Page 15 - Seniorstoday September 21
P. 15
Cover Story
Haemoglobin
in the
Atmosphere
While the Big B has played some truly iconic roles in Indian cinema, he is
also famous for immortal songs picturised on him. Narendra Kusnur does a
roundup
When Amitabh Bachchan took over as the more as the rebel with a cause, they slowly
publicly-acknowledged Superstar from started humming songs filmed on their new
Rajesh Khanna in the mid-1970s, industry idol. Over the next decade, he had many
watchers had one doubt. They wondered songs that seemed tailormade for him.
whether the ‘Angry Young Man’ would Nobody could imagine anybody else doing
appear in as many memorable songs. After ‘My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves’ in Amar
all, Rajesh had a string of hit tunes between Akbar Anthony, ‘Khaike Paan Banaras
1969 and 1974, and musically, Amitabh’s Wala’ in Don or ‘Mere Angane Mein’ in
career had got off to a slow start. Laawaris.
In two of his biggest films Zanjeer (1973) Interestingly, Amitabh’s biggest songs
and Deewaar (1975), Amitabh had not were sung by Kishore Kumar. And they
lip-synched to any major songs. Barring represented different moods, from romantic
Abhimaan in 1973, he didn’t have any and comic to sad and philosophical. Yes,
musical blockbusters in the first five years Mukesh’s voice suited Amitabh, but he
of his career. In Anand (1971) and Namak passed away in 1976, six months after
Haraam (1973), Rajesh Khanna had the Kabhi Kabhie was released. Rafi was
songs, even though both had equal footage perfect in the songs from Suhaag, but did
in ‘Diye Jalte Hain’ from the latter film. few numbers overall. There were also songs
Yet, superstardom had its own side that Amitabh sang himself.
agenda. By 1975, Amitabh began getting Naturally, choosing 20 Amitabh songs
the hit songs, and though fans knew him is not an easy task. But here, we have
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #27 | SEPTEMBER 2021 15
