Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 11: Known by many names including ‘Shehensha’, ‘Don’ and ‘The Angry Young Man’; the Hindi Film Industry behemoth Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his 80th birthday on Tuesday. Here’s looking back on the five decades of his life that he gave to the film industry which earned him fans over several generations.
The star we know today, Bachchan has reinvented repeatedly to fit with the times. His career can neatly be divided into multiple phases, some of which even overlap at times. These phases include both his success and times he faced hardships.
Big B started his career with a low-key film Saat Hindustani in 1969, and later went on to play a supporting actor for the then stars including Rajesh Khanna and more. Bachchan was struggling and was seen as a ‘failed newcomer’ who, by the age of 30, had twelve flops and only two hits (as a lead in Bombay to Goa and a supporting role in Anand).
However, by the 70s, he had already proven himself the ultimate king of Bollywood, with hits like Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay. This was a time when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, and India was still finding its feet as a young nation.
Bachchan’s continued portrayal of the wronged hero fighting a crooked system and circumstances of deprivation in films like Trishul, Kaala Pathar and Shakti resonated with the masses of the time, especially the youth who harboured a simmering discontent owing to social ills such as poverty, unemployment, corruption and social inequality. This led to Bachchan being dubbed as the ‘angry young man’ and an action hero.
People also often forget that like many before him, Big B could easily be a romantic hero or a comic, or for that matter whatever the script demanded of him. This is showcased in his films including Hera Pheri and Chupke Chupke which were comic masterpieces, and Kabhie Kabhie and Silsila, where the script demanded romance.
He went on to play double roles in films such as Bandhe Haath, Adalat, Kasme Vaade, Don, The Great Gambler, Desh Premee, Satte Pe Satta, Bemisaal, Suryavanshi and Bade Miyan Chote Miyaan among others. Furthermore, the megastar indulged in singing for his film Mr Natwarlal, which proved once again his talent by winning him the award for the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer for the year.
Even until the late 1980s, Amitabh continued to produce successes, but his star power was no longer as powerful as it once was. His 1980s movies include Namak Halaal, Andha Kanoon, Coolie, Mard among others. After a three-year stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, he made a grand return as his recurrent ‘Vijay’ avatar in 1988’s Shahenshah, riffing on the Batman mythos to combat injustice. In the movie, Vijay was a police officer by day, while in his after hours a nocturnal vigilante.
After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films like Jaadugar, Toofan and Main Azaad Hoon failed at the box office. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this era that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 cult film Agneepath. These years would see his last on-screen appearances for some time. After the release of the critically acclaimed epic Khuda Gawah in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years.
Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, but faced several loses and cases. Later, Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career, and eventually had commercial success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyaan and Major Saab.
In the 2000s, it appeared as though the Angry Young Man had made a seamless transition to Forbidding Old Man. In films like Mohabbatein and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Big B became a stern father-figure who could not abide the very idea of joy.
Films like Baghban, Aks, Aankhein, Dev, Black, Bunty aur Babli, Sarkaar, Cheeni Kum and Nishabd among others continued to prove his worth as a versatile actor earned him critical praise for his performances. Later, 2007 marked his first appearance in an English language film The Last Year.
Later due to his uncanny knack of reinventing himself, he turned his Forbidding Old Man routine on its head through films like Piku, Pink and 102 Not Out as an annoying father who’d talk to strangers about his stool and a lawyer, who unlike many men, understood the importance of consent.
This, however, wasn’t the end of Big B’s makeover as showcased with his quirky avatar in films like Shamitabh, Gulabo Sitabo, Budhha… Hoga Tera Baap and Bhoothnath. Here’s to hoping that he never stops changing and proving ‘Budhha Hoga Tera Baap’.
