'Aankh dikhata hai...' Hardly anyone would have forgotten this dialogue from the 2003 action-crime film 'Gangaajal'. Do you know that this film is based on a real incident? This film created a sensation not only at the box office but in the entire country. The most special thing about this film was that it was made on a very low budget. Prakash Jha both produced and directed the film. Ajay Devgn, Gracy Singh, and Mukesh Tiwari were seen in the lead roles. But, did you know Ajay Devgn was not the filmmaker's first choice to play the role of Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar?
'Gangaajal' was based on a real incident that happened in 1980. It is said that during the year 1980, the police in Bhagalpur, Bihar, poured acid into the eyes of about 31 criminals. This incident was criticised everywhere. Many cases were filed on this and finally, when the case reached the Supreme Court, it created a sensation across the country.
The action-crime film 'Gangaajal', released 21 years ago, is a favourite of cinema lovers. It received very good reviews from the audience and critics. The film also performed very well at the box office. The film was not only successful at the box office but also managed to win awards. This film also won the National Award for the 'Best Film Made on a National Issue' and a Filmfare Award that year.
Ajay Devgn was cast for the role of SP Amit Kumar in the film. People loved Ajay Devgn a lot in uniform but he was not Prakash Jha's first choice before starting the film.
If media reports are to be believed, Prakash Jha wanted to do this film with Akshay Kumar. As soon as Prakash Jha narrated the story of the film to Akshay Kumar, he became very nervous. He was vary of the high violence content in the film. After listening to the story of the film, he refused to do the film.
Prakash Jha then narrated the script to Ajay Devgn who immediately agreed to do it. This was Ajay Devgn and Gracy Singh's first and last film together.
'Gangaajal', which was made with a budget of just Rs 4.5 crores, earned over Rs 16.5 crore at the box office. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year.
A sequel titled 'Jai Gangaajal' was released in 2016 starring Priyanka Chopra but it proved to be a flop, both commercially and critically.
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