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.