The Big B’s 5 Films You Missed

 Even  before  he  turned superstar  with  Zanjeer in 1973  Amitabh Bachchan  gave  incredibly intense  performances  in some films, and we aren’t  only talking about Anand, but other performances where he excelled before stardom. Here are  my favourites.

1.     Parwana(1971):   Arguably  Mr B’s finest  performance to date, Parwana  features   the yet-unaffected actor as a hataash  premee(obsessive  loer) ready to go to any extent , even murder,to win his ladylove Yogeeta Bali who  loves Navin  Nichshol  instead. Really, love is  blind! In his  out-and-out villain’s part Mr B’s ingenious murder plan with a perfect alibi became the  talking point of a  film  that deserved   success.Directed  by Jyoti Swaroop who directed  Padosan  just three  years earlier, catch it to see the raw hurting lover’s  revenge that Mr  B perpetrates with  implosive  intensity.

2.     Gehri Chaal(1973): This  complicated thriller  by Tamil cinema’s doyen C  V Sridhar featured   Mr B  as Hema Malini’s brother who  gets embroiled  in  a robbery and murder.  Though Jeetendra  played  the official leading man it was  Mr B  who walked away  with  all acting  honours. Every time he’s on  screen  he  lords  over  the  proceedings.

3.     Ek Nazar (1972):  This  was   the first time  that Amitabh –Jaya  came together.Though the film flopped  the intense love  story  of a  poet and a tawaif is  buoyed  by a beautiful  music score  by Laxmikant-Pyarelal  and  some sharp dialogues  by  B R Ishaara  who  directed  the film. The chemistry between  Mr B and Mrs J was evident even  back  then.

4.     Sanjog(1971):  A  remake  of   K Balachender’s Iru Kodugal  the  film is dominated  by Mala Sinha’s  melodramatic performance as a woman who rises from being a spurned wife to a  District Collector .Her  wife-deserting  husband ends up as her  subordinate. While  all  hell breaks loose  around him  Mr  B  remains calm and controlled. He  is  the portrait of restraint in a  maelstrom  of melodrama.

5.     Saat  Hindustani(1968): Playing the  poet Anwar Ali in  his  debut film, Mr Bachchan was  the portrait  of quiet  confidence bringing to the  role  a rare  element of intensity  and gravitas. Though the  film had 7 protagonists it  was immediately clear who  the  stand-out performer  was.