Baghban (Chopra, 2003)

[kaykay]

BAGHBAN
BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE-A PRODIGAL DELIGHT

The ritually enshrined, sentimentally coated, bittersweet so-called family drama is an anecdote which reflects Indian tradition in it’s best throes and at it's most despicable moments of darkness.

Ravi Chopra’s inheritance from his eminent paternal influences are quite obvious, as the movie borrows from Sanjev Kumar Zindagi, Avtaar, Do Raaste which had familiar premises, albeit the movie has nothing ingenious about it and it was not constructed to be an artistic masterpiece, but cinema has more cards up it's sleeve then any cynical critics can predict, the circumstantial evidence is this heart wrenching, masterfully performed and intrepidly scripted analogy which succeeds as a satire, Greek tragedy, a feel good comedy and above all as a beautifully mature and intricately simple love affair between a bourgeois couple who are spurned in their time of crucial need by their spurious scions.

The metaphors are stereotyped but so well inserted that they bring a lump to your throat with the full knowledge of it being sentimental trash, and this is what the golden coupling of Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan achieved in their most glorious moments on screen, a trashy masterpiece.

Cinema has no rules to abide by as long as it can reach an audience in an emotionally accessible and technically accomplished manner where it can either blend into a mixture of art and popular entertainment or both in the same breath-a rarity difficult to achieve by deliberation, but creativity is a surreal entity and sometimes when least expected you are flabbergasted by blatant sentimentality donning the mantle of a feel-good fairy tale, and the tender, poignant portrayal of two elderly parents separated by the overt greed of their beloved family becomes a ballad of true love between a devoted husband and his silent but strong spouse.

Amitabh Bachchan-vocal, husband, sceptical, distrusting who cherishes his wife above all else in the world, she in turn is torn in her feminine instincts between husband and sons, but her silent glances and superb expressions make any vocal declarations of fidelity redundant in itself, enacted flawlessly by Hema Malini.

But Amitabh matches her with his magnificent vocal talent fiercely-together they make you squirm, smile and sob in one of the best pairings ever.

Their charisma together exudes off the screen, with dialogues that are rendered sublime by their interaction, the rendition of the love ballad over the phone or the imaginary song dance on Valentines Day is enchanting.

The movie is flawed with its clichéd stereotyped black and white inhabitants, but the flaws become the very strengths here as they demonstrate what an unpredictable medium cinema is, this is an evergreen garden with perennially rich artistic merits -and the two culprits are Amitabh and Hema -you wish they would make a sequel to this delightful paradox of a sentimental trashy classic .

usman khawaja

[sandeep]

Baghban was always meant to be an emotional family drama, and it delivered its promise, way back in October 2003. Directed by Ravi Chopra, son of BR Chopra, its the story of a loving couple (Amitabh and Hema) and their 4 sons and their families.

As parents do, Amitabh invested everything he had, and worked his whole life, for his kids. When he was to retire, he was confident his kids would host him and his wife. Here is where the biggest flaw of the film appeared. None of his kids wanted to take him in, all very overtly negative.

The kids suggest the mom lives with one and dad lives with another, in the hope of making the plan unacceptable, so that their parents find their own way. Not left with much choice, the parents have to stay apart.

What follows is the strong point of the story, rooted in Indian traditions of parents always making sacrifices for their children.

Though he is a traditional film maker, Ravi Chopra ended the film in a very modern manner, which was the highlight of the movie. Any other ending, and this movie would have failed.

With very good music, a ravishing Hema, and handsome Amitabh, this film  is strictly a family watch, where black and white characters are used to convey a moral lesson.

3/5

[ayaa1977]

I found the film too sentimental and preachy for my taste. Hema Malini looked graceful and gorgeous of course, and as for Amitabh Bachchan this kind of family drama is his forte, and as Kaykay mentioned in his review, both of them work magic on screen together to elevate the material to higher level.

What I found unbelievable about the film is how would all the children of such a great and caring couple, a very good hearted people, would turn out selfish and ungrateful scoundrels. All of them are bad apples? Come on! I really can't suspend my disbelieve this far. In contrast, the people in the neighborhood, lead by Salamn Khan in a good turn, are the complete opposite who would embrace and take care of the couple who were good to them in the past. These extremes might have been the norm in storytelling in the past, but the film came in 2003 in the time that old Bollywood was all but dead. It was a hit back then and probably the last certified hit from this kind.

I understand that the story had to have the kids to be this way to justify the father's motive to writing the book and the sons final attempt to win his heart back, but still it failed to win me over. As I said before the only thing that kept me from outright dismissing this "sentimental trash", as Kaykay eloquently put it, is the marvelous performance of the Golden Couple, so I'm giving it 2/5.