Memories came flooding back like raindrops that hit my head. Every drop of rain, a gentle emotion, every sheet of water releases feelings. It’s so easy to blow the whistle on someone who has been a part of my life for over thirty years. Amit ji has been a part of my consciousness ever since I saw him create magic on screen in Parwana playing a hateful, silent and obsessive lover opposite Yogeeta Bali. It happened to be Yogeeta who introduced herself at the Madras airport.
There is no learning like hands-on experience. In that sense, Amitji who-as an institution has a school, college, university. You cannot drill or force a child to practice discipline. You have to create an atmosphere by simply being everything you want to be. It is like guru-shishya Parampara. Similarly, Amitji created a perfect mahol (environment) for me only from himself. And the irony is that they don’t realize the impact they have on my life or anyone else’s. And mind you, he never taught me anything or helped me with scenes or anything like that. Just presence and spirit contribute to my mĂ©tier as an actor and as a human being.
This may sound like a demented, obsessive fan outpouring. Call it what you want but this is my point of view. Amitji brings purity, integrity, honesty in every move on screen and off. To use a terrible clichĂ©, he was ‘born the way he was’. His aesthetic sense, baritone, voice modulation and performance have been discussed ad nauseum. Without hesitation, please allow me to say again that Amitji has contributed a lot to me as an actor. He is like my inner conscience that guides me through my life and my performances. Conscience does not consciously teach anything. It’s always there. You just tap it whenever you need it. Over time, I came to believe that it was more real, like the voice of God. You may not see it but you feel it all the time.
And the camera caught it. I was pleasantly surprised to find a partner in the dance sequence that complements me in every step. My fan wrote to me that Yeh kahan aa gaye from Silsila is one of the most romantic songs and kept asking me if it was true. What can I say, but the power of movies is magical. And somehow the audience also catches on and wants to believe that the vibe is real. Or how to explain such a song is a universal rage?
After Ram Balram, we didn’t get a chance to work together until Silsila. I remember shooting ‘I hate you’ in Lodhi park with Amitji. That was my big moment. To make matters worse, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi was shot next door. The entire crowd has poured into our set. As usual, I was very nervous and wanted to run away. Amitji is an ordinary guy. Sensing panic, he asked me, “Kya hua bhai, what’s the matter?” I replied that I was afraid of crowds and wanted to die. Then he told me an anecdote about James Dean who, while shooting, urinated in public to get rid of his fear of crowds. . I was like, “Thanks, that makes me feel better. Now I can die in peace.” But we did the scene live, don’t ask me how I did it, I just thanked my stars and no professional like Mr. Bachchan lived, experienced and will never forget.
My loss is that I didn’t get a chance to show Amitji’s phenomenal growth as an actor. So, would you blame me for getting excited when the producers asked me to dub for Neetu Singh in Yaaraana, Sridevi in ​​Aakhri Raasta, Jayasudha and the late Soundarya in Sooryavansham?
When fans wrote to me and asked why we didn’t work together after Silsila, the only rational answer I could think of was to wait to act with Amitji. That everything happened for the right reason at the right time. And I’ll attribute it to a better one from a director who believes he hasn’t come across anything of our caliber yet. I really believe that sabr ka phal meetha hota hai. In this case, time is not important. That I know of course.
What prayers can I give him on his birthday? I hope everyone is as lucky as I am to live an exemplary life like Amitji. I hope he realizes his full potential and doesn’t underestimate his power. May you always be blessed with peace of mind and body. I wish and pray that he will always be healthy. Imagine the impact when Amitji finally realized his true unique quality. Right now, he was completely unaware of the effect he had on anyone who had been affected by his presence. Amitabh Bachchan is an experience. You have to experience the full blast to understand. As always, the memories keep coming back and filling the empty spaces between my thoughts… what else can I say now… to repeat the line from Silsila, “Jo baat labzon meir adaa ho jaaye woh baat hi kya…”
Merchant
I react to the performance here like a woman is not just an ardent fan. The complexity he brings to the role, married to an older woman, plays a typical Indian without seeming too chauvinistic. It’s edgy no doubt.
Parwana
I really like his wife, the way she talks to Waheeda) / in Awadhi dialect. His relationship with his son and his zulm ka badla zulm belief. And contrast the way he speaks English with a clipped English accent!
I love Amitji in Abhimaan. The scene where he grabs diibai (Jaya Bachchan) by her wet hair and pulls her down to him is so much fun! And touching the bottom lip is a sign language to show that kind of intimacy, a subtle touch. The silent suffering that her husband is more popular than her is well portrayed.
No one, I repeat NO ONE speaks Awadhi like Amitji. He is the original Ganga kinaarewala. Completely natural. Again two contrasting characters are just a treat to watch…again and again.
I like silence in Shakti. Especially the scene after Raakhee’s death where she comes calmly and puts her hand on her father’s arm.
I loved everything about the performance. Like Padosan, there is no time. Instant pick-me-up movies.
It’s my favorite performance of all time. It scores higher than Deewaar for me. He subtly tells the difference between being drunk and alcoholic. A small touch of normal added to the full alcohol. It’s an effortless performance. Not theatrics, exaggeration. He didn’t play to the gallery; he is not trying to prove a point. The only other performance that goes anywhere is in Black. I don’t think she can repeat or surpass Sharaabi’s portrayal. And dare I say it… all the remake specialists out there haven’t even tried this one.
I remember the dialogue, “Dukh toh is baat ka hai ke maine anjaane mein tumhe dukh pahunchaaya hai.” How can love and passion be more real than that? What a useless craft. No wonder the world believes that the triangle exists for real.
This interview was first published in Filmfare magazine in October 2006.
