How Anupam Kher outscored film industry’s great actors with his performance in SAARANSH!

Mahesh Bhatt’s masterpiece SAARANSH that debuted brilliant actor Anupam Kher completed 31 years on May 25. 

Recalling the movie Anupam Kher went emotional and tweeted, “Today I complete 31 years in Film Industry. It has been the most amazing journey since SAARANSH. Happy Birthday to me.”

Well every actor is emotional about his debut film but in case of Anupam Kher SAARANSH is special because the movie not only made him a star overnight but fetched him the Best Actor Filmfare Award too! 

However what is most remarkable about this Filmfare Award is that Anupam Kher had outscored film industry’s heavy weight actors, who are revered as ‘God of Acting’ and went away stealing the award right under the nose of these stalwarts.

Readers would be anxious to know who these great actors? Well they are Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Naseeruddin Shah, genuinely acknowledged as the cornerstone actors of Indian Cinema. 

Incidentally these three veterans of acting were competing in the same category for Best Actors that year. Frankly speaking all the three actors had given their career best performances in their films but alas in front of Anupam Kher’s towering performance in SAARANSH all their performances became pigmy!! 

For instance Dilip Kumar was nominated for his mindboggling performance in MASHAAL. Even today the scene where he begs for help to rescue his dying wife on the deserted roads of Mumbai brings tears into our eyes. 

Similarly Amitabh Bachchan was nominated for his powerful performance in SHARAABI. The intense emotional scenes of confrontation between him and his father played by Pran were superbly enacted by Bachchan.

However the cream de la cream scene of the movie is the emotional burst of Bachchan in the hospital were his employee, played by Om Prakash, dies in his arms. 

The other most unfortunate actor who could not win the Filmfare award despite an outstanding performance was Naseeruddin Shah for his exceptional performance of a blind man in SPARSH.

People who have seen SPARSH will bet that after Dilip Kumar in DEEDAR (1951), Naseeruddin Shah was superb as the blind man in SPARSH. Though Naseer did not win Filmfare award but his performance was saluted by National Award.

Can Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone diktat their terms in Bollywood?

With the smashing success of Deepika Padukone’s family drama PIKU crossing the magical figure of Rs 100 crore (worldwide) the other movie that is writing new history at box office is Kangana Ranaut’s TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS. Interestingly both are women centric and low budget films. 

According to trade pundits the movie has pulled in a whopping Rs 22 Crore in just two days at box office as compared to the big budget Ranbir Kapoor’s BOMBAY VELVET, which collected the same amount after two weeks! 

That’s not all looking at the movie’s positive reviews and the cine buff’s word of mouth publicity film trade experts believe TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS is set to become the biggest blockbuster of 2015.

One wonders with the two movies generating great business can Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone diktat their terms in Bollywood just as the legendary actress of yesteryear did in the past. 

Though Bollywood has been known to be male chauvinistic yet in the 50’s and the 60’s heroines like Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nutan, Vyjayanthimala etc dominated despite the presence of top stars like Dilip Kumar,Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar etc. 

What may stun readers is that when Mehboob Khan made his most ambitious film MOTHER INDIA, he not only paid Nargis twice the amount what R.K. Films (Raj Kapoor’s production company) offered her but also a salute to her mind-blowing performance he gave her name in the credits and the film poster in BIGGEST LETTERS, a rare compliment ever given to any actress in Indian cinema. 

Later on too, many talented actresses like Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malani, Asha Parekh, Sri Devi, Jaya Prada, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol have dictated their own terms and compelled filmmakers to pay them accordingly. 

In fact even today Madhuri Dixit and Kajol work on their own terms and get roles written exclusively for them.

Thus now it is up to Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone how they exploit their film’s success because if you are talented then success will follow you… 

Remember what Baba Ranchoddas said in the film 3 IDITOS …

Success ke peeche mat bhago, kabil bano, success tao jhak marke ayegi!!!!!