There are very few things that give me uncomplicated and unadulterated joy. One of them, is watching Amitabh Bachchan in his older, pre Lal Badshah, films.
Oh what a hero he was! Zanjeer, Don, Deewar, Sholay, Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Sharabi, Lawaaris, Namak Halal, Silsila... Hero-giri was never better.
Recognising the mania that still forms an unbeatable aura around Amitabh Bachchan, SET MAX is doing an 'Ab Tak Bachchan' festival where they show Amitabh movies every night. I am happy. Champions league still hasnt resumed, and yet TV remains watchable
Deewar is showing right now, as I write this post.
Now I like this film. One of my favourite Amitabh films definitely. And the man is devastatingly sexy in it. I have just finished rambling about the film to a poor soul who has to put up with me. But it's been quite a lot of fun for me honestly!
It's made more fun by the fact that I know half the lines of the film. Not just by Amitabh, but by villains # 1 and 2- Daavar and Samant, Nirupa Roy- who always ends up playing his blind/widowed/destitute mother, and bubbly Shashi Kapoor.
Some lines I like
Part I- The obvious ones
"Sahib, mein phenke hue paise nahi uthaata" "Is ladke par nazar rakhna. Yeh lambi race ka ghoda hai" (Iftikar aka Daavar aka villain # 1) "Sahib, bahut saal pehle aap us hi footpath par apne joote polish karvate the...Sahib, main aaj bhi pheke hue paise nahi uthaata"
"Beta, tu koi aisa kaam to nahi kar raha, jo tujhe nahi karna chahiye?" (Nirupa Roy worriedly asks, when Amitabh shows her a palatial house he has bought)
To which our hero responds coolly-
"Nahi Ma, main koi aisa kaam nahi kar raha jo mujhe nahi karna chahiye" (He has become a smuggler. But emphasis on this line, because in the eyes of the angry young man, he is only crooked because of what his crooked fate has dealt him)
Scene: Nirupa Roy standing between two brothers- Amit and Shashi- with one hand blessing each one. She says "Bhagwan tum dono ko kamiyaabi tak pahunchaye"
Why is this important? I will tell you. Because, my friends, the two brothers have been led down opposing paths in life. Amitabh is a smuggler, and Shashi a police officer. Both of them cannot be kamiyaab. Ek ki haar mein hi doosre ki jeet hai !
Okay, we wont get into the whole -"Bhai tum sign karte ho ya nahi... "Jao pehle usse sign le kar aao jisne mere haath par yeh likha tha"... "mere paas bangla etc hai...tumhare paas kya hai?".. (Silence) (Emotion) "Mere paas (pause) ma hai" - lines because they are well known, much loved and oft repeated. But yes, they're great!
Part II- The less obvious ones
"Agar yeh mazaak hai to tum hasne ke liye zinda nahi rahoge"
And, when Amitabh is asked a question he would rather not answer he says "Mere yeh bataane se sone ke daam nahi gir jaayenge"
Wah! Kya lakh rupaye ki baat kahi! (The driver at office says this often, and I thought it was relevant here)
The screenplay of this film was written in 18 days btw by Salim -Javed. Not bad eh?
Also, as he becomes richer, he progresses from smoking beedis, to cigarettes, and finally to cigars. Subtlety my friends, is the key to a good film.
Though it isn't reflected in the scene where Shashi Kapoor is chasing Amitabh towards end, and ends up sprawled on the roof of the car Amitabh is driving, looking very much like a cockroach swimming in water would. That scene kills me.
Now for a few things I dont like about the film.
1. The fact that Amitabh needs a woman. He is soo much more attractive being the angry, young, too-hurt-by-life-to-care-about-romance-shomance, man who remains aloof in the face of Parveen Babi's rather fleshy thighs. I was pleased when she was throwing herself at him, and he remained cool, observant and distant. I was disappointed when they start sleeping with each other. I was devastated when emotions entered their equation.
I mean, he was just perfect as the loner. More relatable.
2. Umm...cmon, there has to be something else. Oh right, Aruna Irani in her item number + cabaret + mujrah number. She starts off okay, but in the end does this little dance step that resembles drunk men dancing in baraats. Personally, the mawaali action is quite endearing at times. But when done by a woman who is dressed as a courtesan at the end of a qawwali-ish song, its just shocking and hilarious. This may have turned into something I like in a funny way about the film btw.
I recommend the film to everyone who likes Amitabh Bachchan but by some misfortune hasn't watched Deewar yet.
And also to those who dont have any particular feelings for Amitabh Bachchan, but like filmy films. I like filmy films, but only pre 1990. If a film post 1990 is typically filmy, I am likely to shoot it down mercilessly.
Oh what a hero he was! Zanjeer, Don, Deewar, Sholay, Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Sharabi, Lawaaris, Namak Halal, Silsila... Hero-giri was never better.
Recognising the mania that still forms an unbeatable aura around Amitabh Bachchan, SET MAX is doing an 'Ab Tak Bachchan' festival where they show Amitabh movies every night. I am happy. Champions league still hasnt resumed, and yet TV remains watchable
Deewar is showing right now, as I write this post.
Now I like this film. One of my favourite Amitabh films definitely. And the man is devastatingly sexy in it. I have just finished rambling about the film to a poor soul who has to put up with me. But it's been quite a lot of fun for me honestly!
It's made more fun by the fact that I know half the lines of the film. Not just by Amitabh, but by villains # 1 and 2- Daavar and Samant, Nirupa Roy- who always ends up playing his blind/widowed/destitute mother, and bubbly Shashi Kapoor.
Some lines I like
Part I- The obvious ones
"Sahib, mein phenke hue paise nahi uthaata" "Is ladke par nazar rakhna. Yeh lambi race ka ghoda hai" (Iftikar aka Daavar aka villain # 1) "Sahib, bahut saal pehle aap us hi footpath par apne joote polish karvate the...Sahib, main aaj bhi pheke hue paise nahi uthaata"
"Beta, tu koi aisa kaam to nahi kar raha, jo tujhe nahi karna chahiye?" (Nirupa Roy worriedly asks, when Amitabh shows her a palatial house he has bought)
To which our hero responds coolly-
"Nahi Ma, main koi aisa kaam nahi kar raha jo mujhe nahi karna chahiye" (He has become a smuggler. But emphasis on this line, because in the eyes of the angry young man, he is only crooked because of what his crooked fate has dealt him)
Scene: Nirupa Roy standing between two brothers- Amit and Shashi- with one hand blessing each one. She says "Bhagwan tum dono ko kamiyaabi tak pahunchaye"
Why is this important? I will tell you. Because, my friends, the two brothers have been led down opposing paths in life. Amitabh is a smuggler, and Shashi a police officer. Both of them cannot be kamiyaab. Ek ki haar mein hi doosre ki jeet hai !
Okay, we wont get into the whole -"Bhai tum sign karte ho ya nahi... "Jao pehle usse sign le kar aao jisne mere haath par yeh likha tha"... "mere paas bangla etc hai...tumhare paas kya hai?".. (Silence) (Emotion) "Mere paas (pause) ma hai" - lines because they are well known, much loved and oft repeated. But yes, they're great!
Part II- The less obvious ones
"Agar yeh mazaak hai to tum hasne ke liye zinda nahi rahoge"
And, when Amitabh is asked a question he would rather not answer he says "Mere yeh bataane se sone ke daam nahi gir jaayenge"
Wah! Kya lakh rupaye ki baat kahi! (The driver at office says this often, and I thought it was relevant here)
The screenplay of this film was written in 18 days btw by Salim -Javed. Not bad eh?
Also, as he becomes richer, he progresses from smoking beedis, to cigarettes, and finally to cigars. Subtlety my friends, is the key to a good film.
Though it isn't reflected in the scene where Shashi Kapoor is chasing Amitabh towards end, and ends up sprawled on the roof of the car Amitabh is driving, looking very much like a cockroach swimming in water would. That scene kills me.
Now for a few things I dont like about the film.
1. The fact that Amitabh needs a woman. He is soo much more attractive being the angry, young, too-hurt-by-life-to-care-about-romance-shomance, man who remains aloof in the face of Parveen Babi's rather fleshy thighs. I was pleased when she was throwing herself at him, and he remained cool, observant and distant. I was disappointed when they start sleeping with each other. I was devastated when emotions entered their equation.
I mean, he was just perfect as the loner. More relatable.
2. Umm...cmon, there has to be something else. Oh right, Aruna Irani in her item number + cabaret + mujrah number. She starts off okay, but in the end does this little dance step that resembles drunk men dancing in baraats. Personally, the mawaali action is quite endearing at times. But when done by a woman who is dressed as a courtesan at the end of a qawwali-ish song, its just shocking and hilarious. This may have turned into something I like in a funny way about the film btw.
I recommend the film to everyone who likes Amitabh Bachchan but by some misfortune hasn't watched Deewar yet.
And also to those who dont have any particular feelings for Amitabh Bachchan, but like filmy films. I like filmy films, but only pre 1990. If a film post 1990 is typically filmy, I am likely to shoot it down mercilessly.
