Delve into the life story of Amitabh Bachchan and you find ingredients of a classic script, throbbing with all the elements essential to sustain a great drama. From toiling, suffering, recognition, ecstasy to a reversal of fortunes and then a majestic resurgence, Bachchan has seen it all. For over 46 years since his debut, Amitabh Bachchan has been one of the most consistent images in reel and real life, stamping his talent and consistency across all media platforms. It’s certainly been an epic journey for the actor who, after an insipid debut in “Saat Hindustani” but an impressive show in “Anand”, was written off by most audiences following a dozen flops. Yet, he silenced everyone with his riveting performance as a police officer in “Zanjeer”, sparking off a series of films like “Deewaar”, “Namak Haraam”, “Kabhi Kabhie”, “Muqaddar Ka Sikkandar”, “Trishul”, “Kala Patthar” and many more to capture the nation’s imagination as an angry young man. Of course, he did the song and dance routine as well as comedy, action, romance and tragedy but his angry characters were so strong and huge in number that they overshadowed the rest of his enactments.
His brilliance and affinity to camera ensured not just his success at the ticket window but also the sobriquet as king of Bollywood, a throne Bachchan has not abdicated till date. Even scores of horrendous films like “Shaan”, “Mard”, “Jaadugar”, “Inquilaab” and “Lal Badshah” and a five year hiatus when he was laid low due to physical ailments, did not diminish his aura. Fighting a tough battle with worthies like Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor to gain the top slot, today Bachchan literally and figuratively dominates the modern stars with his towering height as well as histrionics.
It would not be incorrect to say that Bachchan has been destiny’s favourite child. If public angst in the pre-emergency era was responsible for his persona’s identification with the masses, the spread of national television helped make him a household name. It was the reach of the single screen television that made even his injury on the sets of “Coolie” in 1982 become a national tragedy just as his unplanned resurrection in the 1990s came through the enormous explosion of satellite channels and internet. Long seen as distant and unfathomable, the new age media brought the star close to the common man as an affable quiz master; a providential blessing that converted him into a messiah with his unrestricted entry into the households of the masses.
But what saddens his discerning admirers is that despite his mammoth achievements, Bachchan did not do full justice to his gifted potential as an actor. It is a pity that he failed to explore newer dimensions of versatility in his hey day when he enjoyed an enormous clout and could have demanded any kind of script for himself. Bachchan’s hesitation in experimentation withered his phenomenal ability, making the angry young persona hang like an albatross around his neck.
It is a great tragedy when an established artist lacks courage to take risks on unexplored frontiers of art and Bachchan’s fault was that he stayed within the secure confines of his persona. Perhaps the entire face of Bollywood could have undergone a transformation if he had made greater use of his inborn charisma and talent along with his power and stature. Unlike his western counterparts like Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Peter O’Toole or seniors like Dilip Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar who constantly honed their craft with newer roles, Bachchan stifled his own talent by sticking to the familiar shades of the angry persona.
While filmmakers are to be blamed for the poor standards of content, the slide could have been contained if superior powers like Bachchan had put their foot down on double entendre songs and grotesque depiction of romance and action on screen. While everyone blames Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Govinda and others for disbursing immodesty on screen, it is conveniently forgotten that the trend started with Bachchan’s “Tambu Mein Bambu” (“Mard”), “Accident Ho Gaya Raba Raba” and “Aaj Rapat Jaaye”.
Fortunately, the great man seems to have learnt from his follies and now seems hungry for roles that break the mould. His late age enactments in “Paa”, “Chini Kum”, “The Last Lear”, “Bhootnath” and “Piku” have been refreshingly different and satisfying for the actor as well his fans. Just as they reaffirm the loss of precious years, they also exhibit the lack of performances like “Mughal-e-Azam”, “Ganga Jamuna”, “Naya Din Nayee Raat” or “Koshish” on his resume.
Bachchan may be content “selling” everything from basmati rice and incense sticks to tourism and hair oil but he must realise his audiences seek his films rather than his presence at every corner, page and screen of their daily lives.
