It was the summer of 1982 when the reigning superstar of the Hindi films, Amitabh Bachchan met with a near fatal accident on the sets of Manmohan Desai’s Coolie. As he battled for life in Mumbai’s Breach candy hospital, the nation immersed itself into prayers for the star. He was in fact declared clinically dead and nothing other than the magic of medical science can explain his revival. The film industry personalities and his fans queued up outside the hospital in Mumbai, but his admirers prayed across the country. Cities and towns were crowded with banners of people and fan groups wishing him a speedy recovery. Both Doordarshan and radio increased the frequency of their news bulletins to keep the country updated on his health. Those were several weeks of torment, until he walked out of the hospital.
Today the star-actor turns 80. This landmark birthday becomes more significant considering 40 years ago his survival seemed to be a lost battle.
The brooding intensity of his eyes, the gravitas his face could set the screen on fire. His formidable intensity was ably supported by some of the finest lines written in mainstream Hindi films by the duo, Salim-Javed. Each one a gem and delivered by Bachchan with all the heat of simmering anger within, waiting to burst out, but kept on the leash by the sheer command Bachchan has on his craft.
So, on his birthday when Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Film Heritage Foundation, SMM Ausaja and PVR have tirelessly worked to curate an exhibition of his rare pictures, film posters and his costume and a retrospective of his films, it would be fun to curate some of his finest lines that have immortalized him.
DEEWAR
“Isse apni jeb mein rakh le Peter, ab yeh tala main teri jeb se chaabi nikaal kar hi kholunga.”
“Rahim chacha jo 25 varsh mein nahi hua woh ab hoga, agle haftey ek aur coolie hafta dene se mana karne wala hai.”
“Dabar saab bahut baras pehle aap race khelne jaatey they, aur hamesha ek jagah ruk kar apne jootey polish karwate they…main aaj bhi phainke hue paise nahi uthata.”
Another dialogue that does not belong to Amitabh in Deewar but is perhaps the finest of all and belongs to his screen mother Nirupa Roy, with whom Bachchan took Indian man’s mother fixation to another level, is: “Vijay bada saudagar bann gaya hai re, magar ek baat bolun apni maa ko khareedne ki koshish mat kar, tu abhi itna amir nahi hua re…”
ZANJEER
“Jab tak baithne ko na kaha jaye khadhe raho yeh police station hai tumhare baap ka ghar nahi.”
DON
“Sonia mujhe do tarah ki ladkiyan pasand nahi aatein, ek jo mere paas aane mein bahut der lagayein aur doosri woh jo bahut jaldi aa jaayien.”
“Don ka intezar toh barah mulkon ki police kar rahi hai, magar Don ko pakadhna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai.”
And now two other fantastic films, Trishul and Kala Pathar that epitomizes Amitabh’s angry young man persona.
TRISHUL
“You are right Mr. R.K. Gupta, yeh contract main hasil kar sakta hun, aur yeh contract mujhe hi milega…”
“Kya woh itne busy hain ki who uss admi se bhi nahi mil saktey jo unka lakhon ka fayda karwa sakta hai?
“Phir kabhi mere paas waqt nahi hoga Mr. R.K. Gupta, isliye jaane se pehle itna zaroor batana chahunga ki mujhse paanch minute na milke aapne apne paanch lakh ka nuksaan kiya hai…”
“Jisne pachchees baras apni maa ko thodha thodha marte hue dekha ho ussey maut se kya dar lagega.”
“Aur haan Sheetal iss party mein Mr. RK Gupta ko zaroor bulana who “abhi tak” bade aadmi hain.”
KALA PATHAR
“Jiski koi tamanna hi na ho woh yeh anguthi lekar kya karega…”
“Kaka, inn koyle ki khanon mein aaye din marnewalon ki aurtein choodiyan pehne ke liye nahi todhne ke liye khareedti hein.”
“Why don’t you understand doctor, pain is my destiny, and I can’t avoid it.”
“Yaad nahi doc saab, bahut din se maine din ginne chodh diye hain…kaun yeh hisaab rakhe, bachcha sawaal ki main kahan se hun, toh kuch log aise bhi toh hotey hain jo kahin se nahi hotey.”
“Mujhe apki baat par yakeen hai, jo insaan ka khoon pani ki tarah baha sakta hai woh kuch bhi kar sakta hai.”
“Apni gandi zuban se unhe worker mat keh Dhanraj, isliye ki tumhare liye worker sirf ek koyla nikalne wali machine ka naam hai, magar woh jo iss waqt maut ke kuein main band hain woh machine nahi zinda insaan hain kissi ke baap hain, kissi ke bete hain, kissi ke bhai hain, kissi ke pati hain…unka naam izzat se le…unko unke naam se bula kuttey…bol, bol Purshottam Lal, bol…bol Ram Singh, bol… bol Murali, bol…Rehmat Ali, bol… "
Sharad Raj is a Mumbai based independent filmmaker,Senior Faculty at Whistling Woods international and Editor of Just Cinema.