Bbuddah...Hoga Terra Baap (2011)

And now, for Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap from 2011, directed by Puri Jagannadh.

This movie is every Bachchan fan’s dream, and the movie is as successful and as amazing as it is because it is made by a Bachchan fan, starring a bunch of Bachchan fans!

I had very recently joined twitter when this movie was being filmed, and had recently discovered that Amitji was on twitter. I didn’t not know what the plot was about, I just thought it sounded like a cool movie and Amitabh Bachchan, the first actor of whom I remember consciously from my childhood, was in it.

Fast forward a bit to summer 2012 and I finally got to see the movie.

This movie was another first for me…it made me realize just how big of a Bachchan lover I really am! I nearly exploded out of my skin when the song Go Meera Go came on!

Where to start praising this movie, I haven’t the slightest clue!

I think it just stands as proof of Amitji’s badassery, a trait of his that I am a firm believer of, and his coolness, which we are all aware of. The movie is riddled with references to older Amitji movies, maybe references that won’t necessarily be caught by those who haven’t gone on a Bachchan watching spree, as yours truly has. One of the more obvious references has to be the character’s name, Vijju! And the fact that Vijju wears two watches, for which Amitji was famous for, back in the day.

I mean come on! How much cooler can you get?

The character of Vijju is a former Mumbai gangster, one of the founding fathers as the movie states. It’s a beautiful throwback to the gangster roles like Deewar or Kaalia, the way he speaks in the movie, the way he carries himself, is exactly consistent with the Angry Young Man persona…in fact, this movie’s simple explanation that the Angry Young Man is now an Angry Old Man. To explain the roles of Hema Malini and Sonu Sood would give the plot away and I refuse to explain.

I will say this, however, that when Go Meera Go came on, I did explode out of my skin. I remember I was studying while watching the movie and the song made me so hyper, I was able to stay up late into the night to finish homework, with the song on repeat on my iPod. The combination of the four most famous Bachchan songs, ramped up a bit and sung by the Shahenshah himself is, with Abhisheck Bachchan providing his voice to the chorus of the song…it’s just beautiful.

The song has been known to keep from falling asleep on long, four hour drives….
And the acappella, with Amitji's incredible baritone, is a work of genius! I can listen to the soundtrack for this movie for hours....
Here's a secret though.
I do! haha
I am currently listening to Go Meera Go and find myself predictably hyper.
Listen and dance!

The movie is brought together more perfectly through the outfits, the badass motorcycle, the tiger jeans, sunglasses, and the humor that is present throughout the movie, including Raveena Tandon’s unforgettable guest appearance as Kamini, and her screeching of “Vijju darling!”

What more can I say about this movie? It is a Bachchan love fest! And if you are reading this then I am assuming you are lover of Bachchan like myself, a Bachchan connoisseur perhaps, so watch this movie as a favor to yourself!!

Mahaan (1983)

In the midst of my own loss, I dedicate today’s blog to Mahaan ('great' or 'famous' in Hindi) and its director, S. Ramanthan, who passed away only a few days ago.

From 1983, Mahaan is an incredible movie starring Amitabh Bachchan (of course!) and a star studded cast, a true who’s who of Hindi cinema, with Waheeda Rehman, Zeenat Aman, Perveen Babi and of course, the only and only Amjad Khan as the villain in this story.

The first time I heard about this particular movie was during an interview with Amitji conducted in the not-too-distant past, where he discussed a few aspects of the movie. For example, he pointed out that during one of the songs with Zeenat Aman, a memorable number called “Pyar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Gol” in Nepal, the crowds seen in the final cut of the movie were the fans that had gathered to watch Amitji with Ms. Aman perform. S. Ramanthan had apparently resigned himself to the fact that the spectators had to be a part of the shot.

Another thing I learned about this movie first, and the reason it intrigued me, is that it is a triple role for Amitji.

I am usually very critical of actors who attempt to portray two characters in a single movie, let alone three characters! Many actors believe that by simply altering a physical trait, they successfully play two different characters. I knew Amitji capable of doing the dual role, having seen both Don and The Great Gambler before (both will be given their due on this blog soon!) However, I was dubious and excited about seeing him perform three characters.

And, as always, Amitji not only delivered three very separate, very distinct characters, but he went above and beyond by convincing you that three different people were standing before you. And now Mahaan is one of my favorite movies, and contains one of my favorite scenes that Amitji is in.

The plot is a basic Desi flavor, with enough twists and turns to create its distinction. The story begins with the introduction of an upstanding lawyer named Amit, blissfully married to Janki (Waheeda Rehman), who is expecting. But Amit’s inability to conform to law breaking, his need to speak the truth and prove the truth, lands him in trouble with Amjad Khan’s character, inevitably separating him from his Janki. Amitji’s aptly named character Amit goes into hiding in the open in Kathmandu, Nepal as Rana Ranvir Singh, forever separated from his wife Janki.

She, meanwhile, gives birth to twins, but as life would have it, her two boys are separated and she is unaware that she had twin boys. She keeps one son, who grows up to become a brave police officer Shankar, the son separated from her becomes one of Amitji’s most memorable characters, a wanna-be actor named Guru.

I think this movie truly displays Amitabh Bachchan’s versatility as an actor. As I stated before, the characters of Amit (the father) and his twin sons, Shankar and Guru, never get mixed up. They are very distinct from each other, from their facial expressions, their very essence as characters; down to their voices seem to be three different individuals. I cannot express this magic in writing, it has to be witnessed firsthand, Amitji’s skills as an incredible, world-class actor have to be felt in first person in the case of Mahaan. 

The character of Guru, the joker in the family of this movie, is one of Amitabh’s most memorable. There is a particular scene that, upon watching, had me falling from my seat laughing, and quoting endlessly. He’s a very fun character, and remains a joker throughout the movie, a true foil for his brother Shankar.

Under the direction of S. Ramanthan, the distinction of the three characters was successfully made through a combination of camera angles and much more behind the scenes inspirations for Amitji I’m sure. I am also sure that the heroine’s of the movie were capable of separating the three Amitji’s under the super vision of Mr. Ramanthan.