I walked in for my interview with Amitabh Bachchan with a thumping heart. Would my hero live up to my expectations? Through my growing up years, I had lived in his shadow. I had cried with Vijay, I had sung with Anthony, I had ridden down dusty streets on a rickety bicycle convinced that I too was the angry young man facing a heartless world.
There he was, this handsome rebel, without family, without godfathers, without privileges. Always on the side of the poor, always the coolie, the lovable gangster, the brooding cop or the lonely alcoholic and yet it was he who won in the end, it was he who triumphed over those with money and wealth. Amitabh was more than even a hero, he was a moral statement, in his suffering eyes I saw the storms of my own heart. Amitabh? Amitabh was it.
As I walked in for my interview with him, I prepared myself for disillusionment. What did I expect, for god's sake? The idealistic hero of Zanjeer come to miraculous life? Jai from Sholay, reclining against a chair?
Instead, I found an elderly gentleman, more courteous than most, an actor of transparent humility and an eccentric example of an India where Hindi and English were spoken with equal ease and fluency. I had expected to lose my hero-worship suddenly.
Instead, I did lose my adulation, but found myself gaining some great conversation.
Through the interview Amitabh spoke with tremendous candour. His English is almost Nehruvian, in its clipped articulate fluency and grace. As he spoke about his land deals, his faux pas about wanting a "grandson", and his friendship with Rajiv Gandhi, I got the impression of an affable uncle, eager to relive his memories, as charmingly interested in me as I was in him.
Amitabh almost rarely smiles. Yet there's a strangely self-deprecating humour at all times. He refers to himself by the royal "we". "We would never do this," or "we are actually very ordinary." And when I asked him about his run in with the feminists, I could see that he was dying to laugh, but restrained himself carefully.
His office in Juhu is full of his son's pictures. Abhishek in different roles, Abhishek with his father, Abhishek is everywhere. There's even an antique bioscope positioned on a table. He looks a little bent as he sits at his table. Am reminded of all those charming Allhabadis I know, who sit hunched at a table over chai, telling lots of stories, as the sun sets over the Ganga.
If actors like Marlon Brando kept away from the public eye and became almost mystical figures, not so Amitabh. He's very much in the pop culture arena, from quiz shows to endorsing brands to reinventing himself as a "sexy at sixty" actor. Through many different roles, as the decades have taken their toll on him, the coolie has become a tycoon, the shipyard rebel is now a millionaire brand.
Was Amitabh ever a hero? Perhaps not. Perhaps he was always a creature of scripts, a puppet who mouthed the lines written for him by Salim Javed. Antony and Jai and Vijay after all never existed, they only became icons of young Indian manhood because we yearned for a man who could capture the conflicts we were living with.
I realised through the interview that my hero was fictitious, he did not exist. The man who does exist, is now an indulgent dad, a relaxed conversationalist, who sometimes hangs out with the wrong kind of people. Jai is dead. But Amitabh is alive. And telling some great stories.
Maybe the Big B in Amitabh has transformed into the moghul, Mr Bachchan.
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I think what the writer wanted to point out on this column was misunderstood. HE is not praising Amitabh as a a great person ahero in real life. That's what he points out. HE is not Jai, Vijay or Anthony, those were characters well played by him.But all the people posting here are jumping to conclude where he is an icon or not.Yes he is an icon, an ideal but may not be for a common man. But he can be a terrific ideal for a wannabe actor. Why do people want an actor to be a real life hero always, and cry foul when they falter somewhere. How many of the posters here would slip in a 100 Rs note to a traffic policeman when caught? May be all. Stop trying to find icons and heroes in actors, players. The point is they have a job, they are very good at it. And they get paid for it. If really really need Heroes in real life to look up to, please start looking into yourselves.For heaven's sake dont paint anybody as God and ask them to prove them. ...Reply
y r u so obsessed wid regional language???Hw many spk hindi?? almost all except few southindian states.. infact, evn ppl in blore n hyderebad cn spk hindi.. N wats wrong if he has acted in only hindi movies?? our hindi ( read indian film industry) is making betta movies in da recent past than any other regional laguage movies..U r crying bout da rajinikant phenomenon.. y knw wat?? i hv watched da movie myself n its utter crap.. ppl in south may b carzy bout him, bt dat ds nt make a bad movie gud.. I feel there is nthng bad if one language provides a common platform for sharing views and ideas.. rather goin against it, i feel u shud support %22hindi%22! ...Reply
I,think in today's context;many actors have come up with performances;much better than Big B.The RAJNIKANTH phenomenon in the SOUTH is one such example.And numerousregional actors[both male and female]have come up withoutstanding acting than what Amitabh comes up in histailor made characters.What was that man in 1980s isnot today,not because he has aged but because he uses the same formula of 'angry'now old man,though not through the entire length of the film;yet flicks of it are there.Even in film like BAGHBAN;ultimately the 'anger'formula eventually delievered otherwise a mediocre film. AMITABH is a modern day frankenstein in Indian cinema.He is that character of Indian Cinema because till today he hasnot demonstrated his capability to act in regional films not even in South Indian Films; [ where pay almost matches what a actor like Amitabh will demand].Hindi, Hindithats what the actual language of his Films are.But howmany Indians actually speaks Hindi, when majority speaksnon-hindi,and Amitabh thinks that Hindi is a nationallanguage;so in his style he acts only in Hindi Films;and his price tag for a film shooting is so expensivethat if he is not that MARY SHELLY'S FRANKENSTEIN THEN WHAT?He is that monster because of his intentional carelessnesswhich made him a 'farmer'and innerself refusal to stayaway from a political character like AMAR SINGH.We the people created him a superstar from humble star by watchingto box office hit levels;in other sense a monster being created which appears again ; again in films Which do nothave the story which can create entertainment which canactually make Amitabh not a monster but a great actor;which this poor old actor really deserves.------------------------------------------------------------ ...Reply
You are absolutely right bhupinder, Believe me I feel exactlythe same way nowadays about amitabh. perhaps everyone who is in the age range of 30-45 and is a big fan, feels the same way. ...Reply
Yes indeed he is an icon, a real human, a compassionate lover %26husband, an affectionate father, THE greatest fighter. BUT still.... Don't you people think He should be IMPARTIAL, BRAINY, COURTEOUS and with more LOVE towards his fellow actors than most of us common people?He should have FORGOTTEN his PAST ENEMITY with KHANS %26 ROSHANS and Should have invited them for HIS ONLY Son's WEDDING Party and Shown US HIS BI>>>>>G LOVING HEART and SET an EXAMPLE for INDIANESS. ...Reply
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