Page 12 - Seniorstoday September 21

14 Saudagar (1973):
elaborate scheme to murder her uncle and
frame her boyfriend for it. Bachchan played
the heartbroken lover and cold-hearted
killer with a flair admirable in an actor
confident that a negative role would not
affect his career.
13 Abhimaan (1973):
Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who gave Bachchan
some of his best non-violent roles, cast
him as a flamboyant singer who starts
to get jealous when his wife’s (Jaya
Bachchan) career eclipses his own. He
has always aimed at fame and popularity,
while her singing has a purity that comes
from treating music as art. When they
started working together, Jaya Bhaduri
was an established star and he, a newbie;
the fanzines wrote that the story was a
reflection of their reality, which the director
always denied. Still it took courage to do a
role like this, of a man so insecure that he
can resort to emotional cruelty.
12
Sudhendu Roy directed this unusual love
triangle in which Bachchan played Moti,
a selfish man, who marries the older and
hardworking jaggery-maker Mahzabeen
(Nutan), to collect a big enough bride price
to marry the young and sexy Phoolbanu
(Padma Khanna). Not many actors looking
for a foothold in mainstream cinema would
play such a contemptible character, but
he balanced the scales to convey Moti’s
vulnerability, thus displaying a formidable
talent.
15 Dev (2004):
In Govind Nihalani’s film that looks like it
is right out of the headlines today, Bachchan
played the eponymous character of a senior
police officer, who is faced with rampant
communalism, divisive politicians and
prejudices within the force, including that
of his close friend and fellow officer Tej (Om
Puri). Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor
play young lovers caught in the crossfire of
hate and destruction.