Let’s take a look at some of Big B’s stunning yet underrated performances in Bollywood cinema.
One who has been delivering power-packed performances one after another and bearing the ‘superstar’ title for more than five decades doesn’t really need any introduction. Yes, we are talking about The Amitabh Bachchan and his epic filmography. Be it the strong personality, baritone voice or versatile acting skills, Amitabh Bachchan is truly irreplaceable in the entire country. While he is best known for his iconic roles in movies like ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Mahabbatein’, ‘Piku’, etc., there are some of his underrated performances which we should also talk about.
This Subhendu Roy directorial classic movie is an example that Amitabh Bachchan is much more than his angry young man image and larger than life persona. He played the role of a gur seller who marries a widow only to use her gur-making skill and later leaves her for another woman. Wearing Dhoti above the knee and climbing palm tree, Big B effortlessly got under the skin of the character and made it alive on screen. His transformation into such a morally bankrupt toddy merchant will definitely leave you spellbound.
In this thriller movie, Amitabh Bachchan had brilliantly pulled off a ruthless character long before he acquired the “Angry Young Man” status. The movie saw Bachchan as an obsessive lover who can go to any extent to get his love interest. Big B’s performance as the chilled character filled with ardour is considered as his best from the pre-Zanjeer era.
This S. S. Balan directorial drama is a remake of the Tamil movie ‘Iru Kodugal’ by K. Balachander. Amitabh Bachchan played Mohan (a clerk working at the local municipality), who dumps his wife and later remarries another woman in some other city. After many years, Mohan finds that his ex-wife has arrived as the collector in his office. The way Mr. Bachchan pulled of the male ego of Mohan is truly commendable.
This Sunil Dutt directorial crime drama film follows Reshma and Shera who love each other madly despite of coming from two completely different family backgrounds. Bachchan played Chotu, Shera’s brother, who kills Reshma’s family in order to maintain his family’s honour. In this film, Shahenshah had a brief role but left a lasting impact on the audience with his solid performance.
Based on the controversial novel ‘Lolita’, the film revolves around a 60-plus man who falls in love with his daughter’s friend. Big B portrayed the hopelessness, pain and subtle emotions of the character with utmost conviction. Also, his monologues at the end of this movie will make you realize how deeply Bachchan studies all his characters.
Amitabh Bachchan, even at the age of 78, is still unparalleled and can give tough competition to any youngster.
