Oct 29, 2006 02:03 PM
9558 Views
He is arguably the most popular living Indian. He is known as the ‘One man industry’, ‘Superstar’, ‘Angry Young Man’, ‘Emperor’, ‘Big B’ and even ‘God’ the list of encomiums are endless….. From being rejected at the All India Radio to emerging as the greatest mega star of Indian films his career has been illustrious. An actor par excellence and a personality that virtually overshadows every other celebrity in the country, Amitabh Bachchan is incomparable. Here’s ten superlative scenes from his sensational career that is a showcase of his incredible talent. A flashback to the golden moments…………
ANAND ( 1970 ) - Though superstar Rajesh Khanna was simply invincible in this all time Hrishida classic Amitabh Bachchan or shall we say Babu Moshai left a terrific impact on the cineastes with his smashing performance. The “ Baatein karo mujhse….” sequence following Anand’s demise virtually ignites the screen with Bachchan’s glowing fervour. Film critics and trade pundits envisaged the birth of a mega star.
DEEWAR ( 1975 ) - Arguably the best screenplay and dialogues in popular indian cinema and with Bachchan at the helm of affairs it was a tour-de-force. Virtually every scene from this all time classic is indelibly etched in every cine goers mind. However Vijay Verma’s monologue at the temple “ Kush toh bahut hoge aaj tum …” has become immortal. The smouldering intensity, power packed dialogue delivery and awesome screen presence is simply unrivalled. AMAR
AKBAR ANTHONY ( 1977 ) - This fun-stacked , lost and found flick was a monumental hit and set the cash registers jingling fort several weeks. As Anthony Gonsalves, the endearing bootlegger, Bachchan became a rage and bagged his first best actor award. The scene at the church after the father ( Nasir Hussain ) is murdered is simply remarkable. It grows on you as you watch it. The transition in his facial expression and body language is stupendous as he mouths “ Hey partner apun ko sirf itna batao yeh kisne kiya …..”.
TRISHUL ( 1978 ) – In this Yash Chopra directed father – son clash Amitabh towered elegantly. Among the ensemble of outstanding scenes the one where Vijay derides his illegitimate father ( Sanjeev Kumar ) saying “ Koi bhi cheez sahi waqt aur sahi mauke pe ki jaye toh uska mazaa hi kuch aur hai… “ was top class. With fabulous dialogues and a marvelous co-star like Sanjeev Kumar to compliment Amitabh’s performance reached the pinnacle.
NAMAK HALAAL ( 1982 ) – If he stupefied everyone with his hilarious tounge twister “ Wait wait… you see the whole country of the system is juxtapositioned by the haemoglobin.. “ in the song My name is Anthony Gonsalves. Then in Namak Halaal he was uproarious with “ I can talk English.. I can walk English because English is a funny language…”. Believe it or not this entire scene was shot in a single take and the voice you hear is not dubbed in a studio. Amitabh was flawless.
SATTE PE SATTA ( 1981) – “ Daaru peene se liver kharab hota hai “, blabbered an intoxicated Ravi while giving a ludicrous description of his younger brothers to Amjad Khan in this Raj Sippy starrer. Any other actor would have fallen flat on his face making this scene nonsensical. But Amitabh’s sozzled act hits the bulls eye. Watch it and you will know why he is an actor par excellence.
SHAKTI ( 1982 ) – ‘ Clash of the Titans ‘ the hoardings screamed wild and loud. Perhaps the greatest combination ever – Ramesh Sippy, Salim Javed, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan came together only once. As the psychologically scarred son who cannot forgive his police officer father for a childhood trauma Amitabh matched the thespian in every frame. The scene at the police lockup where Dilip Kumar questions “ Police ko bayan dene inkaar kyu kiya tumne….” was splendid. The confidence and conviction he oozes and the dialogue delivery with consummate ease makes Amitabh a director’s special and a viewer’s delight.
SHARAABI ( 1983 ) - Director Prakash Mehra loved shooting scenes in a single take irrespective of its length. One of the finest example is the hospital scene where Munshiji ( Om Prakash ) is fighting for his life while Vicky ( Amitabh ) the wealthy businessman’s alcoholic son promises never to touch liquor again. Check out the intonations and the emotion that Amitabh infuses. The scene grips you right from the first frame. If Kader Khan’s lines strike a chord Amitabh’s act literally move you to tears.
AAKHREE RAASTA ( 1986 ) – When he is on screen the others automatically get relegated to the sidelines. If there is anyone who could pose a rival then it has to be himself in a double role whammy. In this K Bhagyaraj flick David and Vijay ( both enacted by Amitabh ) find themselves on opposite sides of the law. One scene in particular which is laudable is the graveyard sequence where both the father and son altercate in chaste English. Amitabh has the intrinsic quality in him to make the ordinary appear outstanding.
MAIN AZAAD HOON ( 1987 ) – During the late eighties he featured in a string of pot boilers like Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Jaadugar, Thoofan …. And just when the critics surmised that he had lost it he sprung a surprise. Playing Azaad, the messiah who raised the cudgels against the unscrupulous and scheming ways of the media, he came up with a sterling performance. The scene where he delivers his maiden speech in front of a packed auditorium was splendid. The interaction with the audience laced with humour and the flawless dialogue delivery caught everyone’s fancy. Though the film crashed at the turnstile this scene deserves full marks.
