The Big B is most over-rated by everyone. Some love him. Some hate him. But no one can ignore him. When I was a kid, his films acted as Boost and was indeed’the secret of my energy’. And it is this energy I expended on my academic pursuits and extra curricular activities.
Everytime I watched this’angry young man’ on screen, I was energised and transformed. I felt good about myself, about my capabilities and about the fact that one day I would do my parents proud. I still remember telling my father:’Abbajaan, I will make you proud. My name will come in the papers.’ And call it destiny or a quirk of fate, I came to be a journalist with bylines all over the place: in newspapers, magazines, websites and even comics!
So given the fact that this’angry young man’ did boost my energy, I would give him FIVE stars and call him excellent. But that was then. Right now, the Big B is mired in controversy. If it’s not his uncharitable remarks towards the success or the lack of it of Kaun Banega Crorepati or the disparaging remarks he made to a few journalists who were only keen on knowing the real truth.
The Big B, known to be quite a charmer in is heydays is no longer that way. He’s become more morose, moody, temperamental and sometimes hard to handle. The other day, one of the reporters did a story about one nurse who had helped him recover his Coolie injury in Bangalore. I SMS-ed him for a response. Did it many times and even followed up with a call. But no response whatsoever. I even engaged a senior deep in the groove of Bollywood journalist, but that didn’t help either. I am not judging him by this one incident alone. I have known of many such examples experienced by many known friends of mine, and the impression of him isn’t encouraging.
The Big B has developed an alter ego that’s plastic, superfluous to the core, catty and sometimes downright bitchy. I only wish the’angry young man’ had grown into a’happy old man’. But it isn’t. He still has all the foibles associated with human frailty. Isn’t growing old about becoming wiser, more humane and sensible?
Well, I hope Mr B sees reason some day while he’s still around on Mother Earth. Don’t keep anything pending on this planet, Mr Big B. Why take many births to repent your past sins? Why can’t you learn all there is to it and be done with this janam and go straight to heaven?
ON HIS ACTING
In all his recent films, he seems’tired’ to me. Shows he’s aging in each of his films and we have to endure it. Be it his Godfather routine in Sarkar or his silent admirations for Jiah in Nishabd. Look through his eyes and what you see is not an actor but a person who is just being himself: tepid, old, aged, given up in life kind of person. And when he tries to play an overtly active person like Sexy Sam, you clearly get the feeling that he’s taken it up only to appease his frend Karan Johar and ofcourse give more edge to his son Abhishek’s cinematic fortunes. He seems to be more in charity mode than in doing anything substantial to his career. He seems to be taking any commercial that comes his way(has robbed much of his aura) and his films, though experimental, don’t have the edge that the Big B was once known for. Clearly, he can’t shoulder on himself. He needs younger actors and their energy to keep himself going. Be it Jiah Khan in Nishabd or his own son Abhishek in KANK.