WCRC Brands Illustrated up till 15 October | Seite 55

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“Amitabh Bachchan?Yaar, ajeebsanaamhain … aurchehrabhibadaajeebsa, beanpole jaisa,
haina?!Yeh hero banega?Kaka, Dharam, Manoj, Feroz, Sanjay, Jeetu se takkarlega?Saala,
imaagkharabhai? Ainameinshakaldekha? Chaleaateyhai sub, airagaira …chalaMurari hero
banne!!”

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his was – more or less – the standard feedback I invariably got everytime I
attempted to either point in the direction of AB at film parties or refer to him
with Industry folks in the Mumbai of the early seventies. In an era when the
chocolate heroes were perceived as dreamboats and Khan, Kapoors& Khanna
titles ruled the marquee, Bachchan’s unusually non-filmy name and looks,
with no filmy connections or background whatsoever, spelt bad news. His
list of bombs also hardly helped and even Anand was generally perceived
as a Rajesh Khanna knockout, with only a small minority of discriminating & evolved types
noticing & applauding Bachchan’s superbly underplayed role. Not surprisingly, a week
before the release of the film that would forever un-chain him from the label of the Industry’s

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