Baghban : Amitabh, Hema Most Influential Film

Ravi Chopra’s  Baghban released on  October 3, 2003 is  incontrovertibly  the most influential  film of  Amitabh  Bachchan and Hema Malini’s career. It changed the way  Indian families looked  at the elderly and  revised the younger generations’  attitude  towards their parents.

Before Ravi Chopra, his father  the  great  B R Chopra  lived with the idea of making Baghban for  twenty years. The film was planned originally  with  Dilip Kumar .But by the time Ravi Chopra got down to making it  Dilip Saab was  too old to play  a  60-year  old man.

Shah Rukh Khan was supposed to play Mr Bachchan’s son in Ravi Chopra’s Baghban. When he backed out because of his back problem, Salman sportingly stepped in.

During the shooting of Baghban  Bachchan  Saab was  full of praise for Salman.  “Salman is God’s child.Very misunderstood, but has a heart of gold. Like Sanju ( Dutt) Salman has a penchant for getting into trouble. But he means well, and is extremely kind- hearted.” So will the real Salman Khan please stand up? Is he an enfant terrible or a restless child with a heart of gold? Salman often says and does things which he doesn’t mean. His naked aversion to the press doesn’t add to his popularity.”

 Says  Hema Malini who  turns 75 this  month, “Baghban was, one of the most important films of my career. It addressed the relationship between parents and children. I’ve seldom received as much feedback and praise for a film as I did for Baghban.It was the kind of rare cinema that changed lives. Even if Raviji had not made any other film, he would still be remembered for this one forever. It is sad that he had to go so early. He was very unwell in his last years.

Ravi  Chopra   who had done Zameer, Baghban and then Baabul with Mr Bachchan for early next year. Planned  a fourth film titled  Pickpocket with  Mr B was  to  play the victim of a pickpocket’s designs.

Alas, God had  other designs.