Author: Susmita Dasgupta
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 187
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0143062034
Description
A remarkable insight into the films and times of India 's greatest star–actor
In an industry where fashions change every Friday, Amitabh Bachchan has been synonymous with cinematic entertainment for over thirty years. But beyond the labels of one-man industry and star of the millennium, a number of issues pertaining to the star, his films and his era remain largely unaddressed.
What is it that makes Amitabh Bachchan the star he is? Is it his undeniable genius as an actor, his ability to connect with the masses and the classes alike, or is it his writers and directors who project him in varied roles? Did his films in his heyday reflect the angst of his time, or did the y ferment the spirit of anger and rebellion in the first place? Was he really the rebel as his ‘angry young man' image suggests, or was the re, behind all the sound and fury, a conformist subtext that called for restoration of the status quo? How relevant is Amitabh Bachchan today?
In Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar, Susmita Dasgupta answers the se and o the r questions that lie buried in the trail of glory the star blazed. In a warm and insightful analysis, the author traces the world-view and philosophy that have shaped the films of Amitabh Bachchan-from the angry young man of Zanjeer, the tragic antihero of Deewar and the entertainer of Amar Akbar Anthony to his more conservative turns in Mohabbatein and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham . In the process, she not only chronicles the star's journey from a flop actor to a national icon but also brings to life a period in the history of Indian cinema which altered forever the economics of film-making in the country.
Contents
PREFACE
One: The Early Years
Two: The Angry Young man
Three: The Birth of Tragedy
Four: The Samurai Sage
Five: Anthony Gonsalves
Six: Schism in the Soul
Seven: The years of Consolidation
Eight: The emperor of Fate
Nine: The Star of Entertainment
Ten: Law’s Empire
Eleven: Another day in the life of the hero
Twelve: Homeless in the world
Thirteen: the Comeback
Fourteen: the Legacy
Appendix: The secret life of pankaj ganatra
Notes
Filmography