Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Amazing Bachchan..


It may surprise his millions of fans but it is true that Amitabh Bachchan is just 21 even as the nation wishes him on his 61st birthday. Big B also believes that he is 21. And his belief is based on a simple calculation and a painful reality that hit him in 1982.

Flashback: since July 27, 1982, when Amitabh underwent an emergency operation in Bangalore after the by-now unforgettable accident during the shooting of ‘Coolie’, he had hovered on the edge of the final of a precipice with a team of specialists battling to keep him alive.

For the family, what happened was nothing short of familiar scenes from innumerable Bollywood films. On August 2, in breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, the mega star was declared clinically dead. Panic-stricken, Jaya stood outside the ICU watching the doctors trying to revive him... Apparently in vain.

Suddenly she screamed from outside: "Don’t give up. I just saw his toe moving. Please keep trying." the doctors started massaging his feet upwards. And he came back to life.

"Besides efforts by the doctors, prayers played a pivotal role to keep me alive. I was overwhelmed, people were praying for me on their own initiatives," recounts an emotional Bachchan.

After he was discharged from the hospital, Bachchan was asked to walk with the help of a stick. "They said that if I did walk again, it would be with the aid of a crutch. Jaya didn’t display even a trace of emotion. She projected a bold front and tried her best to encourage me.

"As for me, I wept like a child. I don’t remember ever having cried so much. What had happened to me ? What had happened to the man they called the action hero? Where had he gone?... These questions haunted me day and night. I could think of nothing but of hoping I will be able to stand on my own two feet," big B recalls adding that it took almost six months to face the camera lights and perform.

However, the doctors had told him to start work sometime in August 1983. He reported for work on January 7, 1983, and began from where he had left - the same sequence of ‘Coolie’ that he had to leave unfinished.

"The press and some people called it a publicity stunt. That hurt, for it was untrue. I did it because I wanted to prove to myself and convince myself that I could not be dismissed as useless. It was a personal triumph, something that restored my faith in myself," he adds.

Jaya sent him flowers with a card on August 2nd, saying "happy birthday, Amitabh Bachchan".

These revelations came to light during the interview of the Bachchan family in Simi Grewal’s programme rendezvous on star world last week. Instantly, Simi asked Amitabh: "It means you are just 21." the modest Bachchan replied, "you can say like that."

The star of the millennium said the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) looked like another world with no discrimination. Among the patients there was an actor, a cook and a businessman. "We were all one big family, fighting a common enemy — death. None of the patients ever discussed this.

"One day I came to know that a patient on the bed next to mine, who coincidently shared my date of birth and year, passed away in the ICU. Sometimes I feel that he infused his life into me. It is a rebirth for me."

By coming back from the jaws of death, Amitabh only confirmed what his fans always believed — that their hero was for real. He learnt to live again....Laughing, teasing, fighting and romancing. Earlier, it was through the roles that he portrayed on screen that he amazed everyone. But once he combated death..... He went onto become a living legend.

Post-1982, his role on life’s stage multiplied: A rejuvenated actor, Lok Sabha member from Allahabad to help his bosom buddy Rajiv Gandhi, showman, non-resident Indian and entertainment tycoon with the abcl (later renamed AB corp), TV anchor with ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, and brand ambassador for corporates galore.

With it all came the problems he could not solve as he did on screen. Meanwhile, the edifice of the legend began to show some cracks in the mid-1990s as his films like ‘Mrityudata’, ‘Major Saab’, ‘Kohraam’ and ‘Lal Badshah’ failed to hold audiences for long.

And the reason was that India’s greatest star ever had become the worst victim of his own image. Though the clamour of filmmakers to have his presence in their dream reels never waned, his saleability as a superstar came into question and the Charisma was up for examination.

After everyone had written him off, his mind-boggling bebut on the small screen as the anchor of KBC effected a turnaround in his fortune and gave a fresh lease of life to the man, who was facing professional and financial crises, and he rose like a Phoenix from each of them.

Even after the 34-year-long outstanding acting career — from his debut venture ‘Saat Hindustani’ to the latest offering ‘Baghbaan —the Bollywood Shahenshah feels he still has a long way to go to reach the heights of his profession.

Noting his phenomenal talent, critics observe that the lion in winter is better than all the pulp princes in their prime because the magic continues as the Babu Moshai grows.

Monday, March 19, 2007

first english movie- The Last Lear


Amitabh Bachchan is all set to do his first full length English film which is tentatively titled The Last Lear.The film will directed by Rituparno Ghosh and produced by Planman Motion pictures. Amitabh will be playing the role of King Lear and the film will be a tribute to veteran actor Utpal Dutt.The film will be based on a play Aajker Shahjahan by Utpal.The film will also star Preity Zinta,Arjun Rampal,Divya Dutta and Shefali Shah.Amitabh was very excited to work in the English film as it is based on Utpal's Bengali play.Amitabh has sentimental value attached to Utpal as he began his career with him in Saat Hindustani.Another reason for the attachment is that Amitabh's voice over was used for Utpal's debut film as an actor.Producer Arindam Choudhari says "Bachchan was the first choice for this role as we couldn't think of any other actor,but Mr.Bachchan for this role.A baritone and a towering personality make him the perfect choice."Amitabh has also always been very interested and appreciated the kind of experimental plays that were directed by Utpal Dutt.Hence the makers feel that Amitabh playing the role will be a fitting tribute to Utpal Dutt who was a good scholar as well as good actor.Amitabh is extremely excited with the engagement of Abhishek and Aishwarya, but claims that due to the hectic schedules of both Ash,Abhi and Jaya the date for the marriage has not yet been fixed.Amitabh's film Nishabd recently released but due to its unconventional subject, the film did not receive a good response.Amitabh has several releases this year,Ramgopal Varma's Sholay,Cheeni Kum etc.

Before coming to Filmz...


Amitabh Bachchan still strike the gold at the box office with the success of Baghban the senior superstar has made a statement against ageism in the industry. In 2003 he lined up more projects, more varied roles, more endorsements than any other younger actors. He lined up with Khakee, Aetbaar and Lakshya. As more successful he gets more self deprecating he is becomes. He likes to knock his acting, downplay his formidable connections. But his influence inside and outside the industry grows.


The aura for him gets bigger. At the age of 61 when youngsters do one movie at a time he zips from one set to another. He takes risks whether it is sporting over the Top Wigs, freaking out in Funky Videos or playing the Dour Patriarch and all too stylish. Amitabh Bachchan is in popular parlance, the king of Indian cinema was born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India . Son of well known poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. He went to Sherwood College, a boarding school in the hill-station town of Nainital, and from there to Delhi University where he earned a double MA degree.


He was a former stage actor, radio announcer and freight company executive in Calcutta, India.When he was just trying to get a break in movies he was told to soften his 'deep' voice. However it was soon realised that his deep rich voice was excellent for narration. He has provided narrations for several films.Married to Jaya Bhaduri, a well known actress, he has two kids, Shweta and Abhishek. His first movie was Saat Hindustani (1969). He came to be known as 'The Angry Young Man' after his film Zanjeer (1973), which made him a superstar.


He also ran for seat in the Congress from his hometown but had to leave midterm because of controversies. While shooting for Coolie (1983) he received a near fatal injury. He was hospitalised and the Indian press issued daily bulletins on his health. He is highest paid Bollywood actor in the film industry. Amitabh had a very close association with the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi (also Prime Minister) and he was elected to parliament with a huge majority from his home town of Allahabad.


But in politics he did not last long and was implicated in the infamous Swedish Bofors Gun deal scandal along with Rajiv Gandhi and others. He launched a multi-faceted commercial enterprise known simply as Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, or ABCL. ABCL is engaged in production, distribution and all other aspects of the movie industry. He was considered finished in the late nineties after super star status for 20 years a string of flops and failed political and business ambitions. He faced major health problems and financial crisis.


But his unexpected comeback as host of the popular TV quiz series 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire which put him right back on the number one spot of Bollywood actors over 40 reaffirming his reputation as the living legend of Indian cinema with a new series of high profile films Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) etc. He is announced as an actor of the Millennium in a BBC News Poll ahead of such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Marlon Brando. He is the first Asian actor having a wax model of his likeness displayed at Madame Tussaud's in London. One of his film Boom made lot of people unhappy. All are shocked what he had done, it was not the right decision to select that film people believed.


And he felt sorry for the people who were upset from his appearance in the film. But he said the character he played in it is repulsive. And he is doing that only which going to be not liked by people. In that regard he feel a sense of achievements. Mostly the other stars are keen to work with Amitabh, but he is one who desire to work with Tabu for many years but no one is taking it seriously. Let see when he gets the opportunity to work with her. Amitabh Bachchan's forthcoming film will be Bunty Walia's Just panjabi which is being directed by Apoorva Lakhia. Other co stars Sanjay Dutt and Lara Dutt. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. And his AB Corp's vehicle which he is relaunching with Abhishek Ranveer.

Saturday, March 17, 2007


Amitabh Bachchan is embarrassed. A television scribe has pinned the megastar down on a couch and is grilling him about his 19-year old Nishabd co-star, Jiah Khan’s public declaration of love. There is also a reference to Khan’s statement that Mr B smells very nice, so nice that she can smell him from a good distance.

“What can I say? I take it as a compliment coming from an innocent young girl. I mean, she’s half my daughter’s age,” he says all red-faced.

Come Friday Mr B’s going to romance her in the Ram Gopal Varma film. Then in May, he woos Tabu in the caustic romcom Cheeni Kam. All in all, it’s romance time for the angry young man turned Bollywood’s best known patriarch.

“Well, variety is the spice of life. I was getting a little tired of playing the patriarch in all my films. I realised that if I continue to do it then it would be the end of me as an actor. I’m fortunate that these films came my way,” says the 64-year-old actor. Since his comeback in 2000, save the occasional Baghban with Hema Malini, Bachchan has steered away from romance. It was just a matter of time before film-makers latched on to this untapped Bachchan pool.


now a days actors are looking forward to work in the films based on the broad concepts.

Golden period.



Twenty-five years after Indian Independence…Disillusionment had set in amongst the youth of the country. There was much corruption and unemployment and life was one big struggle. During this period in 1973, a film was released - Zanjeer. The film saw a new kind of hero, a hero who took the law in his own hands and fought the villain;a hero whom people saw as their savior. The actor playing the lead role, till then a struggler with a string of flops behind him, was Amitabh Bachchan.



The son of the noted Hindi poet, Harivanshrai Bachchan, he was born in Allahabad. He gave up his job as a freight broker for a shipping firm in Calcutta to move to Bombay in 1968. Months of struggle followed. Ironically known for his rich voice, he was rejected by All India Radio and even played a mute in one of his early films Reshma Aur Shera (1971). After some more flops where he even played villain to Navin Nischol's hero in Parwana (1971), Zanjeer happened.
In his early films like the
Hrishikesh Mukherjee Directed Anand (1970) and Namak Haram (1973) or in Saudagar he was presented as a brooding melancholic anti-hero drawn from Bengali Literary stereotypes traceable to novelist Sarat Chandra Chatterjee and brought into Hindi Cinema by Nitin Bose, Bimal Roy and Asit Sen. But Zanjeer changed all that.



With his tall and lean looks, Amitabh became emblematic of the new kind of action hero. Whereas his predecessors such as Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra played romantic roles, Amitabh introduced the motif of the 'angry young man' to Indian cinema. This is at a time, in the mid-1970s, when domestic politics was in a period of great turmoil, student unrest was high, and the employment prospects for educated young men were bleak at best.



In Deewaar (1975), which furnishes the classic example of the double in the Hindi cinema, he played the role of a mafia don opposite his policeman brother, played by Shashi Kapoor. It was a brilliant performance with Amitabh more than able to humanize the gangster and have people sympathize with him rather than with his law-abiding brother.



The theme of 'alienation' is further explored in Trishul (1978), Kaala Pattharand Shakti (1982) where as the son of a strict police officer (Dilip Kumar), Amitabh takes to the life of high crime and smuggling. Bachchan's persona in these films is often defined by two female females: the melodramatic mother, often played by Nirupa Roy, who symbolizes the family and the 'liberated' woman as personified by Zeenat Aman (Don (1978), The Great Gambler (1980)), Parveen Babi (Deewaar, Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Kaalia (1981)) or Rekha (Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Suhaag (1979), Silsila (1981)).



Though he played the angry young man to perfection, Amitabh scored in all types of roles be it the sensitive romances of Yash Chopra (Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Silsila (1981)) or the entertainers of Manmohan Desai. (Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish (1977), Suhaag (1979), Naseeb (1981) to name some) He excelled in all types of scenes be it action, drama, song and dance or comedy and consequently his films began to be a one man variety entertainment show. (Take the comic drunken scene in Amar Akbar Anthony or the drag act in the Mere Angane Mein song from Lawaaris (1981) - Pure 'items!')



In 1984, when at his peak as a star, he tried his hand at politics. Due to his enormous popularity, not to mention the close association he enjoyed with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and members of the Nehru family, he was elected to parliament with a huge majority from his home city of Allahabad.



But his stint in politics did not last long and he was implicated in some scandals. He gave up his seat in parliament, vowing never to be involved in politics again.
On the personal front though he did win the National Award for his portrayal of an underworld kingpin in Agneepath (1990), it was more like Deewaar revisited. He took a break from Hindi Cinema after Khuda Gawah (1992).



Some years ago, Amitabh attempted a return to commercial Hindi cinema, but he has not had the impact that he had in previous years. However he continues to have an extraordinary public presence in India. The biggest feather in Amitabh's crowded cap was being chosen as the superstar of the Millennium over such greats as Charlie Chaplin and Laurence Olivier and being selected as the first film personality from India to be immortalized at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum, London! And by he hosting the popular game show Kaun Banega Karodpati? he not only came back with a bang but endeared himself to the younger geneartion of today as well. On January 26, 2001 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian Cinema.
Today he continues to be perhaps the busiest actor in Bollywood with roles still specially being written for him. And even today in films like Baghban (2003) and Khakhee (2004), he shows how easily he can rise above any script and breathe life into each and every role he plays.



cArEEr GraP#


AB, See Hell". That's what the letters ABCL seem to spell now for Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, in the face of the twin demons of financial bankruptcy and career ruin that threaten to confront the country's most legendary film star.

It's an apocryphal story in Bollywood, one of those gossipy anecdotes that become instant legends. The only thing that gives credence to this one is the fact that it's true.

A well-known scriptwriter was working on the script to a Bachchan film sometime in 1997. The story centred around a rich industrialist widower with a beautiful but spoilt daughter. The film was to be about the father's relationship with the daughter and the young penniless mechanic she falls in love with. The daughter gets kidnapped and the father and the mechanic are forced to put aside their differences as they try to save her from the clutches of the kidnappers. The film ends with the father heroically fighting the kidnappers, killing their leader, saving his daughter and receiving a fatal wound in the process. He dies in a traumatic climax reminiscent of the death scene in Sholay, after uniting his daughter and the mechanic and blessing their union.
As you have probably guessed, Bachchan was to play the father. In fact, the script was conceived and developed purely with him in mind.

On the Friday that Bachchan's long-awaited comeback film Mrityudaata was released, the writer was hard at work on the script. He was interrupted by a phone call from the producer, a veteran of the industry. The producer told the writer that Mrityudaata had had a bad opening and Bachchan's equity had dropped substantially. The producer told the writer to rewrite the script, reducing Bachchan's role. He would still be the father, but the film would focus more on the daughter (to be played by Karisma Kapoor) and the mechanic (to be played by a newcomer).
The next day, Saturday, the writer got another call from the producer. He sounded very harassed this time. He said that distributors were very alarmed at the response to Mrityudaata and felt a Bachchan film wouldn't be worth a premium anymore. The producer told the writer to make the film centre completely around the daughter and the mechanic (who would now be played by a saleable young star). Bachchan would still be the father, but the role would be a supporting one.

Finally, on Sunday, the writer received the third and last call. The producer said that Bachchan was a complete write off and that nobody would touch him with a barge pole again. Mrityudaata was a total flop. He told the writer to rewrite the film completely, cutting Bachchan out altogether. He even suggested that they cast veteran character actor Pran (in Hindi, pran means life) as the father instead of Bachchan. The writer chose to shelve the script rather than make this final change. The punchline was his quip to the producer: "Pran jaaye par Bachchan na jaaye!" (''Even life can cease but Bachchan can't''.)

Recently, Bachchan's newest release Sooryavansham brought back shocks of déjà vu to the same writer. Because, despite the debacle of Mrityudaata and the subsequent sinking of Bachchan's career graph, there was still a great deal of hope that the superstar would rise again phoenix-like from his own ashes.

Sooryavansham put the torch to the funeral pyre of that last hope. The writer, a blueblood Bachchan fan and well versed in the ways of the industry, destroyed the script, convinced that it could now never be produced.

This loss of faith wasn't just the result of Sooryavansham's box-office failure. After all, Sooryavansham was not an ABCL release, so the loss would hit the distributors much harder than the Big B himself. Also, two of his earlier releases, Bade Miya Chotte Miya and Lal Badshah, had performed reasonably well at the turnstiles. It was possible that there was some running still left in the old horse. And even in Sooryavansham, Bachchan's performance was superb, reminiscent of his heyday 15 years ago, which was high praise indeed.

But what brought the last tear to Bachchan sympathisers and fans was not his films at all, but the recent reports in the financial pages of the press. Reports that detailed the Bachchan family's financial crisis. News that the famed landmark in Bombay's suburb of Vile Parle, the original Bachchan residence Pratikshaa, had been attached by a court order and was to be sold to help recover debts owed by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited.

And the further news that ABCL had applied to the Bureau for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction, proof that the Bachchans felt their financial morass was beyond resolution.
The Bachchan era, thought by some to have declined years ago, had finally, officially, come to an end.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

uPs ^ n d0Wnz r D pArT 0f liFe



LOVE LIFE.


The actor got married to Jaya when his career was at it’s peak At that time he set the image of the Angry Young Man.This couple has acted in many movies like ‘Abhimaan’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Silsila’ and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’. Amitabh’s romance with actress Rekha was the cause of the rift between Amitabh and Jaya however; the romantic fling didn’t last long. Amitabh and Jaya have two kids, daughter Shweta and son Abhishek Bachchan.


HEALTH


In 1983, while shooting for Manmohan Desai’s ‘Coolie’, Amitabh met with an ill-fated accident that ruptured his intestine. The actor recovered and completed the shoot of his movie.



CAREER


In 1984, Amitabh took a break from Bollywood and joined Congress Party on persuasion from Political Leader Rajiv Gandhi however; his political calling didn’t last long as he got involved in Bofors Scam and had to quit politics. This incident also led to bitter relations between the Gandhi’s and the Bachchan’s.


RETURNS

After failure in politics, the actor made his comeback in Bollywood but couldn’t recreate the same magic. After a series of flops, he finally tasted success with ‘Agneepath’ and ‘Hum’. Amitabh Bachchan launched his company ABCL-Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited in the early 1990’s and hosted Miss World in India. The actor also ventured into production as he produced his first venture ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ which was a hit. Consecutive three movies however; failed which led ABCL to bankruptcy.


MAGICAL COME BACK


The new millennium however; changed thing for Amitabh Bachchan, who was famous as ‘Big B’ by then. His TV show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ broke all TRP records and movie ‘Mohaabtien’ was a big hit thus, proving that fans loved the matured Bachchan. Since then Big B has been the busiest star in Bollywood. The actor worked day and night to pay off the ABCL debts. Amitabh Bachchan endorses some of the biggest brands Dabur, Cadbury, ICICI bank, Maruti Versa, Reliance Infocomm, Parker Pens and Reid and Taylor Suits. The actor is also a goodwill ambassador to UNICEF as well as a brand ambassador for IIFA which is India’s first International Bollywood awards. Amitabh Bachchan is only Indian actor to find a place in the prestigious Madam Tussuads wax museum in London. Big B is India’s most successful comeback story.



# THIS INFORMATION IS VERY VERY INSPIRING TO ANY PERSON. THE SUPER STAR LIKE AMITABH BACHCHAN AFTER SUCH A UPs AND DOWNs HE NEVER BROKE DOWN AND KEPT TRYING TO GAIN HIS POSSITION AGAIN AND HE HAS DID IT SUCCESSFUL .