Amitabh Bachchan, the underrated eternal lover in films has his birthday today

Dear Sir, It's your birthday today. I am not going to get into how old you are, but I would rather dwell upon a facet to your on-screen image that people don't talk about. 'The Angry Young Man," is something that is synonymous with Amitabh Bachchan. Yes,in Zanzeer, Deewaar, Don, Kaala Patthar, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, and so on, in the seventies, you personified the frustration of the youth and the anger associated with it.

But for me, your on-screen persona as a romantic hero is symbolic. Because, seeing your films and the romantic characters you have enacted, it's been inspiring. Let me start with Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Bemisal (1982) where you sacrifice your emotions for your best friend. Remember the number Ek roz main tadapkar where you try to seduce a woman who has ruined the life of your twin brother? You know you are not in love with her, but then family loyalty matters and you play tricks to take revenge. And the expression on your face filled with anger during the song is unparalleled. And that scene in the film when you are in jail (taking the blame for a crime committed by your best friend), where you appeal to Kavita (Raakhee) that once you are out of jail you want to hear a kid calling, Maa, maa," and those words are etched in my heart. Who says you are just the Angry Young Man? Your critics must watch that scene to learn what it takes to live with pain.

In Mukherjee's Abhimaan (1973), we find you in a romantic avatar. In the same director's Mili (1975), you go out of your way to save the life of the woman you love. And the number Aaye tum yaad where you recall your past with a glass of beer cannot be replicated. And just your performance on screen is electrifying. And what about Yash Chopra's Kabhi Kabhi (1976), when circumstances coerce you into marrying a girl you never loved? In Prakash Mehra's Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), you make your way to a brothel to find solace in a courtesan because the only woman you have ever loved loves somebody else---- Dil toh hai dil ka aitbaar sung by Lata Mangeshkar and picturised on Raakhee, Vinod Khanna and you, has you misinterpreting Kaamna's (Raakhee) feelings towards you. In Mehra's Sharaabi (1984), how can we forget the song Log kehete hain main sharabbi hoon when you express your frustration and the aftermath of leading a lonely life.

In Ramesh Behl's Kasme Vaade (1978), perhaps the first movie I ever watched in a theatre, the song Kasme vaade nibhayenge is one one of my most favourite numbers. In Yash Chopra's Silsila (1981), you once again like in Kabhi Kabhi, marry somebody you never felt inclined towards. You feel the pain, go back to your lover Chandni (Rekha) but eventually, you are back to your wife Shobha (Jaya Bachchan). Neela aasman and Dekha ek khwab composed by Shiv-Hari from the film still play in the heat of a die-hard romantic. There are too many examples, but to cut it short, the era of romance in Indian films cannot ignore you.

Time and again your angry image has over powered your romantic one, but songs like Jidhaar dekhoon (Mahaan), Tum saath ho jab apne (Kaalia), Pardesia (Mr. Natwarlal), Teri meri dosti pyaar mein badal gayee (Dostana),  Kab ke bichde (Laawaris) and many others still are a hit. And Sir, Rim jhim gire saawan and Tum ho mere dil ki dhadkan are my personal favourites.

Unfortunately, the lover in you in films has never got its due whereas stars like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Rajendra Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and even Salman Khan personify ultimate love on screen. It's not your fault Sir, but you emerged at a time when the likes of Salim-Javed capitalised on your looks and the turning point of the Indian society when the anger in youth was a phenomenon. 

Yet, it's to your credit, that you experimented as a lover even in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black (2005), Ram Gopal Verma's Nishabd (2007) and R Balki's Cheeni Kum (2007) at a time when you were past your prime as the leading man. Let me tell you, even at this age, film-buffs throng the theatres to see your films. This is a fact that even your friend-turned-foe-turned-friend Shatrughan Sinha can't refute.

Being a commoner, I have no idea, how history will remember you. There could be too many tags, but for me, Amitabh Bachchan, the eternal lover in films has no replacement because as a die-hard romantic you have excelled. Sir, thank your directors, music composers and singers who have been pivots in building your romantic avatar.

Happy Birthday Big B and I will always cherish the inspirational acts of yours in romantic movies. Because you have made an impact on me.

When success brings tears to your eyes

Pink has been lapped up both by audiences and critics. At the box-office, the Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury-directed movie has garnered a favourable response. A lot of efforts have gone into making the movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Angad Bedi and others. To celebrate the success of the film, a media interaction was held in Mumbai where the cast & crew got emotional. Incidentally, the creative producer Shoojit Sircar was even in tears. Success does make you cry at times.

From the ad world to be on the same frame with Big B

His is a popular face on TVCs, but for Raashul Tandon, Bollywood was meant to be the next destination. The actor shares screen-space with none other than Amitabh Bachchan in Pink, produced by Shoojit Sircar and directed by Aniruddha Roy Chaudhary.

Talking about his big break, Raashul says, "I had auditioned for the role. The casting director helped me understand the plot and my character so that I could perform well." "It was like a dream come true! I've always wanted to work with him. When you work with a legend like Mr. Bachchan, you understand why he's a legend. He's so dedicated, focused and for me to even stand next to him is a big deal," says Raashul..

Talking about his role in the movie, Raashul informs, "It is a story of a bunch of youngsters living in Delhi and I play one of those characters. It's a very pivotal role, as I'm also a part of that one incident which dictates the course of the film."

Celebs aplenty at Pink's preview

An exclusive preview of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's debut Hindi film Pink was held in Mumbai recently. Present at the screening were producers Shoojit Sircar, Ronnie Lahiri and Rashmi Sharma, director Roy Chowdhury and some members of the cast including Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Angad Bedi, Vijay Varma and Tushar Pandey. B-Town celebs like Kangana Ranaut, Dia Mirza, Yami Gautam, Eli Avram, Saiyami Kher, Prachi Desai, Gauhar Khan, Tisca Chopra, Usha Jadhav and Sunidhi Chauhan also graced the occasion. One wishes Amitabh Bachchan too were present.

Aankhen 2 set to hit the floors next month

The announcement of producer Gaurang Doshi's Aankhen-2 had Amitabh Bachchan taking the center stage and launch the sequel. The first installment of Aankhen directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah released in 2002 and was a huge success at the box-office. Aankhen 2 will be directed by Anees Bazmee.

The set at Film City, Mumbai took the form of a casino. The programme saw live performances by Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, Meet Brothers and Bollywood debutante Regina Cassandra all choreographed by Ganesh Acharya. The movie also stars Anil Kapoor, Arjun Rampal,and Ileana D'Cruz. It hits the floors this September and is slated to release next year.

Aankhen (2002) starred apart from Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Rampal, Paresh Rawal, Sushmita Sen and others.

The ignominy AB Junior doesn't deserve

Watching the trailer of Housefull 3 that hits the theatres soon, one can only revere Abhishek for the way he has evolved as an actor. They say tickling the funny bone is the toughest job as an actor and if you share screen space with two accomplished actors known for their comic timings, the wicket starts turning ferociously. Yet going by the trailer Abhishek doesn’t buckle and holds his fort despite the presence of Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh. But, one bets, even if the film scores at the box-office, AB Junior will be deprived of the credit he deserves.

Such has been the tragic story of AB Jr. Time and again he has had to live with undue comparisons with his parents (Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan). Abhishek would agree that had he not been carrying the blood of Amitabh Bachchan, he would have probably been a free man beyond the constant scrutiny of his critics. But is it his fault that he is Big B’s son? It was not his conscious choice, was it?

So then why does he have to bear the brunt for no fault of his? Why does he have to face so much of humiliation? To make matters worse, we don’t even hesitate to take jibes at him over his ‘more successful’ better half Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Time and again, star sons and daughters have had to face ignominy from weird sources. In this age, thanks to the social media trolling is a household word and quite often celebrities are targeted by netizens. Ask Abhishek how many times he has been trolled and the poor chap probably has lost count. 

Abhishek’s case is unique. There’s a line of demarcation between the best and the good. With due respect, even star sons and daughters like Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Kumar Gaurav, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and others didn’t have to go through the gruelling process that Abhishek has had to. Yes, Sanjay, Sunny and Ranbir have a rich pedigree, but Abhishek is in a different league. To millions, stardom starts and ends with Big B and poor Abhishek is under severe pressure to be the second Amitabh Bachchan if not notches higher. Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun and Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aaryan if at all they decide to follow in their fathers’ footsteps should take lessons from Abhishek on handling out-of-the-blue adversities. It’s quite unfair on our part to expect Abhishek to be as good as Bachchan Senior despite having his genes.

Little do we realise that had Abhishek been born out of a different father, we wouldn’t have hesitated to call him a successful professional given his body of work. If we look at his career, films like Yuva, Sarkar, Guru, Antarmahal and Dhoom 1, 2 & 3 have catapulted him to the status of a versatile actor. Filmmakers from Rituparno Ghosh to Mani Ratnam have put their money on him. Unfortunately some cynics attributed Abhishek’s casting by Rituparno in Antarmahal to the fact that the film was the former’s home production. That had put him in a no-win situation. 

Here’s an actor who has not been comfortable with remakes of his dad’s films. Yes, there were reports that he would star in the remake of Big B’s Do Aur Do Paanch, but the project reportedly has been shelved. Good for Abhishek though. The extent of comparisons with his father would have touched the sky had the project taken off.

Be it as solo hero or one among many, Abhishek has always held his own. In Zameen, Yuva and Bol Bachchan, he had an actor of the stature of Ajay Devgn in the same frame. However, in all these movies, Junior Bachchan stood apart.Guru, considered his best film till day, had Abhishek sunk deep into the character that earned him rave reviews. Even in the Dhoom series, the actor was not enamoured of Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan and played his part with utmost perfection. In films like Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Happy New Year, he had the likes of his father, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Boman Irani to measure up to. Yet, he didn’t disappoint. In Sarkar and Sarkar Raaj, he didn’t get overshadowed by his father and impressed all with his stellar performances. What else does he have to do to be held in a respectable esteem as an actor?             

If you ever meet this gentleman, you will return home with words of appreciation for him. He comes across as a suave, dignified and humble man who is a charmer as well. Abhishek’s friends say he has a great  sense of humour. And talking about his wit, here’s what Abhishek told Hindustan Times, “How many actors get compared to Amitabh Bachchan? How many actors have the privilege of being spoken about in the same breath as him? That’s my blessing. If anyone feels I am worthy of being compared to him, then I am doing something right.”

It’s time for us to give this guy some space. AB Junior has endured enough brickbats much to his chagrin.  We never cease to have fun at his expense. Tweets like, “If Abhishek Bachchan can trend anything can happen in this world. Abhishek Bachchan is so out of work these days, Amazon could deliver their orders using Drona instead of drones,” are actually an affront on an accomplished actor who still has so much to deliver.

Twiterratis should not ignore the fact that success to a megastar’s son like Abhishek Bachchan doesn’t come on a silver platter. The pressure is enormous and it takes tremendous perseverance to emerge out of the shadow of arguably the biggest icon in the world of showbiz. Please judge Abhishek as an individual and not on the basis of his genetic linkage.