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| Edited By: Sajid Khan |Source: DNA |Updated: Oct 11, 2017, 06:00 AM IST
As the greatest superstar of all times celebrates his 75th birthday today, it’s no surprise that blogs, articles, columns, bulletins will be showcasing Mr Bachchan’s greatest films and performances. When you’re a superstar, it becomes quite impossible to make people realise that you’re also a great actor. The actor gets completely overshadowed by the stardom. What Amitabh Bachchan did in the ’70s and ’80s, redefined Hindi cinema. One can go on and on about his box-office clout, but that’s nothing new. Right from the beginning of Indian cinema, actors were uni-dimensional. For example, a particular actor was known for his emotions, another was famous for his dancing skills, one star wowed the audience with his romantic roles, another hero was a master in comedy whereas there was also an actor only doing action films. Any time a particular hero tried to step out of his comfort zone, the audiences rejected him outright. Only Amit ji managed to blend in all the qualities in himself. Now that revolutionised Indian cinema. He had become the one-stop-shop for the masses. On the occasion of Big B’s 75th birthday, here’s a look at his Saat Hindustani films which entertained the country like never before…
Though Shashi Kapoor had the mother in the dialogue, it was Vijay who rose above the film, thanks to the strong character driven role by Salim-Javed. Main aaj bhi pheke hue paise nahi uthata is a dialogue the nation remembers even now.
His name was Anthony Gonsalves aur woh duniya mein akela nahi tha! The nation fell in love with the angry young man, who was anything but angry in this film. His pucca yediot mirror scene till today, is a reference for anybody who wants to learn about comedy and timing.
Every movie-goer was not only mouthing Sikander’s dialogues but what caught on, after this movie was the Amitabh Bachchan haircut. The song O Sathi Re was a rage and it was this film, which truly made Amitabh Bachchan a superstar. He was now clearly above all his contemporaries.
The Prakash Mehra — Amitabh Bachchan combination was not just highly anticipated, but also respected by the audiences. Hira, the orphan was truly the angry young man in this film. But because by now Big B had reached a state of 360-degree entertainment, he danced in drag shamelessly and convincingly to the song Mere Angne Mein, which till date is a crowd favourite. Such was the popularity of the film.
Technically, his was a special appearance in Rajinikanth’s debut Hindi film. But what proved to be a repeated viewing choice for the country, was Big B’s famous courtroom scene. So much so that his entire monologue is still a reference in many acting schools.
Though the film was highly entertaining, it was Big B’s near-death incident which made this film the most-awaited film of the decade for his fans. The impact of the scene was so huge that the makers decided to pause the scene where he was injured. Every time that pause came, there was a gasp of concern. This incident united the entire nation where for weeks, the whole country was just praying for his survival. Manmohan Desai even incorporated Big B saying thanks to his fans, at the end of the film. Though it was his character saying it to extras, it was actually meant for the audiences.
Amitabh Bachchan is a superhero. Anything that a superhero can do, Big B did it in all his films. Right? No! When I say Amit ji was a superhero, he’s actually the first Indian superhero to have a comic book series. His character was called Supremo. Though the comic books were very enjoyable, they didn’t catch on because comic books were not the pop culture in India in the ’80s. So, for him to play a vigilante cop superhero, it was very unique. But what has stayed back is the heavy-breathing talking style and of course, the iconic Rishtey mein toh hum tumhare baap lagte hain dialogue.
Space constraints obviously prevent me from writing more about the legend. There are many films which could have been mentioned. Like Zanjeer, Don, Sholay, Agneepath, Namak Halaal. But the above mentioned seven, in my humble opinion, truly impacted and entertained the nation. Arguably, Mr Bachchan’s great Saat Hindustani films. Happy Birthday, sir. The nation owes you a debt of gratitude for the glorious entertainment that you have provided.
