I am writing this review after having watched this classic on Sony Entertainment Television at 8 p.m. on May 31, 2004.
A melodrama by BR Chopra, Baghban depicts the stark reality faced by old aged individuals who have spent all their hard ? earned money for their children but in return, get nothing from the children except humiliation.
Baghban highlights the fact that:
In a world wherein spousal infidelity is on the rise, with persons going for extra ? marital affairs, the movie depicts the immortal love prevalent in a couple for the last 40 years, wherein little things give immense joy to the husband as well as his wife.
Those who love & care for others, do not get the same in return & hence, man has to think of himself first & then about others.
Amitabh Bachchan, a bank accountant, never saved any money for himself, but gave it to his 4 children & when he retires, his children decide to separate Big B from his wife Hema Malini & keep the parents for 6 months each.
After watching the movie, I probably feel that Hema Malini agrees to separate, not because she does not love her husband, but because she feels that her children need her maternal love, though this love could have been showered even by keeping the parents together.
The scene where Nasir Khan decides to take the 2 dogs together with him, since he cannot bear the dogs to be separated, depicts sheer Irony that his conscience pricks him for separating the dogs, but not while separating his parents.
The 4 sons & their respective families treat Big B & Hema Malini as mere guests with no respect or concern, except for the roles played by Yash Pathak (Rahul) & Rimi Sen (Payal).
Different issues have been shown with a glimpse of perfect reality to indicate that the children are considering their parents to be a burden & just keep on criticizing them.
Paresh Rawal & Lilette Dubey have given noteworthy performances, with equal justification to the comic as well as emotional sequences.
Salman Khan gave a fine performance, as the orphan Alok, who considers Big B & Hema Malini as his Gods & gives them all the love that they were yearning for.
Mahima Chaudhary gets an insignificant role, yet she excels.
The climax of the movie is exceptionally superb, thanks to the emotionally intensifying dialogues that Big B speaks when his book Baghban gets the Booker prize.
The movie abounds in several situations wherein, you realize that the parents were adored & respect only till the time, they were able to feed their children but once they are retired, they are treated as worthless babbles.
The movie has an absolutely realistic story, blended with comic situations, the selfishness of the so ? called blood relations & the utter adulation given by an orphan to the foster parents whom he considers God.
Some of the songs like the one filmed on Mahima & Salman, the Holi song & the Wedding anniversary song, act as speed breakers in the smooth running of the film.
The other 2 songs, Main Yahan Tu Wahan & the title song are placed correctly in the film.
The movie solely belongs to Big B & Hema Malini, with heart rendering performances as the couple that gets separated due to their self ? centred children & the inward grief & tears that they endure, even while phoning or sending letters to one another.
The movie really raises the Million dollar question: Can you depend on your family?