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33 Responses to “Amitabh Bachchan on the latest Filmfare”
Sometimes I feel bad watching these images of Bachchan. Don’t wish to bump off those childhood memories of looking at the angry young man in a dark theater with that great hairdo!
Even on TV there is a huge gulf between him and everyone else. While my favourite show is Satyamev Jayate, none of the other major Hindi film stars hold my attention in the TV show-format the way he can.
Yes he is amazing on KBC this season and love his earthiness on the show esp. when he talks about byaah /gauna and all our traditional words with so much ease and then there are those beautiful poetries of Harivansh Rai Bachchan in between ……..pretty amazed how HRB with such meaningful poem was ignored and not taught at school say like a Sumitranandan Pant …
The Hindi establishment of letters frowned upon him for the longest time because he used to rely on various colloquial registers, a kind of ‘folksy’ tone and so on. It is therefore an irony (and I’ve said this on Bachchan’s blog) that the son has moved towards a much more formal register of Hindi. Or better still the Doordarshan version which is more or less ‘invented’ (the kind of thing made fun of in Chupke Chupke actually came to pass!), a bureaucratic, administrative language in which new terms are coined all the time whereas the ‘actual’ varieties of Hindi (which is to say those that arose more organically in different parts of India) have been ignored (though these are still represented in literature.. both the formal varieties and the dialects). According to some scholarly estimates this is still not the lingo understood in most of Hindi speaking India unlike say the ‘Hindustani’ of 70s cinema which is. Of course since people have been formally educated in this newer Hindi for a long time you now have a class of people everywhere who are perfectly comfortable in this language.
Linguistic history though is another thing which always subverts every kind of nationalist or ethnic myth or what have you. It would take a while to explain this but the Doordarshan version I’ve been referring to isn’t just an existing Hindi dialect that was privileged but is Sanskritized Urdu. Or what was called Urdu was the dialect that was Sanskritized over time. On the other hand Urdu itself is Persianized Hindi! Which is to say it is a dialect that wasn’t even called Urdu except rarely before the mid-19th century (the earlier names were rekhta or Hindvi.. even the classical Urdu poets referred to it this way). In the same way it is another myth (though a near-universal one) that Urdu is a camp language of the Mughals and so on. It isn’t. It’s as Sanskritic a language as any other variety of Hindi (or for that matter Marathi or Bengali or Punjabi or Gujarati or what have you). Even the Persian vocabulary in it still does not exceed the Sanskritic inheritance. In any case both Hindi/Urdu are derived from khadi boli which is just one of the major Hindi strands. And I’ll cap this with a factoid — the oldest version of Urdu or a Hindi that is recognizably like the language that eventually was named Urdu comes from Gujarat (Gujri) and dates to the 11th century or something.
It’s like people make fun of American English and privilege British English but there are many peculiarities in the former that reflect the latter as it was spoken at the time of migration a couple of centuries ago or more.
I have indulged in this long note but hopefully it won’t provoke mad responses from certain quarters!
there are of course the insane who say all sorts of things from time to time. They should avoid reading anything from this piece or the larger issue. ‘Reason’ is dangerous for the insane..
Have they photoshopped his lower extremities? Legs look too long..lol. Or is it just the BigB showing off his dominant physicality even at this age. One of his USPs used to be the long legged kicks he would land on villains during those heydays.
I wonder why people jump on the remake bandwagon, but no one ever thinks of taking a classic and making a part 2 with the characters having aged. Since most of the 70s guys are still alive, they can easily make an AAA2 or Naseeb2 etc.
how about having the imagination to just revisit the original film?! LOL! And if one wants to do things with those star-sons how about an original script for a change?! AAA is in any case about Desai’s vision. It’s not a Salim-Javed script or something.
You just reiterated which is always in my mind and i always wish to .. and even conveyed at twitter every other day .. There are many Amitabh classics which can have potentially well made sequel .. Specially after seeing #Shamitabh images, my best bet is on sequel of Shahenshah or Akhree Rasta. Shahenshah can return again for next revenge .. 🙂
Even Satte Pe Satta can have great sequel (though Sudheer and Mc Mohan are no more now).
From recent one, Khakee is best bet for great sequel. All villains in Khakee were alive (Even Ajay Devgan was just shot, not shown dead), they can return for revenge .. Khakee on mission again 🙂
Akhree Rasta, David son is now old .. and on next mission 🙂
Oh ignorent people,just look he is sitting on a wall at this age, he is looking at the camera at this age, he is wearing clothes at this age, he goes to bathroom at this age, he takes meals at this age….and what not at this age.
Completely agree..these old folks should be dispatched off to assisted living homes as soon as they hit 60. So what if people half their age are dying to work with this man? So what if even after ’20’ years of ‘CONTINUOUS’ flops this man can still be a COVER STORY..Oh sorry, I forgot, it is all fixed/paid. No Siree..this is the age of Hrithik mannequin Roshan – the superstar; the one that will always have 12 packs and will NEVER age..
O ye stupid ignorant fools..when will you learn? Are you listening? You 60 year old parents of ..well..you know what and who..everybody..your life is OVER at 60..go home
People at large do not think so. Amitabh Bachchan topped Hindustan Times Youth Icon survey in August this year -http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/youthsurvey2014/ys2014_problems_and_icons/india-s-young-turn-to-self-made-icons-known-for-their-achievements/sp-article10-1252762.aspx
Amitabh Bachchan was also voted among India’s top 3 role models in India Today Mood of the Nation poll in August this year. Other 2 were Dr Kalam and Lata Mangeshkar.
India’s top three role models- APJ Abdul Kalam, Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar, are above 70 years of age: @IndiaToday Group #MOTN
” T 1637 – Party Toh Banti Hai ! Send birthday wishes with #AB72Wishes and get an exclusive signed digital poster !! ~ Bachchan Digital Team ” @SrBachchan Sir post
T 1637 – Party Toh Banti Hai ! Send birthday wishes with #AB72Wishes and get an exclusive signed digital poster !! ~ Bachchan Digital Team
I remember i read Toofan comics 1 day before its release .. and many years later (late 90’s) when i saw actual movie, i was wondering why it seems to me that i have seen all these scenes before .. while i was 100% sure that i have not. i simply forgot that i read its comic version .. 🙂
SATYAMSHOT 
October 7, 2014 at 9:26 AM
Love the cover!
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October 7, 2014 at 10:50 AM
Superb. .
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October 8, 2014 at 3:34 AM
Truly Awesome
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October 7, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Sometimes I feel bad watching these images of Bachchan. Don’t wish to bump off those childhood memories of looking at the angry young man in a dark theater with that great hairdo!
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 11:14 AM
Agree, but have been liking him in crorepati…..kya jadu and charisma hai
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October 7, 2014 at 1:01 PM
Even on TV there is a huge gulf between him and everyone else. While my favourite show is Satyamev Jayate, none of the other major Hindi film stars hold my attention in the TV show-format the way he can.
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 11:29 AM
Yes he is amazing on KBC this season and love his earthiness on the show esp. when he talks about byaah /gauna and all our traditional words with so much ease and then there are those beautiful poetries of Harivansh Rai Bachchan in between ……..pretty amazed how HRB with such meaningful poem was ignored and not taught at school say like a Sumitranandan Pant …
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 12:04 PM
Was funny to see him recite the lines of Don2, was very sporting if him…
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October 7, 2014 at 12:15 PM
The Hindi establishment of letters frowned upon him for the longest time because he used to rely on various colloquial registers, a kind of ‘folksy’ tone and so on. It is therefore an irony (and I’ve said this on Bachchan’s blog) that the son has moved towards a much more formal register of Hindi. Or better still the Doordarshan version which is more or less ‘invented’ (the kind of thing made fun of in Chupke Chupke actually came to pass!), a bureaucratic, administrative language in which new terms are coined all the time whereas the ‘actual’ varieties of Hindi (which is to say those that arose more organically in different parts of India) have been ignored (though these are still represented in literature.. both the formal varieties and the dialects). According to some scholarly estimates this is still not the lingo understood in most of Hindi speaking India unlike say the ‘Hindustani’ of 70s cinema which is. Of course since people have been formally educated in this newer Hindi for a long time you now have a class of people everywhere who are perfectly comfortable in this language.
Linguistic history though is another thing which always subverts every kind of nationalist or ethnic myth or what have you. It would take a while to explain this but the Doordarshan version I’ve been referring to isn’t just an existing Hindi dialect that was privileged but is Sanskritized Urdu. Or what was called Urdu was the dialect that was Sanskritized over time. On the other hand Urdu itself is Persianized Hindi! Which is to say it is a dialect that wasn’t even called Urdu except rarely before the mid-19th century (the earlier names were rekhta or Hindvi.. even the classical Urdu poets referred to it this way). In the same way it is another myth (though a near-universal one) that Urdu is a camp language of the Mughals and so on. It isn’t. It’s as Sanskritic a language as any other variety of Hindi (or for that matter Marathi or Bengali or Punjabi or Gujarati or what have you). Even the Persian vocabulary in it still does not exceed the Sanskritic inheritance. In any case both Hindi/Urdu are derived from khadi boli which is just one of the major Hindi strands. And I’ll cap this with a factoid — the oldest version of Urdu or a Hindi that is recognizably like the language that eventually was named Urdu comes from Gujarat (Gujri) and dates to the 11th century or something.
It’s like people make fun of American English and privilege British English but there are many peculiarities in the former that reflect the latter as it was spoken at the time of migration a couple of centuries ago or more.
I have indulged in this long note but hopefully it won’t provoke mad responses from certain quarters!
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October 7, 2014 at 12:38 PM
have added a link to scans from the magazine. some great stuff here.
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October 7, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Chetan Bhagat tribute to bachchan is most special to read. This is fantastic issue ..
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October 7, 2014 at 12:58 PM
talks about his brand equity (even today) here:
http://amitabhbachchan.ucoz.net/photo/magazine_scans/2014_10_22_filmfare/265
there are of course the insane who say all sorts of things from time to time. They should avoid reading anything from this piece or the larger issue. ‘Reason’ is dangerous for the insane..
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 1:04 PM
This doesn’t seem like a good idea for phone reading (on a train en route to Hyderabad for a family wedding)… Can’t wait to check it out…
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October 8, 2014 at 3:54 AM
Great read.. thanks Satyam for posting the link..
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October 7, 2014 at 3:43 PM
Have they photoshopped his lower extremities? Legs look too long..lol. Or is it just the BigB showing off his dominant physicality even at this age. One of his USPs used to be the long legged kicks he would land on villains during those heydays.
I wonder why people jump on the remake bandwagon, but no one ever thinks of taking a classic and making a part 2 with the characters having aged. Since most of the 70s guys are still alive, they can easily make an AAA2 or Naseeb2 etc.
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 3:55 PM
I’m very glad they don’t do that. the remakes are bad enough!
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October 7, 2014 at 4:00 PM
Ya but how about the guys in AAA aging and having their sons as well. So VK/BigB/RK with AK/JrB/RKjr in one movie? Kuch to imagination hona chahiye.
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October 7, 2014 at 4:25 PM
how about having the imagination to just revisit the original film?! LOL! And if one wants to do things with those star-sons how about an original script for a change?! AAA is in any case about Desai’s vision. It’s not a Salim-Javed script or something.
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 4:00 PM
You just reiterated which is always in my mind and i always wish to .. and even conveyed at twitter every other day .. There are many Amitabh classics which can have potentially well made sequel .. Specially after seeing #Shamitabh images, my best bet is on sequel of Shahenshah or Akhree Rasta. Shahenshah can return again for next revenge .. 🙂
Even Satte Pe Satta can have great sequel (though Sudheer and Mc Mohan are no more now).
From recent one, Khakee is best bet for great sequel. All villains in Khakee were alive (Even Ajay Devgan was just shot, not shown dead), they can return for revenge .. Khakee on mission again 🙂
Akhree Rasta, David son is now old .. and on next mission 🙂
LikeLike
October 7, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Yes Satyam .. Problem is no contemporary director can remotely match the level of those classics, even for sequel.
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October 7, 2014 at 10:51 PM
Oh ignorent people,just look he is sitting on a wall at this age, he is looking at the camera at this age, he is wearing clothes at this age, he goes to bathroom at this age, he takes meals at this age….and what not at this age.
LikeLike
October 8, 2014 at 2:37 AM
Completely agree..these old folks should be dispatched off to assisted living homes as soon as they hit 60. So what if people half their age are dying to work with this man? So what if even after ’20’ years of ‘CONTINUOUS’ flops this man can still be a COVER STORY..Oh sorry, I forgot, it is all fixed/paid. No Siree..this is the age of Hrithik mannequin Roshan – the superstar; the one that will always have 12 packs and will NEVER age..
O ye stupid ignorant fools..when will you learn? Are you listening? You 60 year old parents of ..well..you know what and who..everybody..your life is OVER at 60..go home
LikeLike
October 8, 2014 at 2:15 PM
People at large do not think so. Amitabh Bachchan topped Hindustan Times Youth Icon survey in August this year -http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/youthsurvey2014/ys2014_problems_and_icons/india-s-young-turn-to-self-made-icons-known-for-their-achievements/sp-article10-1252762.aspx
Age is no limit.
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October 8, 2014 at 2:38 PM
*People at large do not think so*
You need to understand people and Samar are two different people.
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October 13, 2014 at 4:15 PM
Amitabh Bachchan was also voted among India’s top 3 role models in India Today Mood of the Nation poll in August this year. Other 2 were Dr Kalam and Lata Mangeshkar.
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October 8, 2014 at 3:40 AM
” T 1637 – Party Toh Banti Hai ! Send birthday wishes with #AB72Wishes and get an exclusive signed digital poster !! ~ Bachchan Digital Team ” @SrBachchan Sir post
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October 8, 2014 at 2:11 PM
#AB72Wishes is constantly trending on top on Twitter!
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October 8, 2014 at 11:01 AM
Great cover and article! Thank you for sharing. Look a his shoes – they are so long!
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October 9, 2014 at 8:02 AM
some cool pics:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/pix-beautiful-moments-from-amitabh-bachchans-life/20141009.htm
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October 13, 2014 at 5:48 AM
Watch the exclusive behind the scenes action of our latest cover shoot with Amitabh Bachchan http://youtu.be/kguuCtL3awI
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October 13, 2014 at 5:56 PM
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October 19, 2014 at 4:35 PM
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October 19, 2014 at 4:42 PM
I remember i read Toofan comics 1 day before its release .. and many years later (late 90’s) when i saw actual movie, i was wondering why it seems to me that i have seen all these scenes before .. while i was 100% sure that i have not. i simply forgot that i read its comic version .. 🙂
LikeLike