 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Sukanya Verma gives a toast to the man, the movies and the many, many, MANY memories he's made on big screen through 80 Amitabh Bachchan moments.
21. Ande ka funda, Amar Akbar Anthony
Anthony Gonsalves emerging out of an Easter egg and delivering a wonderful sample of the exuberance of his own verbosity is festive spirit at its fantastic best.
22. Booker Prize winner, Baghban
Few things emphasise a character's victory like an award, which then leads to a hard-hitting speech.
Bachchan straight off winning a Booker, no less, for his debut novel along with loads of money is Baghban's way of compensating for all the mistreatment at the hands of his callous, selfish kids.
Given his eloquence and literary roots, you buy it too.
I mean, who doesn't want a fairy tale ending for the elderly?
23. Die Hard David, Aakhri Raasta
Bachchan has played several memorable versions of Vijay and Amit, but David is simply one of a kind.
As the revenge-seeking old man determined to punish his wrongdoers one by one, his modus operandi is as ambitious as it is ruthless.
Just when you think he's down and will remain deprived of settling scores against his final target, he rises and dishkyaaon.
24. Diamonds in a danda, Shaan
As a kid, I was mighty impressed by how the Big B craftily hides the stolen diamond necklace, slipped into his coat pocket by a sneaky Parveen Babi, in his handy gentleman's cane. Always nice to see fashion accessories become crucial props in a plot.
25. Dolphin Mumma, Ajooba
Sigmund Freud would have a lot to say about this, but even more outrageous than Amitabh's superhero suit in Shashi Kapoor's Indo-Russian fantasy is him calling a dolphin his 'Maa'.
To be fair, she does send a chain-crunching crab monster to his rescue and escape the villain's wrath.
26. Bug B, Hum
If not an actor, Bachchan would make a swell teacher.
His Botany may be wanting, but when it comes to Entomology, the man can go on and on. Just count the number of times he helps us understand the distinction between society's 'do tarah ke keede.'
27. Drag queen, Lawaaris
AB's madcap take on the folk song, Mere Angne Mein is as politically incorrect as it gets, parodying everything from gender to propriety in the cheekiest ways and silliest garbs. But boy oh boy, can he entertain or what?
28. Daru mat pi, mat pi, Amar Akbar Anthony
Mocking his disgraced reflection after receiving a lavish drubbing from Parveen Babi’s bodyguard, Bachchan's 'pukka idiot' episode plays out the consequences of drinking more than one can handle to hilarious effect.
29. Gur maker at work, Saudagar
Amidst the entertainer, it's easy to overlook the artist, perhaps why Saudagar remains one of AB's under-rated works.
It's not just his emotional accuracy in conveying the greed of a shallow person, but the conviction of his physicality in playing a part of a palm jaggery seller, a far cry from his pistols and punches imagery, that adds to the authenticity.
30. Haseena Nagina Pudina, The Great Gambler
Those who chuckled over SRK's Al Pacino, Al Kamino joke in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge had already laughed hard at Bachchan's disguised Sheikh comically fawning over Zeenat Aman, 'Haseena nagina pudina, hum tumpar pasina pasina pasina.'
31. Angry old man, Khakee
Glimpses of the same iconic anger blaze through Bachchan's infuriated cop as he launches a tirade against the corrupt law and order system in cahoots with power drunk politicians whilst repeatedly banging on his superior's desk.
Wolf whistles drown the moment he asserts if it wasn't for the underhandedness, forget 'apradhi', but 'shaher mein kisi chhote bache ka khilona nahi cheen sakta.'
32. Jai's dhokebaaz coin, Sholay
There are numerous things I love about Sholay, but Jai's betraying coin isn't one of them.
Truth be told, I am still in denial about Sholay's tragic ending and refuse to watch the movie after he tosses the coin one final time and tricks best friend Veeru and his girlfriend Basanti into leaving him alone while singlehandedly taking on Gabbar's goons and dying in the process.
33. Team Sikandar Forever, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
It still boils my blood to see Bachchan getting only heartbreak in his share.
After all the sacrifices he makes, poor guy still has to endure the sight of 'dost' Vinod Khanna and 'memsaab' Raakhee shaking their ungrateful butts against the beats of Pyar Zindagi Hai (rollicking track, by the way) in a night club. As an old foe would say, bahut nainsaafi hai.
34. Holi Hai, Silsila
No Holi celebration since 1981 is complete without the sound of Amitabh Bachchan's Rang Barse Bheega Chunarwali blasting off the speakers. If that doesn't tell you of its lasting impact on public, nothing will.
35. What a headache, Majboor
Amitabh Bachchan in excruciating pain, an aquarium set he has lovingly purchases crashes on the ground, it's a grisly sequence.
Though it didn't turn out to be brain tumour, every headache has dedicatedly evoked Majboor's ghastly fate ever since.
36. Beedi, Boom, Badass, Trishul
Our local cowboy walks into the frame, lights his beedi from a soon-to-explode dynamite, walks off as if nothing has happened, badoomba, keeps on walking. Badass.
37. Hyderabadi Zaffrani Pulao, Cheeni Kum
Grouchy temperament and prickly perfectionism of a pony-tailed chef running the 'best Indian restaurant in London' aside, AB&'s mouth-watering description of all the wonderful ingredients and their precise proportion that goes in making the beloved dish is designed for drool.
38. I can walk English, I can talk English, Namak Halal
English may or may not be a funny language, but AB calling out the narrow minded foreigners for their failure to differentiate between Bhairon and Byron never stops being funny.
39. All Hail Inspector Vijay, Zanjeer
There are cops and there's Inspector Vijay. In his breakout outing under Prakash Mehra's direction, his simmering intensity and troubled mind set the screen on fire as intently as his dedication to wring confessions out of crooks.
Nobody wants to be in Goga Kapoor's shoes when Inspector Vijay threatens, 'Ek hazaar saal tak tumse poochta rahoonga aur tumhe batana hoga.'
40. Vijay Verma, Deewar
And there's another Vijay -- Vijay Verma of Deewar.
'Mera Baap Chor Hai' burdened Vijay Verma.
'Mere paas Maa hai' combatting Vijay Verma.
Atheist Vijay Verma.
'Main aaj bhi phenke hue paise nahi uthata', maintaining Vijay Verma.
