19 years of Ek Ajnabee: Amitabh Bachchan's reinvention in the Bollywood twist of Man on Fire

It's been 19 years since the release of Apoorva Lakhia's 2005 action-thriller Ek Ajnabee—A Man Apart, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, and Perizaad Zorabian. This film is a remake of Tony Scott's 1987 film Man on Fire, which was itself based on the same name-branding book. Ek Ajnabee made its theatrical debut on December 9, 2005.

Plot overview of Ek Ajnabee

Anamika R. Rathore (Rucha Vaidya) and her non-resident Indian (NRI) family live in Bangkok, Thailand. Their friend and former comrade Captain Shekhar Verma hires the resentful Colonel Suryaveer "Surya" Singh to look after the girl. He is inebriated and has no interest in befriending the girl. After she wins his heart, he becomes her supporter and assistant as she prepares for a swim match.

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In the course of his efforts to prevent Anamika's kidnapping, Surya sustains grievous injuries. Her father cannot afford the amount required to free his daughter. Thus, Suryaveer employs all of his abilities to rescue the child, only to uncover the plot behind the youngster's abduction. Surya discovers that Chang, Shekhar's lawyer, is orchestrating some of this. Chang's brother is actually the mastermind behind this. Surya is holding Chang captive, while Chang's brother is holding Anamika captive.

During their arrival to swap places, Surya learns a tremendous secret from Chang's brother. Surya finds out that Shekhar was the mastermind behind it all. Surya vanquishes a group of warriors loyal to Chang's brother. Shekhar and Surya begin their epic battle. After Shekhar's death, Surya lives out his days caring for Anamika and her mum. Lara Dutta's Anamika hires Abhishek Bachchan as her new bodyguard, and the video jumps to her swimming practice fifteen years later, where Surya and her new protector are by her side.

Apoorva Lakhia's vision for Amitabh Bachchan's role

Apoorva Lakhia specifically designed the storyline for Amitabh Bachchan, the lead actor. Man on Fire has been adapted into four feature films, each with a distinct language dubbing, as Lakhia described, and here's the Indian version. Everything that an Indian film needs to be successful is there.

A lot of people discuss films that bridge cultures, according to Vikram Chatwal, who plays Ravi Rathore in the film. These flicks need not be on par with Bend It Like Beckham or Monsoon Wedding. This is not your typical Hindi movie, nor is it a remake of Man on Fire. The cinematography, editing, and direction reveal its cutting-edge quality. Mr. Bachchan is undergoing a personal reinvention. So, Chatwal implored the audience to not make this film into yet another Bollywood flick.

For 35 days, filming took place in Bangkok, Thailand. Lakhia and producer Bunty Walia explained that they wanted their characters to stand out, which is why they settled on Bangkok. As they stroll along the street, their characters will adopt a new appearance. Unlike the Thai men, his heroes are over six feet tall. Because of this, being in an eye-catching location was crucial.

Acknowledgement of plagiarism and open adaptation

According to Walia, there were claims of plagiarism in the film. He acknowledged that he and Lakhia were open about the fact that Ek Ajnabee was a direct copy of Man on Fire. In contrast to those who exploit others without hesitation and pretend that no one can uncover their deceit,

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed interest in obtaining a copy of the screenplay for Ek Ajnabee in 2006. Walia described it as an "honour" following the allegations of plagiarism.

Streaming availability of Ek Ajnabee

Ek Ajnabee is available to stream on Prime Video, JioCinema (OTTplay Premium), Lionsgate Play (OTTplay Premium), and ShemarooMe (OTTplay Premium).

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