After the success of "Chokher Bali", Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film with Rajkumar Santoshi's "Khakee" (2004), an action thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor. The film tells the story of five constables embroiled in a mystery surrounding a terrorist attack; Rai's role was that of Mahalakshmi, a gun moll. While filming for "Khakee", Rai was accidentally hit by a running car, which resulted in the fracture of her left foot. Upon release, the film received moderate critical and commercial success. In her next release, the romantic comedy "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...", Rai played Diya Malhotra, a university student who develops a one-sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna (played by Vivek Oberoi). The film received positive to mixed comments from critics, but failed commercially.