British Academy of Film and Television Arts Screen Icons: Amitabh Bachchan 16 – 17 June 2007 Introduction Krishnendu Majumdar Tessa Jowell Chairman, Academy Education Culture Secretary and Events Committee The Academy understands the importance I’m delighted that BAFTA is hosting this of promoting excellence in filmmaking Amitabh Bachchan weekend. Amitabh is on a global scale. Indian Cinema is now a living Bollywood legend, whom I last beginning to receive the recognition met at the House of Commons for the that it deserves in the West. Following on International Indian Film Academy in from last year’s celebration of Hindi Cinema 2006. His role as ambassador for the IIFA – our successful BAFTA Goes Bollywood has helped to raise a significant global profile weekend – we applaud the outstanding for their awards, which we will host this achievements of a true screen icon of summer in Yorkshire. world cinema: Amitabh Bachchan. Hosting the awards will boost the Amitabh has been a towering presence growing awareness in the UK of the scale for nearly 40 years in Hindi films and has of Bollywood and of its great pool of won countless awards and honours. To an talent, which is increasingly recognised Indian audience he needs no introduction across the world. but to those less familiar with his work, It’s entirely fitting that BAFTA is he was recently described by The Sunday now celebrating the work of Amitabh Times as “Tom Cruise, Sean Connery and himself. He is arguably India’s greatest ever Clint Eastwood rolled into one.” superstar, having appeared in more than 100 Above: Bachchan (left) filmingJaadugar (1989), as captured in Nasreen He is an undisputed screen icon for the films. His versatility and longevity mark him Munni Kabir’s documentary, Follow That Star. Credit: Peter Chappell longevity of his career and quality of his out as a true actor but he’s also straddled the work. He also has the priceless ability to world of politics and was even a top-rated Cover: As a gold smuggler who must choose between his wealthy inspire, captivate and thrill one of the most TV quizmaster. life of crime and an honest life with his mother and brother in demanding audiences in the world. There Wherever there is a strong Indian Deewaar (1975). Credit: Eros International are over a billion people in India alone and culture, Amitabh is a household name. hundreds of thousands of the Indian diaspora None more so than Britain, where spread all over the globe. He is an ambassador Bollywood is vibrant, successful and for his country and the Indian film industry. gaining increasing popularity. On a personal note, I grew up with Around three million tickets to Hindi Indian roots entwined with a Western films were sold in the UK in 2006. Hindi upbringing in South Wales. In the early films were the most popular foreign 80s, my mother rented Hindi videos. Those language film, with Indian films accounting films kept me in touch with my Indian for over 13 per cent of all UK releases in heritage. I have fond memories of cycling total, taking over £15 million at the UK down valley streets singing Hindi songs box office. from Sholay and Amar Akbar Anthony with I had the pleasure of agreeing the my Welsh friends. There was only one hero UK-India film co-production treaty in New for us: Amitabh Bachchan. Delhi at the end of 2005. The UK-Indian On behalf of the Academy, I am delighted treaty recognises the strong economic and to welcome a true screen icon of international cultural ties between our two countries and cinema to 195 Piccadilly and to host a weekend offers the opportunity to strengthen these. celebrating his glitteringly successful work. 01 Overview Indian cinema has many stars but only one demi-god: Amitabh Bachchan. In addition to over 120 film credits, many of them major blockbusters, the multi-faceted actor has enjoyed a short career in politics, hosted India’s most popular TV show and formed his own production company (ABCL) whilst winning countless international honours. This weekend’s Screen Icons event celebrates a star whose outstanding achievement in world cinema is unrivalled. Born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad After meeting with a near fatal accident on (Uttar Pradesh), Amitabh Bachchan is the the set of Coolie in 1983, thousands across son of famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai India prayed for him. In the early 1990s, Bachchan. The Bachchan family had no when he decided to take a five-year break connection to films, so it was assumed that from film, people assumed his career was young Amitabh would work in the corporate over. He returned as a TV host (for the world. In his early twenties, determined to Indian version of Who Wants To Be find fortune in the movies, Bachchan gave A Millionaire?) and soon became a national up his job in Calcutta and moved to icon. Affectionately called the ‘Big B’, he Bombay. After a minor part in the 1969 film was declared by the BBC’s 2000 online Saat Hindustani, he worked for years to prove poll as Star of the Millenium. his talent. His big chance came in 1973 with Married in 1973 to Jaya Bhaduri, a the role of an avenging police officer in renowned actress in her own right, the Zanjeer. The unusually tall actor, with his Bachchans have two children, Shweta and deep and sonorous voice and powerful, Abhishek. The latter recently married majestic personality, brought unique celebrated actress Aishwarya Rai and is intensity to the screen, instantly fascinating a leading actor of his generation. film audiences. The Bachchans are today considered By the mid-seventies, every Bachchan Hindi cinema royalty. Off screen, it is release attracted millions: Deewaar, Sholay, unlikely that Amitabh Bachchan’s life will Amar Akbar Anthony, Muqqaddar Ka Sikandar ever touch the ordinary. On screen, Indian and scores of other hits showed him excelling cinema has found in him a supreme and in drama, action, romance and comedy. It is everlasting example of the Hindi film hero. no surprise that the Indian press were quick Bachchan defines what that is: “Leading men to label him “the one man industry.” When are required to do a bit of everything: Bachchan appeared on screen, audiences comedy, action, singing, dancing, romance applauded noisily or fell silent in a kind of and a bit of emotion. The heroes are modern reverential hush. manifestations of mythical characters from By the 1980s, Amitabh Bachchan had our two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Above: Bachchan stars as petty criminal Amit, who struggles with become the biggest star India had ever Ramayana. They’re always invincible and alcoholism and family matters in Suhaag (1979). Credit: WEG India known. In every country where Indian films always win in the end.” enjoy a following, including Egypt, South Africa and Malaysia, he won armies of fans. Nasreen Munni Kabir 02 03 The Angry Young Man Amitabh Bachchan is often called the ‘Angry Young Man’ of Indian cinema, a term inspired by realist London theatre of the 1950s, in particular Osborne’s Look Back In Anger. Much as Amitabh is still celebrated for his wide-ranging performances as romantic hero, dramatic lead, comedian and now elder statesman, it is the roles he played as the AYM for which he is most celebrated. This defiant character, who appeared across law into his own hands but rather an upright several films in the 1970s and 80s, was man, motivated by family justice. The typically called Vijay (‘Victorious’). Created viewer empathises with Vijay’s anger and by writers Salim (Khan) – Javed (Akhtar) as his humiliation. He is sad but admirable in an epic hero rather than a novelistic type, he his self-sacrifice and fortitude, even when clearly paralleled Karna in the great Indian he is doing wrong. We share his pain. We epic, the Mahabharata. Like Karna, Vijay believe he is right, at least most of the time, faces frequent childhood injustice: seeing his and that his desire for vengeance is virtuous. parents killed (Zanjeer), growing up without It is perhaps for this reason that the father who abandoned his mother before Amitabh’s Angry Young Man had such marriage (Trishul), or losing the whole far-reaching cultural impact. For many family after a dispute at work (Deewaar). young Asians the world over, he epitomised Bachchan embodies the besieged male hero a heroic masculinity whilst providing a link in a precarious world who fights a personal to India, its traditional values and a proud, war against injustice – specifically the unapologetic sense of self. He was also wrongs done to him and his family. celebrated as the ideal son, deeply attached The power of these films is their ability to his mother, who would look after family to portray an outraged but sympathetic when the father failed. His brooding good character. Despite his ongoing struggles, looks (and lack of interest in women) added Amitabh as Vijay maintains his self-respect, to his appeal. gains respect from others and is a model of Amitabh Bachchan, Hindi film’s biggest moral rectitude, especially in his interaction star, is a great communicator of the moral with women, elders and children but also in sentiments while his juniors, especially Shah upholding his religious beliefs. He is fierce Rukh Khan, often specialise in depicting but controlled and noble, never losing his the tender ones. Compassion is beautiful but, dignity but robbing others of theirs. Vijay as Kant says, it has no moral worth in itself, is not a rebel. His fury is not random but although if it motivates us to care then it has.