Sanjay Gupta’s death this week has sent audiences back to Kaante (2002), the heist thriller that became an Indian crime-cinema benchmark. It is remembered for its ensemble, its attitude and its Los Angeles setting. But the making of the film is just as interesting as the film itself.
Tarantino called it a favourite
The most surprising reaction to Kaante came from Quentin Tarantino. He cited it as his favourite among the many films heavily inspired by his work and praised its character-building for going beyond what he was able to do with Reservoir Dogs.
“I felt, this isn’t Reservoir Dogs. But then it goes into the warehouse scene, and I am like, ‘Wow, it’s back to Reservoir Dogs’.”
That is high praise from the director whose film Kaante reimagines.
The original cast looked very different
Before cameras rolled, the film was to star Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Kumar Gaurav, Akshaye Khanna, Shilpa Shetty and Lisa Ray initially. Akshaye Khanna opted out and was replaced by Lucky Ali, and Malaika Arora stepped into Lisa Ray’s shoes. Sunny Deol was offered Kumar Gaurav’s role at one point.
The first Bollywood shoot entirely in Los Angeles
Kaante was the first Bollywood film to be completely shot in Los Angeles. The production team used Hollywood technicians, and the filming was completed in 35 days. Set in Los Angeles, the film follows six Indian men detained without evidence by the police.
Isha Koppikar’s role was cut to a song
Isha Koppikar was signed for a full-fledged role opposite Sanjay Dutt. Because of length concerns, that role was relegated to just the song “Ishq Samandar”. Rohit Roy, from Shootout at Lokhandwala and a popular television actor, also appears in the song.
Only one principal was cast in Hollywood
Namrata Singh Gujral was the only role cast in Hollywood from the principal cast. She was cast opposite Kumar Gaurav in lieu of Shilpa Shetty. All other principals including Amitabh Bachchan were flown in from Mumbai for the Hollywood shoot.
The heist targeted LAPD funding
The six men of Indian origin with criminal records are detained by the police and interrogated about stealing a truck full of laptops. Their antipathy towards the police grows into a plan to rob the American Services Bank, where the funding for the Los Angeles Police Department lies.
Critics split but mostly positive
On Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 6 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. Taran Adarsh gave it three and a half stars and called it “progressive cinema that breaks the shackles of stereotype”. Prem Panicker wanted a more taut script, while Sify called it “a film far ahead of its time in terms of execution”. Derek Elley praised the direction and performances, and Dave Kehr called it “a delirious Bollywood reimagining of Reservoir Dogs, complete with musical numbers”. Kevin Thomas found “a steadfast earnestness” in its attempt to equal Hollywood.
The soundtrack had three composer voices
The songs were mainly composed by Anand Raj Anand, while Vishal–Shekhar and Lucky Ali served as guest composers. The lyrics were penned by Dev Kohli and Vishal Dadlani.
Which of these Kaante details is your favourite? Tell us the one you will be thinking about on your next rewatch.
Facts from Wikipedia: Kaante, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
