Images from Shamitabh (updated)
thanks to Yakuza..
thanks to Xhobdo..
thanks to Yakuza…
thanks to Yakuza..
thanks to Genesis..
thanks to Yakuza..
thanks to Saurabh…
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SATYAMSHOT 
July 12, 2014 at 10:22 AM
Saurabh:
Arresting first image here of Bachchan from Balki’s film. Waiting for more stills
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July 12, 2014 at 10:22 AM
absolutely arresting image.. still no one within light years of him..
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July 12, 2014 at 10:45 AM
An actor this old who can still be considered as a lead in a movie of pretty much any kind, there isn’t any other aged actor in any other country’s film industry who is singularly so present.
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July 12, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Awesome image. Stunning look by Big B! Very stylish too!
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July 12, 2014 at 12:30 PM
Please see this video – Reminded me of Shamitabh.
This guy is like Dhanush’s character, dumb but wants to become an actor. One of the Best recreation for Amitabh’s mirror scene from AAA. Such a talented 20 year old, acting, dancing and expressions.
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July 12, 2014 at 1:04 PM
Woww .. This is stunning look. Looks very interesting ..
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July 13, 2014 at 4:03 AM
Just wow…looks fabulous
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July 13, 2014 at 5:13 AM
I’d love to see a Lear like this! Very striking image indeed…
Plus, Yudh starts tomorrow!
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July 13, 2014 at 5:22 AM
Finally bachchan gets something worth his while & it’s Balki again who saves him from the sea of mediocrity waiting to engulf him and his legacy…
Ps:It’s the eyes..
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July 13, 2014 at 5:43 AM
This is exactly how Shahenshah would look today .. old but still magnificent and ready to take next revenge … Loll just a thought 🙂
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July 13, 2014 at 12:33 PM
I think it serves Amirabh Bachchan better if he keeps the focus on good acting rather than good make-up. Also when leading stars don makeup to make them intentionally appear less attractive, the BO suffers.
Granted in this case, Amitabh Bachchan has over the years steadily moved away from being the typical larger than life star to more or less a character in an ensemble, but I personally think he is denting his remaining marque value by once again relying too heavily on make up.
It is too gimmicky, but Balki can make such gimmicks work.
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July 13, 2014 at 2:29 PM
National Award is in store here. Expectation has been raised with this look.
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July 15, 2014 at 9:47 AM
why not an oscar?
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July 20, 2014 at 8:34 AM
like his look a lot here..
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July 20, 2014 at 11:11 AM
Oh. He looks lovely here. can’t wait for the film.
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July 20, 2014 at 1:58 PM
He looks somewhat like Rajnikant here at first glance. Interesting getup.
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July 21, 2014 at 3:41 PM
He looks so young in this updated picture. Very handsome. He should stop wearing that coat.
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July 21, 2014 at 4:28 PM
the new picture in white shirt looks awesome.
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July 21, 2014 at 4:58 PM
Yes the last one (white shirt) appears to be the best.
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July 22, 2014 at 3:34 AM
This is priceless article on boxoffice from 1984 India Today ..
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/manmohan-desai-and-prakash-mehra-stand-out-as-remarkable-survivors-with-big-budget-films/1/361333.html
Some highlights :
Of 13 All time grossers, 9 was starring Amitabh … Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony, Jai Santoshi Maa, Deewar, Dharam Veer, Ek Duuje Ke Liye, Laawaris, Suhaag, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Andhaa Kaanoon, Coolie, Naseeb, and Kranti.
Zamjeer touched the Rs.1 crore mark in the Bombay territory and has earned not less than Rs.80 lakh in every major territory in the country. This comes to around 6.5 Crore Nett business.
Till may 1984, Coolie sold 7 Crore tickets (in 6 months).
Namak Halal, his 1982 mega-release, has netted Rs.1 crore in Bombay and commands packed houses even now (1984).
Muqaddar Ka Sikander, made in 1977, fetched Rs.90 lakh in the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh territory in the first 18 months(Industry standard) though the distribution rights were sold for a measly Rs.25 lakh: the revenue from Muqaddar Ka Sikander now approaches a staggering Rs.1.2 crore in each of the major territories.
Naseeb(1981) ran in London’s art theatre circuit for many months as cult cinema, and is screened even now(1984) to packed auditoria.
Industry standard of lifetime business was 18 months, though almost every bachchan movie earn 30-50% more business in over and above 18 months period.
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July 22, 2014 at 3:59 AM
That year reminds me of infamous sikh riots. It will never be erased.
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July 22, 2014 at 6:00 AM
He was one man industry. And ruled it like a true emperor.
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July 22, 2014 at 6:39 AM
1975-1996: This time, that year
http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19971226/36050843.html
Article written by Indian Express in 1997
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July 22, 2014 at 7:22 AM
He looks really handsome in the white shirt picture.
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July 22, 2014 at 10:44 AM
any idea about its trailer and movie release dates..
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July 22, 2014 at 12:35 PM
Another priceless article from 1985 …
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-film-industry-faces-its-biggest-ever-crisis-with-advent-of-video-and-television-changing-audience-tastes/1/354811.html
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July 22, 2014 at 1:17 PM
interesting read from the past but inaccurate on many counts.. because as is often the case with Indian writers on these subjects they strain the evidence to fit the overall thesis.
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July 22, 2014 at 4:13 PM
White shirt pic reminds of “Andha Kanoon’ 🙂
Super (y)
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July 22, 2014 at 8:52 PM
Its no secret that BigB has the most photogenic physicality in all of bwood, even at this age. Just hope that these visuals are supported by worthwhile gravitas in the movie.
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July 23, 2014 at 5:13 PM
some fantastically good images from Shamitabh on his blog today. This look has really worked.
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July 24, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Any idea on release date satyam ?
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July 24, 2014 at 3:01 PM
nope..
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August 11, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Feb 6, 2015 confirmed date of release
http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/
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August 11, 2014 at 1:01 PM
India Today’s Andha Kanoon review from 1983 .. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/film-review-andhaa-kaanoon-starring-amitabh-bachchan-rajnikant-hema-malini/1/372360.html
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August 11, 2014 at 2:15 PM
Manmohan Desai interview from May, 1984 :
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/money-that-i-spent-is-seen-on-my-films-manmohan-desai/1/361334.html
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August 11, 2014 at 4:47 PM
The response to this question was pretty elegant:
Q. Your films have often been accused of being illogical. Any comment?
A. Cinema is a medium of illogic. Here, you re-create physical reality with a series of lies – the night that you show in films may be day; the fights may be the result of brisk cutting; the passage of time may have been created at the laboratory, with a technique called dissolve. So, you have illusions available to you. Why must you always create something out of them that looks like life? It can be anything, as long as it touches a chord.
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August 11, 2014 at 8:06 PM
Indeed. I also found the Raj Kapoor reference in the AAA context suggestive because as you might recall I’ve long felt this to be a hidden link, if you will, in Desai’s work. A kind of ‘unthought’ of his oeuvre (which is to say something he instinctively got and perhaps understood at some conscious level but certainly that which has eluded his critics), the bridge between Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.
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August 11, 2014 at 8:27 PM
and since some others here might not be sure what I’m referring to I’ll shamelessly reference some older stuff! Here’s that Desai comment:
“Before Amar Akbar Anthony, my concept of a hero was almost entirely modelled on Raj Kapoor whom I had cast in my very first film, Chhalia, made in 1959 when I was just 22. It is only in Amar Akbar Anthony that Amitabh got Raj Kapoor out of my system. Now I have got Amitabh in my system and cannot think of anyone other than him. What happens now is that I think of scripts with Amitabh in mind. It is very difficult to conceive of an alternative, though I agree that an alternative must come up.”
[ The John Jani Janardhan Naseeb song was weakly misread by Farah Khan in Om Shanti Om. The former isn’t really about ‘number’. What is noteworthy about the Naseeb song is that it precisely does not feature ‘everyone’. Some of the obvious ‘exclusions’ are Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna. A similar list could be made for the actresses as well.
So what’s going on? Presumably some of these stars must have been busy on their own assignments but there’s something else too.
The stars that do feature in the song are Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Randhir Kapoor and so on.
Well all the stars that feature in the song had acted in Desai’s films (though I am unable so far to account for Rakesh Roshan! Well he can be the exception that proves the rule!). Shammi Kapoor did Bluffmaster, Dharam did Chacha Bhatija as did Randhir, Dharam aslo did Dharam Veer, Rajesh Khanna did Sachcha Jhoota and Roti, Sharmila Tagore did Aa Gale Lag Ja. Raj Kapoor of course was the great ‘teacher’, Desai had been assistant to him and later began his career directing the legend in Chalia.
So this a bit humorous, even a bit subversive. The event is a jubilee function for Dharam Veer. Normally the whole industry shows up for such an event but here the list is rather selective (of course Shashi Kapoor is not here and Rishi couldn’t be as he in the same film as a character, however no one who did not work with Desai is there!). It’s actually a bit of a Desai ‘family’ gathering!
But the fun doesn’t end here. The ultimate star, Bachchan (the one man industry by that time) is just a waiter here and dreams of becoming a star! Desai is craftier still. In a very important symbolic moment Raj Kapoor is at the center of things because he is asked to ‘play’ the harmonium (as he did in his films, most famously in Sangam). The great showman is therefore given his own ’show’ within the show! And the man who hands him the musical instrument and begs him to play is Bachchan! So Bachchan is connected in a very critical way to Raj Kapoor here.
Let’s not forget another bit of symbolism to the song. The ‘Allah Jesus Ram hain mere’ refrain. Bachchan is everyman of every(Indian). of course in Desai’s films Bachchan is most famously Anthony and Iqbal and the NAseeb character with 3 names. Raj Kapoor is the ultimate ‘humanist’ of Hindi cinema. If there is an actor before Bachchan who could represent the truly secular, the truly ‘classless’, if there was someone who could represent the ‘lack’ of proper markers of religion and ethnicity and so on it was Raj Kapoor.
Connecting Raj kapoor to Bachchan is therefore brilliant because Bachchan himself functions as another kind of everyman to the extent that he does not represent a religion or an ethnicity to the audiences. As I’ve pointed out before many of Bachchan’s canonical roles are coded with ‘minority’ signs. In the most canonical one of all Deewar, we see the nominal Hindu (Vijay) who has a quarrel with God and therefore refuses to enter the temple but on the other hand accepts the ‘talismanic’ significance of the ‘786′ badge (an important number in Islamic numerology as it denotes the ’sacred refrain’ that must begin every reading of the Koran or in a more general sense every ‘auspicious’ act, Yunuz Parvez’s character in Deewar explains as much). But then the badge actually protects him when he’s shot and significantly he only dies at the end when he loses the badge. One should take this a bit further. Bachchan does enter the temple later in the film when his mother is ill but to once again ‘quarrel’. The God in the temple functions in Deewar as an almost malignant force whereas the talismanic ‘786′ protects. This is powerfully, even dangerously subversive.
As an aside I should add that Desai picks up on the potency of this symbolism and Deewar and really takes it to a logical extreme in Coolie. There are credible accounts that Bachchan was supposed to initially die in Coolie. Then Bachchan almost died in real life and due to public pressure Desai changed the ending. As the film now stands Bachchan writes in his blood the basic proclamation that qualifies one as a ‘Muslim’ after he is shot. Later of course he survives. As the film originally stood this might have been the final ‘confession’ of Bachchan! But even in this revised version it is very potent. Nowhere else in Hindi cinema does one find such powerful ‘religious’ subversion.
Raj Kapoor and Bachchan are for Desai guarantors of the secular Nehruvian India of which Desai himself is the last true representative as ‘director’.]
[ Chalia is Desai’s debut and it clearly illustrates the director’s future path though one that was kept in suspension after this film as he worked with Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna and so forth.. till he got to Bachchan. I’ve said this before but in a very crucial sense Desai makes Bachchan also the inheritor of the the Raj Kapoor ethos. One wouldn’t normally think of these two together but Desai establishes a connection. Chalia at any rate deals with the partition trauma directly as well as the AAA kind of message with ‘chalia mera naam… hindu muslim sikh isai sab ko mera salaam’. But with Raj Kapoor he couldn’t have gone further than this. The latter’s Chaplinesque persona was much more that of the unmarked everyman. He was always the ultra-humanist and was always quite far from any mode of religiosity.
The question of the ‘Nehruvian’ can be reintroduced here. You have hinted in one of your responses here (and I take up the lead!) that Desai’s world might not necessarily be one that Nehru would have endorsed. Nehru from all that we can gather had at times even a certain hostility to bourgeois religiosity. of any kind. On the other hand Desai is quite happy to wallow in precisely this even if he is quite fair to the minority, indeed tilts towards the minority almost everywhere (Suhaag is a film populated only by the majority and it is easily his darkest film). Raj Kapoor’s unmarked ‘hero’ might have been more to Nehru’s taste. At the same time one perhaps has to recognize the greater ‘wisdom’ of Desai’s move. Because Raj Kapoor’s ‘universal’ operated by effacing the particulars or religion and caste. A valuable move in itself but one not entirely consonant with his nation’s contemporary concerns. Note how Chaplin emerges at a point in history when the old European feuds over religion and class and so forth had been mostly played out, when societies were transitioning from an older aristocratic order to a new democratic one. Chaplin was in many ways the detritus of the older system. He is what survives the ravaged past. In his vulnerability and ‘exposure’ he even looks ahead to an even greater conflict yet to come. Chaplin could be ‘Jewish’ man. As these old hierarchies crumble Chaplin stands ‘naked’. I have never seen him as part of the lumpen masses who were newly empowered in these political transitions. Raj Kapoor recreated this ‘type’ in India and as I’ve just stated there were risks to this.
I would like to think that even if it might have made him a bit queasy at points Nehru would have recognized the significance of Desai’s wager, given the masala format of cinema and its excesses of pitch and tone. While Nehru wasn’t exactly a fan of any sort of religiosity it is fair to say that the majority kind (being the most powerful one) perhaps concerned him far more than the rest. But also he disliked what he defined as superstition more than anything else. The Gandhi way if you will of connecting social and political maladies to larger disturbances in the moral or ethical order. For example a famine or riot could be in Gandhi’s worldview the price paid for a greater ‘sin’. This is the sort of linkage Nehru simply detested.
But Desai never follows such an economy. His carnivalesque atmospheres and the fact that his films are essentially comedies in a structural sense but often literally so allows him to indulge in all manner of religiosity by marrying it to a theater (dare I say circus) sense of the world. And yes he does move away from Raj Kapoor’s or Chaplin’s or Chalia’s broader humanism to a cultural and religious specificity that is de-linked from any nationalistic program. Desai’s films in fact often seem like fairy tales because he keeps them extremely vague or unmarked in political terms. These fairy tales are to my mind Nehruvian, true to the Nehruvian idea of India, true to that quasi-mystical myth of a timeless melting pot land.]
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August 11, 2014 at 8:31 PM
to add to everything I’ve said here Bachchan in KBC (check out especially the recent ads for the upcoming season) represents the latest manifestation of all this and in ways that often doesn’t come through in much of his contemporary cinematic work.
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August 12, 2014 at 1:09 AM
Superb write-up satyam .. that Naseeb trivia is enlightening.
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August 12, 2014 at 11:20 AM
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s3ivda
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August 12, 2014 at 12:48 PM
Great comment Satyam.
As for Vijay accepting the 786 billa , IMO it is possible and embraced only in Bharat.
Bharat key log in general are more accommodating …..
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August 12, 2014 at 12:52 PM
depends on which ‘bharatis’ one is talking about!
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August 12, 2014 at 12:53 PM
Certainly not the Bandars…
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August 12, 2014 at 12:56 PM
you mean the ones that have been popping up three times a week for a number of weeks now to say one crazy thing after another?
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August 12, 2014 at 1:00 PM
You say they have been popping out, I say they are being hyped by MSM because they don’t have anything else to report ( Kyonkee Merrut is too far from Delhi na)…
Aside- What Bhagwat said is correct ;and who cares about people like Singhal, Tagodiyaas ….
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August 12, 2014 at 1:49 PM
don’t want to get into a political debate here because some folks don’t keep it controlled but Bhagwat is factually wrong on every single count. I won’t even get into his provocative politics. And this has been my old point in all of these cases (fundamentalists of all stripes). The problem isn’t just their extremism but that they’re simply and categorically wrong on the facts.
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August 12, 2014 at 2:37 PM
Ya no politics for me either…I was making the larger point of people from Bharat are more accommodating….th
Aside- Hindi hain hum watan hai Hindustaan hamara !!
Or as the so called great Nehru said -Hindi -Cheeni Bhai Bhai ..lol
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August 11, 2014 at 3:04 PM
Thanks for those two gems here Yakuza.
Just faint memories as kids when we went to watch Mahaan with family and could not get tickets. There was never so much information available on movies and it was all posters at that time and the closest cinema hall we could timely make the show was playing Andha Kanoon. It turned out to be one of the best bachchan performances from childhood days.
And then good to read Manmohan Desai and what went thru his head in those days..
“ They come to see my films not once but many times over, and the business comes out of the repeat value of my ‘items’ – songs, fights, disguises, special effects. And all these centre around basic emotions”
“ My film Naseeb is like a buffet where anyone can pick up what he wants. For the picturisation of one song, John Johnny Janardan, in that film”
“Because Amitabh has not one but five strong points – action, emotion, drama, melodrama and melody”
‘With Amitabh around, you constantly have to give him ‘items’, make him do things’
Few standout point which: may apply to blockbusters even today. As for the current crop of actors fitting the above setting, fans of each can interpret to their likings….
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August 12, 2014 at 1:02 PM
Great comment yet again Dhoni sahib….. even I remember the court scene and the rotey rotey song vividly…
The confrontation scene between the father and son in Aakhiri Raasta at the graveyard is my all time favorite scene…
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August 11, 2014 at 4:41 PM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/manmohan-desai-and-prakash-mehra-stand-out-as-remarkable-survivors-with-big-budget-films/1/361333.html
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August 11, 2014 at 4:52 PM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/only-manmohan-desai-and-prakash-mehra-can-exploit-me-fully-amitabh-bachchan/1/361341.html
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August 11, 2014 at 4:59 PM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/hindi-film-industry-presents-a-contradictory-picture-chaos-and-flops-rule/1/329350.html
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August 11, 2014 at 5:01 PM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/young-love-fever-rages-amidst-increasing-violence-in-cinema/1/315137.html
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August 12, 2014 at 1:26 AM
With these striking images, i can only wish him to see in action packed AKA Akhree rasta/Andha Kanoon/Shahenshah mode … and i am sure he can still put screen on fire with such roles.
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August 12, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Yakuza we have all been this path during the Buddha Hoga Tera Baap days so no point fantasizing this stuff….. Those Andha Kanoon days are long gone unless you have a top notch director at the helm who can make a viable project which incidentally did happen to Dilip Kumar with Vidhaata ,Kranti and to an extent Shakti – albeit for a brief period.
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August 12, 2014 at 10:27 AM
Andha Kanoon was hardly a good movie….I dont know why people are going hyperbolic over that trash. Aakhree Raasta on the other hand was a fabulous movie…
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August 12, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Have to agree with you.
Just how the word “Super Star” has lost it’s meaning, the word “Classic” has lost a meaning too. It’s funny how most of the film from 70’s which were considered illogical movies of it’s times, didn’t win any awards (when awards meant something), are being called classis by some fans.
Dilip Kumar had a great run with Ghai with Vidhaata, Karma and Saudagar, he also had other very good films like Kranti, Mashaal, Shakti, etc.. And the main thing is he was the main lead in all of those movies.
Career should be like Dilip’s, came in like a king and left at the right time, didn’t stick around to become irrelevant.
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August 12, 2014 at 11:18 AM
“Just how the word “Super Star” has lost it’s meaning, the word “Classic” has lost a meaning too. ”
completely agree. But then when you start using this term for guys like SRK or films like KKHH a certain debasement was bound to happen.
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August 12, 2014 at 11:49 AM
if AAA and coolie are considered classics by bacchan fans than i have no objection to srk fans calling kkhh classic or salman fan calling dabaang a classic, etc…
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August 12, 2014 at 11:53 AM
of course not.. just as some people consider Kishore Kumar songs classics while many find Kunal Ganjawala classic today..
for the Philistine it’s always hard to tell the difference.. and to this extent you have my sympathies..
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August 12, 2014 at 3:59 PM
“Just how the word “Super Star” has lost it’s meaning, the word “Classic” has lost a meaning too.”
Just wondering if you could clarify whether the term ‘Superstar’ lost its meaning with Amitabh or with SRK or with Arjun Kapoor.
And this thing called being ‘born’ a LEAD actor right on in the hospital and retiring a ‘KING’, well, what can one say? I guess SRK imbued this ‘wisdom’ from Dilip Kumar quite early in his career. Hence he anointed himself ‘KING’ even before people were scrambling about still thinking of some epithet for him!
People still debating Amitabh’s reach and popularity and his importance pan-India with regard to his stamp on Indian pop-culture is really funny. And trying to compress his importance, impact, artistic excellence, and stardom into excel sheets with an economic balance sheet only underscores the agenda that fans or/and fan-clubs of other stars have.
With regard to ‘hiking’ up ‘illogical’ films from the ’70s, I would head over heels take them to the multiplex Hinglish trash puked out today. I guess it is this elevating of Bachchan’s films is the reason why DOORDARSHAN in the mid-’90s regained some turf almost hopelessly lost to satellite channels by STARTING with screening Bachchan’s films every Friday till they ran out of his films. A 3 hour film ran for 4 hours because of the ad space. So much for being a ‘spent’ force. There are MANY classics and cult movies that NEVER started out as classics. Over time, people realize the lack of vision they had when compared to the auteur’s vision of their generation. Office Space was dismissed as a cheesy, B-grade take on the IT culture of the ‘90s. Today, arguably, there might not be a single IT guy who doesn’t have a copy of OFFICE SPACE in his folder or on his shelf that he enjoys – with or without a Bud.
Though not even a year- old kid when Bachchan began ascending the Everest starting ’75, and really too young to comprehend his importance, there are still some nuggets that I remember. Like trying to catch DEEWAR during an umpteenth re-release in 1983 and coming back home twice without watching it thanks to ‘black’ tickets being sold out; or the literal riot breaking out for tickets during the first day 9 pm show for AKAYLA at Maratha Mandir when he was ‘supposed’ to be at his lowest ebb; or the fact that tea-vendors and other small-time business enterprises like the cigarette-wala and the pan-wala made more than their share of hay by stationing their ‘mobile’ units in front of theaters screening Amitabh’s movies – first time releases; re-runs; flops; or hits. If you read the above AB interview wherein he talks about Naseer congratulating him on a fantastic performance in SHAKTI, you will realize how it is so virtually difficult to resist the charms and talent of this actor that even a reluctant colleague like Naseer who waits like a sniper to grab the first chance available to berate Bachchan’s career is forced to surrender to AB’s merits.
About his second innings as a ‘character’ actor, well, this seems quite a feeble achievement when Kamal Haasan says that older actors in India hardly get something written for them; but thanks to AB, things did change and are continuing to change; or the fact that Vidhu or Shoojit or Balki are falling over each other to get that one singular chance to work with this phenomenon; or most importantly, the fact that the ‘baniyas’ – respectfully – of the film industry, the distributors or/and producers don’t discuss Bachchan in monetary terms any longer but measure him in terms of the cultural iconicity he brings to a project. But hey, the blogosphere is ripe with people comparing wonderful mathematical equations – that would befuddle even Ramanujan – foolishly ignoring the variables: For instance, SRK or Aamir or Hrithik in 10 year period versus AB in the 10 year period; or the most idiotic one – Rajnikanth at 60 versus Amitabh at 60! [Do they even realize what south-style/side fandom is about? How uniquely different the 4 film-states of the south are when compared to Bombay and the north of Vindhyas? Or even how the southern states react to Hindi films and Hindi film stars?]
Anyway, something here to ponder about for generation ‘X’:
At any given time of day, over one lakh people are watching a tall, lanky, slightly gawky figure sing, dance and especially fight on the screen. Every year, approximately four crore people crowd the cinemas to watch this man battle the forces of evil, and it has been estimated that one in every six Indians has seen one of his films. Each time he leaves his elegant house in Bombay’s Juhu-Ville Parle scheme, investments worth Rs.50 crore ride on him. So much in demand is the dark, taciturn star that the hordes of eager producers who queue up outside his dressing rooms are told that they cannot expect shooting dates before early 1983. And yet, the offers keep on coming. As French producers Alain Chamas who tried unsuccessfully to sign him for Crossings opposite Jon Voight and Richard Dreyfus finally remarked in sheer exasperation: “This man is not just a star. Amitabh Bachchan is an industry.”
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/One-Man+Industry+(May+1-15,+1980)/1/85818.html
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August 12, 2014 at 11:19 AM
I’ve also never been an Andha Kanoon fan, not much of an Aakhree Raasta one either for that matter but the Bachchan special appearance in the former was hugely iconic at that time.
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August 12, 2014 at 1:51 PM
Dilip Kumar had a great career and a decent second innings but all the films from his second innings were really multistarrers. Even he couldnt carry them himself and none of them were particularly path breaking r innovative. Shakti was probably the best of the lot. Somehow Karma ddnt deliver what it promised though more of Ghai’s fault. Liked Suadagar quite a bi for RK-DK face-offs.
DK fans and mre often AB haters will always try to make DK out tob e greater than what he was but come off sounding stupid.
DK will always be an icon and the other great star actor but AB is in a different stratosphere.
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August 12, 2014 at 1:52 PM
Rajen.. I forgot to put out a warning here earlier.. take Z seriously at your own risk..
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August 12, 2014 at 1:54 PM
I know ! I have been trying to ignore him and the Bandar but they are getting a little out of hand!
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August 12, 2014 at 4:28 PM
I am a fan of ABsr but don’t think he surpasses DK at all. From AAN to Devdas DK delivered grandly.
One could say they both belong to different srtatospheres, where one stratosphere is not superior to the other.
And this is after I enjoyed ABsr’s films on the big screen and none of DK’s. I wonder how impressive he would be on the big screen with a fantastic print to go with it.
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August 13, 2014 at 7:29 PM
Dilip Kumar might have done multi-starters in his 2nd innings but he was ‘always’ the leading actor of the script and film unlike Amitabh Bachchan. This is fact and you can’t change it. Film makers add younger actors obviously as you can’t make a movie on oldies only and need all round package and songs.
He’s the hero of all his 2nd innings from Kranti, VIdhaata Mashaal, Karma, Duniya, Izzatdar and even for that matter Shakti.
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August 13, 2014 at 7:39 PM
Let’s be serious.. hard as this might be.. though it would be fairly easy for me to list all the films Bachchan is a lead in, bring in questions of volume and so forth all of this can only happen when a discussion is serious. Sadly that’s not the case here.
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August 13, 2014 at 7:46 PM
I don’t think you’ve read my comment properly. Don’t understand the serious comment either. Dilip Kumar hardly does movies and in his 2nd innings he did 10-12 movies at most. He was always approached as the leading actor of the film, majority of the time, then rest of them came up. Amitabh, maybe coz of financial issues, ended up acting in all kinds of roles in 1997-2004 when he got his foothold back then returned to his original stature.
No one is talking about Amitabh’s volume and if he did lead roles or not. But just making a point he ended up doing side roles during his comeback times. It was difficult phase for even die-hard Amitabh fans(including me).
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August 13, 2014 at 8:30 PM
I have been the greatest critic of some of Bachchan’s choices so I’m not disagreeing there but the point is he was also doing lots of lead roles at the very same time. He got carried away with the volume at some points, that’s certainly fair to say.On Dilip Kumar it’s true that he never did the part if it wasn’t a central one. Right down to his last one (Qila). but being central does not automatically confer dignity on the star. There’s are some films there that he should have been embarrassed to do. His last Qila had one of his characters rape Rekha! Then there was stuff like Izzatdaar and Kanoon Apna Apna. Some others too. He basically lucked out with Ghai. Kranti was a huge multistarrer (as was Karma for that matter). Also recall that he was out of the game by the early 70s. Ram aur Shyam was his last hurrah, after this nothing worked for him in the 70s, finally after Bairaag he took a number of years off because that triple role just crashed. After this he only appeared in multistarrers, not even lesser films where he was the only guy. But nothing really worked other than Kranti, the three Ghai films, Mashaal to a limited extent, Shakti did well enough but still relative to Bachchan’s expectations was considered a bit of a disappointment. And then he had total failures with Duniya and Dharam Adhikari and some of the others I’ve mentioned. The point I’m trying to make is that precisely one he was being selective there was no excuse to do some of this stuff. Frankly I think Ghai also made a buffoon out of him in large parts of Karma and for that matter Saudagar. I know your point is simply about playing the central character but sometimes I’m not sure (even as again I’ve criticized Bachchan for this at very many points including on his blog) if doing some of his supporting parts was worse than some of Dilip’s leads. And again even during that high volume period there were plenty of leads. He was just doing too much. He was even doing very brief appearances as favors (Lakshya) or longer ones for friends and so on. This dilutes things but still the filmography has lots of impressive stuff, even important films, and of course significant performances, something that wasn’t true for Dilip Kumar in that entire run barring Shakti. So again I don’t disagree, I just draw different meaning from all this. Specially over time it is the good stuff that is remembered. And Bachchan still has enough of it from Khakee to Dev to Aks to Aankhen to the Balki films to the Black and so on. A lot that is poor or terrible or bad because of the length or nature of his part (though I wouldn’t place Mohabbatein or K3G in that category.. KANK on the other hand belongs to it). No two ways about it. But one of the things was that there was a demand in the market for him to do this stuff. Certainly every director worth his salt wanted to work with him and at every end of the spectrum and he did not choose wisely at many points. But for a man who too spent five years away from it all, couldn’t quite get it going when he got back (now those were some truly terrible choices!) until the historic KBC and then Mohabbatein turned it around for him the fact that he was in such demand given his age was itself amazing. As it continues to be today. He finally cut down on things. Even today he could be doing multiple films every year in central parts if he wished to. Otherwise forget all of this I’ve considered most of his career beyond the 80s to be about wasted opportunities (though not all his fault).
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August 13, 2014 at 11:18 PM
Agree. DK’s success in his 2nd innings was limited to Kranti and the 3 Ghai movies. Kranti was hardly a DK-centric movie. It was Manoj Kumar’s ongoing jingo-majic that ensured its success. The 3 Ghais were also all multi-starrers. DK’s solo attempts hardly passed muster.
The movie with the biggest potential of all was Shakti, but it faltered precisely because Amitabh was not given a meatier multi-dimensional role. By 1982, BigB had morphed into the comic-action-drama-dance etc avatar (remember Namak Halal, Naseeb, Coolie et al). Sippy made a big mistake in limiting Amitabh to his Deewar one-dimensional character, and not exploiting all those other dimensions. And yet, all the haters started with the “DK dominated BigB” meme. Well off course, if you limit the reigning superstar to perform within a tight straitjacket, without the winning formula, the movie wud suck. Heck, he did not even lip-sych to any songs. So whereas Amitabh-Smita set the screen on fire in Nama-Halaal, they were a damp squib in Shakti (except for that fire-side lust-song).
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August 12, 2014 at 1:53 PM
Five minutes of AAA is greater than the entire filmography of the three Khans and Hrithik combined. Only a moron will try to equate that with fluff like KHNH!
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August 12, 2014 at 2:45 PM
True .. these new born babies need daily dose of Horlicks to understand cinema .. will take time.
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August 12, 2014 at 4:21 PM
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/five-years-after-a-stunningly-bad-debut-abhishek-bachchan-is-the-new-box-office-darling/1/193104.html
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August 12, 2014 at 4:56 PM
yeah this was a cover story called the Rising Prince.
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August 13, 2014 at 6:04 PM
I continue to love his images here..
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August 13, 2014 at 6:08 PM
Well .. I just look at Hera Pheri pic on side bar [Reruns section] .. See how both resembles ..
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August 13, 2014 at 6:18 PM
good point!
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August 13, 2014 at 6:38 PM
Bachchan with his mother for Othello (click on image to enlarge)
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August 13, 2014 at 8:12 PM
I was on this train over the weekend.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/universal-orlando-theme-park-million-hogwarts-express-riders/
Every few years I go to Universal, and it surprises with the leaps it takes on its leading-edge rides….and I kept wondering, what will it take for Bwood to design a decent theme park. . Perhaps one day I will experience a ‘Sholay’ themed train ride.
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August 13, 2014 at 8:34 PM
The new photo is amazing.
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August 18, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Once again amazing pics at Bachchan blog .. http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/
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August 18, 2014 at 4:41 PM
Once again amazing pics at Bachchan blog .. http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/
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August 18, 2014 at 6:18 PM
agree completely..
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August 20, 2014 at 8:53 PM
Saw recent images of him and dhanush on his blog and they look very sleek. also his latest blog entry is very moving, ends it with pic of him and Aamir spending some time.
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August 20, 2014 at 9:43 PM
Is he referring to beheading of the journalist by ISIS?
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August 20, 2014 at 11:08 PM
perhaps…or maybe violence in Gaza and Syria..or maybe the protests in Ferguson or maybe something local happened in India…who knows what caused him to write such a heart felt entry. All I know is that it was really really moving. For me it was moving because it seems like everything around us is at a chaos for the moment. And normally I’m the one who is telling people that it’s not that bad…but holy cow the world is mad right now.
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August 20, 2014 at 11:35 PM
I am sad a life was lost in Ferguson but I think the fault was with victim. There are racial biases and police have too much liberty in killing someone instead of disabling them whenever they feel threatened.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/08/19/im-a-cop-if-you-dont-want-to-get-hurt-dont-challenge-me/
ps – In UK cops don’t carry guns. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19641398
But US is littered with guns.
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August 21, 2014 at 12:03 AM
Munna are you residing in washington DC?
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August 21, 2014 at 12:20 AM
Americans are proud of their 2nd amendment right..can’t blame them. it’s what separates them from the brits. I am for right to bear arms as long as it is done with regulations.
Also, the police HAVE to be better trained and held accountable. And on another note, how the hell does a small town like that have such heavy military gear for the police???
If the police have that kind of ammo for a small town imagine what they have in DC, NYC or LA!! All in the name of ‘protection’.
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August 21, 2014 at 2:01 AM
I am for no guns except when you are in far flung areas. Even that with restriction that you need to get number of ammunitions checked every year. The amendment was valid in 1793, not in 2014. If you need it for sports, have an armory near all the recreational parks. Play and deposit before you leave.
I guess you are talking about the suspended cop gun not the actual incidence gun ? Everyone knows that cops have right to shoot if they think they are in danger. But for some reason I see people taunt them. I agree cops need to be thick skinned but why make situation worse by doing things which could be against you ? They say when you get Traffic ticket, accept it and don’t say a word because it will be used against you when you contest the ticket.
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August 21, 2014 at 12:34 AM
Ron Paul: Local police not ‘warriors’
“Police are supposed to be local people, and they’re supposed to be peace officers,” he added. “They’re not supposed to be warriors.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/ron-paul-ferguson-militarization-police-110112.html#ixzz3AzvygJWq
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August 21, 2014 at 1:48 AM
An Jo – Other side of the coast!
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August 21, 2014 at 6:15 AM
Aamirsfan
This war against terror has effectively resulted in the “need” of all our police departments, all over the country being trained by Israel. In some way we can see how Israel has gained revenue from training and consulting thanks to the war on terror.
At the end of the day, not only every day citizens have lost privacy and some rights, but are have now become subject to a very militarized police. If anyone has HBO then watch John Oliver’s take on this from last Sunday. You will be amazed with the kind of military hardware that police has these days.
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August 21, 2014 at 8:45 AM
John Oliver on militarization of police:
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August 21, 2014 at 10:59 AM
Munna- It is really interesting to observe that all those who are pisssed that Modi became the PM will have usually havea pattern of have kind of similar views (including the 9/ 11 conspiracy crap ) –
Rana Ayyub @RanaAyyub · Aug 19
Dear amreeka, thanks for unleashing the beast called ISIS on the world !
Aside- Modi should actually write a similar letter to Obama ! LOL
http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2014/08/20/prime-minister-narendra-modi-conveys-concern-over-communal-violence-in-missouri-usa/
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August 21, 2014 at 12:31 PM
Omricky786
You rants against minorities make Donald Sterling look like a refined & suave racist.
Not that a spray of perfume on a pile of bovine dunk makes the stench go away, not that elegance makes racism acceptable.
Before you get inspired to take your get racist pot shot, think about it, minirities too are human. You will have to learn to share. Don’t let your uncivilized manners become the world’s problem. I don’t care which pole your village’s cat grabed last night, but think before you pick on minorities.
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August 21, 2014 at 12:38 PM
Minority ? really ? issi baat ka toh dar hai Bandar….the day people like you are in majority anywhere ( Kashmir, Iraq)..waha kya haal kartey ho Minority ka , everyone knows !!!
Tu rehan dey , tu nahee samjhega !
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August 21, 2014 at 1:05 PM
Omi
Civilized world to an Uncivilized Omi, “Translation Please”.
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August 21, 2014 at 1:24 PM
Here’s what happened in Iceland some months ago.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-03/iceland-grieves-after-police-kill-man-first-time-its-history
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August 21, 2014 at 1:30 PM
Some of the comments of people here are disappointing and shocking. It seems the main aim of the new PM is not to lead the country to prosperity and well being but to teach the ‘bad’ community a lesson, while they themselves lead a comfortable life elsewhere.
The PM himself thinks he has to become almighty and not a day goes with him clipping the wings of ACB in Delhi, removing hones officers from their position because he was about to take action on some corrupt people, appoint ministers on the basis of EGO, so we have a Jaitley who was rejected by people in election, as a minister, a 12th pass liar Smriti who also lost in elections, a minister of ..hold your breath…education. Another, charged with rape, is a minister too.
He turned back on every promise. I could give a list.
The story goes on.
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August 21, 2014 at 10:01 AM
Am I the only one who feels that pics of this movie is more like Calendar photo shoot? They’re great set of pics but is doesn’t look like a movie.
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August 21, 2014 at 10:41 AM
none of these are official stills.
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August 21, 2014 at 10:02 AM
Something is wrong with where the reply is getting posted.
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August 21, 2014 at 10:44 AM
fixed it.
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August 21, 2014 at 1:32 PM
There goes the Shamitabh thread..
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August 21, 2014 at 1:34 PM
LOL!!
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August 21, 2014 at 1:37 PM
The thing with Balki movies is that they are enjoyable when you first watch them, but I just can not bring myself to watch Paa or Cheeni Kum again …
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August 21, 2014 at 1:42 PM
No worries.. as long as you can keep revisiting RNBDJ…
you remember that Souten line..
‘tehzeeb aate aate hi aati hai’
LOL!!!
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August 21, 2014 at 1:44 PM
more seriously though I hardly ever revisit anything from the contemporary age. Few exceptions here and there. even the films I like I’m not tempted to watch again.
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August 21, 2014 at 1:47 PM
I can watch Buddha hoga tera Baap, or Bunty Bablee, JBJ ,etc in parts !
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August 21, 2014 at 1:46 PM
wow elitist comment from liberal Satyam !! LOL
Tehjeeb woh Tezaab hai jisney kai logon key hosh gawan diye !!
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August 21, 2014 at 1:55 PM
If democracy breeds RNBDJ one must quickly run in the opposite direction!
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August 21, 2014 at 2:28 PM
Hey RNBDJ was better on second viewing !!, same as Kahani and Talaash .
no I could not guess the paani kar key reference…
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August 21, 2014 at 4:30 PM
watch at the 8.19 mark:
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August 21, 2014 at 8:45 PM
Superb, these movies had equally strong characters like Pran, Shammi kapoor in parvarish, danny, kadar khan etc.
In fact one of the main criticism of toofaan was that it did not have a strong villain
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August 21, 2014 at 8:47 PM
agreed..
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August 21, 2014 at 1:56 PM
some can drink acid too ‘paani kar ke’ (now let’s see if you can spot this reference!).
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October 1, 2014 at 4:56 PM
What a striking resemblance [though we all know, but still 🙂 ] … https://o.twimg.com/2/proxy.jpg?t=HBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2xhcmdlL2VhZDIyYS5qcGcUsAkU3gUAFgASAA&s=Jy3rj9-A7jgCfnlADnflkXMAPQt5k1PyUr5wVNY61_I
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October 1, 2014 at 5:18 PM
Crowd outside Suhaag re-run show in Srinagar during early 80’s ..
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October 4, 2014 at 12:57 PM
@MBHRishabh That’s Palladium in Lal Chowk! Dad says- ‘Yahaan kitni shirts fati hai Amitabh ke naam pe’
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October 6, 2014 at 4:25 PM
Excellent read .. This is written by Tony Juneja, Producer of Mr. NatwarLal and Many More .. http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/category/year/1970s/
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October 8, 2014 at 4:35 PM
Rohit Shetty turns actor for ‘Shamitabh’
by Manpreet Bhandal
6th October 2014 8:00 pm
R Balki’s ‘Shamitabh’ already features a number of cameos by many celebrities, from veteran actress Rekha to filmmakers such as Karan Johar, Mahesh Bhatt and Rajkumar Hirani. The latest to join the list of cameos in the film is director Rohit Shetty.
Balki confirmed the news to Mumbai Mirrori, saying, “We wanted a prominent director for the role and who better than Rohit Shetty. I am a big fan of all his movies… I can assure you that it will surprise people.”
Directed by Balki, ‘Shamitabh’ stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Dhanush and debutant star-kid Akshara Haasan, in lead roles. It is slated to release on 6th February 2015.
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December 22, 2014 at 6:46 AM
After a very long time Bachchan has a set of films where every single one is interesting — Shamitabh, Wazir, Piku.
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December 22, 2014 at 10:21 AM
#Shamitabh Audio poster … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A97L4eu9SRM …
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December 23, 2014 at 12:48 PM
These posters are amazing.
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December 23, 2014 at 1:11 PM
FEROZ KHAN bad behaviour
never ever thought that amitabh was the first choice in quarbani ( 1980 )
feroz khan looks like he has had 6 neat whisky..”wow”
its not amitabh who is embarssed but feroz
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December 30, 2014 at 10:29 AM
Quite liked the top poster, the last time Bachchan looked so weirdly untamed (and I mean this in a positive sense) was in parts of “Boom”.
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February 3, 2015 at 11:35 PM
Talk about your fascination for Amitabh Bachchan?
Everyone is a fan of Amitji. But what I find fascinating about this man is his ever-lasting personality. He always looks so cool. Even in his 70s’ movies, when he walks with bell-bottoms and his dog collars standing up, he looks so cool. Today, guys are not as cool as what he was then. A lot of it is God gifted, a lot of it is maintained but a lot of it he has grown, and like how. The combo of it is lethal and you will not see that again in a long, long time. I don’t think anybody is as popular as him even today. He is the most want to touch man in the country and is a 72-year-old. I swore to him that I will never write a serious or khadoos or dramatic role for him ever again in my life as he takes his role too seriously. I have suffered his khadoosness for one year and every time I ask him what is wrong, he says, ‘I am in my role.’ So, I will only write comic and slapstick roles for him now. He is one of the most sensitive persons I have met in my life. He gets hurt very fast. It shows on his face as he withdraws. On the last day of shooting Paa, we kept his look very secretive and one of the TOI photographers got it and it came in Bombay Times the next day. So, the next day, in front of people he told me how he felt that I had leaked it out. I lost it and sent him a really harsh message. He sends me back the most touching message saying, ‘Why is it that I am always wrong.’ It was a painfully written message and I knew that the man was genuinely hurt about having hurt me.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/R-Balki-Gauri-can-hurt-me-and-Amitji-can-hurt-me-tremendously/articleshow/46107905.cms
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February 4, 2015 at 6:56 PM
Great Watch ……..
The Bachchan Dialogues: Rajeev Masand in conversation with Amitabh Bachchan
Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand in a special show ‘The Bachchan Dialogues’, megastar Amitabh Bachchan shares the story behind his famous dialogues.
http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/525562/the-bachchan-dialogues-rajeev-masand-in-conversation-with-amitabh-bachchan.html
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February 5, 2015 at 3:00 AM
Thanks much Rocky for posting this here. It is indeed a great great watch…Enjoyed this a lot ..Amitji a library of talent..And BTW happy to see you here again..I follow this blog regularly and had seen a minor ( or major 🙂 ) difference on political views b/n you and Satyam..Hopefully that is kept aside and you visit and post here regularly here 🙂
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February 5, 2015 at 10:25 AM
Thanks for the kind words Rajesh. Me and Satyam have had those political differences going back almost 8 years now… I have to admit that I have learned a lot from him in the process.
As for commenting here- well he could not ( or did not want to) find an example of my random/out of context political comment, so mein kaheen jaaney wala nahee hoon !!LOL
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February 5, 2015 at 12:37 PM
In the spirit of that friendship and those political differences I’ve left a comment in the Obama thread!
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February 5, 2015 at 5:37 AM
i hope this film does not suffer from lack of publicity and advertising,
just promoting the film is not good enough,it needs TV channels trailors before one week release and further one week post-release.
apart from 3 khans every actor which includes both abhi and big b needs awareness of their forthcoming releases.
I am quite confident that shamitabh will do well at the cash registers
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