`I thank Bhansali for giving me the role'
SUBHASH K JHA
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Amitabh Bachchan shares his experiences with his latest film, "Black."
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MUCH-ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCE: Amitabh Bachchan in "Black."
As a man who first plays a big role in rehabilitating a disabled pupil and then fights Alzheimer's, Amitabh Bachchan made a great impact in "Black." Has his approach to movies changed since? Excerpts from an interview:
Abhishek walked away with the Filmfare award right under your nose?
And I feel proud about it. Every father dreams of seeing his son stand on his own two feet. It makes a father even happier to rub shoulders with his son in the same profession... Abhishek is growing. He has some good projects on hand.
And how is it to face the camera with him?
He's fine. I don't need to instruct or interrupt him. He has his own rhythms and he follows them.
Do you think he imitates you?
I don't think he ever does that. He can't help looking like me, or having some of my mannerisms. That's only natural. But I don't think he performs like me.
How has "Black" changed your life?
The reactions have been absolutely astounding. I feel I've undergone the before-and-after experience. People who don't know me personally have come forward to express their enthusiasm. The joy and excitement among the intelligentsia is palpable. These are people who aren't always fond of mainstream Hindi cinema. For them to come forward and react so positively shows the extent to which the film has made an impression. I feel Black is a landmark in my career. It has been a creative as well as a commercial success.
I said before the release of the film that I had never enacted a single shot from ``Black" in any other film before. Now I can say I've never received such generous praise for any performance before.
Would you say "Black" is your best ever?
Well there have been other performances in my earlier phase which have been praised. But yes, in the last decade or so, ``Black" is the performance that's lauded the most.
"Black" has proved that audiences aren't dumb. If you give them something intelligent and aesthetic they have the capacity to appreciate it. The myth that the average audience goes only for commercial escapist fare has been broken. I've met a number of directors from the so-called art film. They feel extremely encouraged by the success of "Black." It has given them a lot of confidence and hope. They feel that they now have the opportunity to make films the way they want to. An entirely new kind of cinematic language has emerged after ``Black."
Who would think a non-commercial non-escapist fare would make such an impact? And now the film is going tax-free in U.P., Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
Do you think ``Black" has started another phase in your career?
I don't look at my career in phases. But I thank Sanjay Leela Bhansali for giving me a role that required someone of my age. It's my good fortune that ``Black" didn't require one of the more saleable stars of today. I feel honoured and happy that it has worked.
What next?
Vipul Shah's ``Waqt" which is a very unexpected father-son story, and Shaad Ali's ``Bunty Aur Babli" which is a light-hearted caper. Abhishek is the leading man. I'm there for just a very short while. Abhishek and Rani are small-towners on the run who become legends. I play the cop on their trail.
Yes I'm more pivotal to the plot. I'd say it goes into a very unusual father-son territory. It's an extremely emotional film with an interesting story. Then there's Ram Gopal Varma's "Sarkar."
It gives Abhishek and me a completely different platform. We'll be seen together more on screen in "Sarkar."
This film is completely Ram Gopal Varma territory. It's shaping up very well. The trailers are already in the theatres and the reaction is encouraging.
You had a completely new `look' for "Black" and now "Sarkar"?
Yes, that one of the advantages of being 63. You can afford to experiment. When you were younger you had to look the same. I feel when you get a character's look and body language right it definitely adds to your performance.
Have you signed any new film, for example one with Santosh Sivan's brother which has been splashed everywhere?
I haven't heard his script or heard from him. I just got a message saying he'd like to meet me. Nothing happened beyond that. But I'm doing Vidhu Vinod Chopra's ``Yagna" to be shot in September. I've a small cameo of a gaon-wala in Amol Palekar's ``Paheli." I haven't said yes to any other film. Nothing has happened after Black. I'm waiting for something equally exciting. Only Sanjay Leela Bhansali can do it for me again.
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