. Several Sikh organisations demanded a ban on the film, alleging that it portrayed Sikhs as terrorists and tarnished the image of the community. The organisations also appealed to Sikhs across the country to oppose the film.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Anand Raaj Anand, Strings, Mika Singh, Biddu, and Euphoria.

Prequel

Director Sanjay Gupta confirmed a sequel to the film. In early 2012, it was announced that the prequel Shootout at Wadala would star John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Tusshar Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sonu Sood.

Key details