'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap': the old Bachchan is back
July 7, 2011
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Sonal Chauhan, Charmy Kaur
Every film industry has its favorites, but no other actor in the world has quite the stature of Amitabh Bachchan, a legend who has loomed large over Hindi film for 40 years. In the last decade, though, the 68-year-old actor has been relegated because of his age to playing solemn, crusty, or wistful characters—usually a patriarch of some kind. In Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, he's a father once again, and a loving one—but wayward, as angry young men are wont to grow up to be. Bachchan resurrects the cool, tough film persona of his youth with flamboyant, ferocious punch, performed with just the right touch of self-conscious parody.
His son, actor Abhishek Bachchan, produced the film, and it's beginning to look like filmmaking, rather than acting, may be the junior Bachchan's greatest strength. His previous production, Paa (2009), starred both he and his dad, and like Bbuddah, the film honored the elder Bachchan by showcasing his talent—and also by emphasizing his age (and by extension, the length of his career). In Paa, Amitabh plays a young boy who is prematurely becoming an old man; in Bbuddah, he plays an old man who refuses to accept he is no longer young. Abhishek could have played the son in Bbuddah, as he did in Paa, but didn't, which put all the focus on his father.
Instead, the role of son went to actor Sonu Sood, who continues to impress, as he has in other recent supporting roles, including his villainous turn in Dabangg (2010) and as a wronged prince in the historical epic Jodhaa Akbar (2008). His assurance and considerable presence indicate the actor has even more potential yet to be tapped.
Bachchan's age as a theme is a new extension of the Amitabh Bachchan genre—and he is a genre onto himself, which the film Bbuddah celebrates. The notion of genre is much more complex and multilayered in Indian film than it is in Western cinema. One can find in India the typical Western genres such as romantic comedy and horror—as well as many more unique ones. And while some Hollywood actors—mostly action stars—constitute a genre, the actor-as-genre has far more dimension in India. In the 1970s, Bachchan rose to stardom as an "angry young man," which both resonated with the socially disaffected of that time and channeled ancient anti-hero mythology.
Bollywood has been loving the 70s lately—Om Shanti Om (2007) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), to name a few recent films harkening to that era—but not just because of the fun, garish style of the decade. There's also nostalgia for the unabashed, distinctly Indian filmmaking that flourished then and that is now roaring back into vogue.
Bbuddah is a raucous good time, but the story could use more meat. Bachchan's character Vijju is an ex-gangster who returns to India after decades in Paris. The reason for his return has something to do with a planned mob hit on a good cop, who is trying to win the love of a girl whose father is opposed to their relationship. Vijju reconnects with his estranged wife, played by Hema Malini, with whom Bachchan frequently co-starred in their 70s heyday, as well as more recently, as a mature couple, in such films as Veer-Zaara (2004) and Baabul (2006). The 62-year-old actress—Bollywood's original "dream girl," who still exudes loveliness—is well-matched with Bachchan. There are fist fights, gun fights, chase scenes, showy musical numbers, and tears shed, and all the while Bachchan proves once again what everyone already knows—he may age, but he never gets old.
Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap is rated Worth Watching.
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