Page 7 - Seniorstoday September 21
P. 7

The B is Buzzing









               As the megastar is set to enter his 80th year, we look at his best films,
                     his unforgettable songs and his memorable advertisements




         Lock kiya jaaye? There must be very few            in his career, Amitabh gave a fitting answer
         people who are not familiar with this              to his detractors. He did what he does
         instantly identifiable line from Kaun              best – went back to acting. Yash Chopra’s
         Banega Crorepati – the quiz show that              Mohabbatein and his debut in KBC marked
         probably wouldn’t be what it is without            the upturn in his fortunes, though it was a
         the presence of its magnetic host, Amitabh         while before he ruled the roost again.
         Bachchan.                                           When he did, it was as a reinvented
          As he enters his 80th year on October             Amitabh, a thespian playing his age, an
         11, Bachchan carries with him the legacy           actor taking up roles that challenged
         of a long and illustrious acting career,           definitions and stretched boundaries.
         starting from serious, thoughtful roles,           Where once audiences relished his
         going on to angry young man typecasting,           song-and-dance numbers and dashing
         singing-dancing romcoms, social crusader           action sequences, now they look to him
         characters, maverick figures… he has               for measured performances, acting that
         essayed them all with flair. Amitabh carried       explores the nuances of his characters.
         off even the most ridiculous scenes with            Forget all his lovable and charming roles
         panache, underlining his talent as an actor        – he has even won hearts playing a boy
         for all seasons.                                   suffering from progeria (Paa), a cranky
          And if that wasn’t enough, he has also            hypochondriac (Piku), a curmudgeon with
         carved out his own place among the new             no visible redeeming qualities (Gulabo
         generation – the Twitterati – with his             Sitabo). At one time, he had lost almost
         numbered tweets, sometimes philosophical,          everything. Now, he puts everything into
         occasionally trite.                                his roles, as if he has nothing to lose.
          Even the rocky road that Bachchan                  In his career spanning more than 50
         travelled is an object lesson in not just          years, it is a tall order to pick out the
         surviving but making a comeback in a               best of Amitabh Bachchan. His films, his
         reinvented format. When his venture ABCL           unforgettable songs and dance moves and
         did badly, there were quite a few who were         his memorable ads – our columnists tell us
         ready to write him off, as a brand as well as      what they like best about the actor who was
         an actor. But after a hiatus, which included       rejected by All India Radio for having the
         what he terms one of the darkest moments           wrong voice. Just imagine.






        SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #27 | SEPTEMBER 2021                                                          7
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