Kamal Haasan reveals how Vinod Khanna starrer Achanak inspired him to take up directing

Actor and director Kamal Haasan, like many of his colleagues in the film industry, expressed regret at the news of the demise of Bollywood star Vinod Khanna on 27 April 2017. That was when the star revealed how Vinod Khanna’s film Achanak, released in 1973 inspired him to take directing films seriously. [caption id=“attachment_3146824” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Kamal Haasan.[/caption] He spoke to The News Minute about the film, “Achanak is a film that changed my life. When I saw it at 18 for the first time, I was encouraged to become a director. This man didn’t know it at that time. But Vinod Khanna was a precursor to Stallone’s First Blood. It’s the story of a betrayed commando who goes on a rampage. Sylvester Stallone did it many years ago. Now, I want to see where I can take this character.” Achanak was directed by Gulzar and starred Vinod Khanna, Lily Chakravarty and Asrani with Vinod Khanna playing the betrayed soldier who goes on a rampage killing his wife for infidelity. The film was based on the famous KM Nanavati v State of Maharashtra case, which was also the inspiration behind Akshay Kumar’s Rustom. Kamal Haasan is currently working on his film _Sabaash Naidu_ , which has been put on the backburner because of financial issues and the star’s long pending project, Vishwaroopam 2’s post-production has commenced and it is expected to hit the silver screens later this year. If the Achanak remake materialises, then it will be the fourth film on the Nanvati case following Achanak, Yeh Raste Hain Pyaar Ke (1963) starring Sunil Dutt and Leela Naidu, and Akshay Kumar’s Rustom.