Amitabh Bachchan at 80: The different shades of Big B
Amitabh Bachchan enjoys a reputation in Indian cinema that makes him almost synonymous with the film industry. In a glorious career spanning more than 50 years, Big B has constantly reinvented himself to fit with the times. His career can neatly be divided into multiple phases, which sometimes overlap or repeat. Kicking off his career with 1969’s ‘Saat Hindustani’, it did not take a lot of time for him to establish himself and he proved to be the king of the 1970s. While he never returned to being the top box office draw, he did ensconce himself as a megastar whose showing up in movies would increase the film’s credibility, if not chances of it being successful at the box office.
As the megastar celebrates his 80th birthday, let's explore the different phases of his career:
The Supporting Actor
As mentioned above, Amitabh made his debut with ‘Saat Hindustani’. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas's film was about the tale of seven Indians who try to free Goa from the Portugese colonialists. In this film and other early films of Amitabh like 'Anand', 'Bawarchi', 'Garam Masala', 'Reshma Aur Shera', he was a supporting actor for bigger stars like Rajesh Khanna who nevertheless impressed in minor roles.
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The Angry Young Man
While Amitabh had received acclaim before 'Zanjeer', it was this Prakash Mehra directorial that really establish himself as a big star who could steer a film on his own. 'Zanjeer' also made sure the next big star of Hindi cinema was not a romantic hero who came earlier. He was rather a scrupulous man who was frustrated by the corrupt system and fought for the masses. In many ways, Amitabh's character in the film captured the zeitgeist of the times. Vijay, Big B's character, echoed the grievances of the country's youth at that time. While in 'Zanzeer', he played a cop, in 'Deewar', he railed against the system from the other side of the law. What is the use of being morally upright and honest, his argument went, when the odds are stacked completely against you?
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The Action Hero
Even as he was battling an unjust system, Amitabh had also become a solid action hero. How could he now: sometimes you had to literally fight corruption. From 'Zanzeer' to 'Sholay', he indulged in action and solidified himself as that era's major action star -- who, incidentally, was so much more.
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The Comedian and the Romantic Hero
The longevity of Amitabh can be attributed to his sheer versatility. It is easy to forget now that Amitabh also starred in many of the great comedy films of the 70s, including 'Hera Pheri' and 'Chupke Chupke'. And like the stars that came before him, he could also be a romantic hero -- practically whatever the script wanted him to be -- and still nail the role. Yash Chopra's 'Kabhi Kabhie' and 'Silsila' are the films to watch to see Amitabh the Romantic Hero.
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The 80s Fading Hero
Amitabh continued to deliver hits well into the late 80s, but the star power was not as bright as it was before. His notable films in the 1980s include 'Satte Pe Satta', 'Namak Halaal', 'Andha Kanoon', 'Coolie', 'Mard' and more. His recurring 'Vijay' character made a grand return in 1988's 'Shahenshah', in which he turned the injustice-fighting hero a Batman-style riff. A policeman during day, Vijay in the film became a crime-fighter at night.
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The Stern Patriarch
It appeared as though the Angry Young Man has made a seamless transition to Forbidding Old Man. In films like 'Mohabbatein' and 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...', Amitabh became a strict father-figure who could not abide the very idea of joy. While the former film, he played the strict principal of an all-boys college, in the latter, he was an unsmiling Delhi businessman who forbade his son from marrying the girl of his choice.
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The Progressive Father/Grandfather
As I said earlier, Amitabh has an uncanny knack of reinventing himself every now and then. It is because of this he has lasted as a big star this long. In films like 'Piku', 'Pink', and '102 Not Out', Amitabh turned characters like Yashvardhan Raichand ('Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...') on their head. In 'Piku' he was an annoying father who would talk about his the consistence of his stool and his daughter virginity with strangers. In 'Pink', while a stern lawyer, he understood, unlike many men of his age, the concept of consent.
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