Amar Akbar Anthony

1977 Indian film directed by Manmohan Desai

  • 27 May 1977 (1977-05-27)
Running time
184 minutesCountryIndiaLanguagesHindi
Urdu[1][2]Box officeest. ₹155 million (equivalent to ₹4.3 billion or US$54 million in 2023)[3]

Amar Akbar Anthony is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language masala film directed and produced by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. Released in India on 27 May 1977, the film stars an ensemble cast of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Neetu Singh, Parveen Babi, Shabana Azmi, Nirupa Roy, Pran and Jeevan. The plot focuses on three brothers being separated in childhood and adopted by families of different faiths; Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. They grow up to be a police officer, a qawwali singer and the owner of a country bar, respectively.

The soundtrack album was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi. The film was released on 27 May 1977 and earned ₹155 million (US$17.69 million) at the Indian box office, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of that year, alongside Dharam Veer and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen.[3]

Religious tolerance became a landmark theme in Bollywood masala films,[4] building on the masala formula pioneered a few years earlier by Nasir Hussain's Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973).[5][6] Amar Akbar Anthony also had a lasting impact on pop culture with its catchy songs, quotable one-liners, and the character of Anthony Gonsalves (played by Bachchan). It won several awards at the 25th Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor, Best Music Director and Best Editing. It was later remade in Tamil as Shankar Salim Simon (1978), in Telugu as Ram Robert Rahim (1980),[7] and in Malayalam as John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982). In Pakistan, the film was unofficially remade in Punjabi as Akbar Amar Anthony (1978).[8]

Plot

On 15 August, the lower-middle-class Kishanlal (Pran) is released from prison after having taken the blame of a fatal hit-and-run accident committed by a notorious crime lord, Robert (Jeevan), for whom he used to work as a chauffeur. Despite Robert's promise that he will take care of his family, Kishanlal returns home to find his wife, Bharati (Nirupa Roy), suffering from tuberculosis and their three sons starving. When he approaches Robert for restitution, he is mercilessly humiliated and rebuffed by the latter. Infuriated by the callousness, Kishanlal tries to kill Robert, but is forced to run for his life in Robert's car loaded with smuggled gold bullion while being chased by Robert's henchmen. When he arrives back home, he finds his sons abandoned by Bharati with a suicide letter which states that she has run away to commit suicide, unwilling to be a burden on him. Having no time to mourn his wife, Kishanlal picks up his children and uses Robert's car as a getaway vehicle to escape from home. Leaving his children in the Borivali National Park under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in his oldest son's care, he tries to lead Robert's henchmen away from them. In the ensuing chase, Kishanlal's car meets with a fiery accident, and Kishanlal and his three children are declared dead by both Robert's henchmen and the police, although their dead bodies are not recovered.

Meanwhile, in the park, the three sons have been separated - the oldest one runs behind the car driven by Kishanlal and after being knocked down by the car of Robert's henchmen, is adopted by a Hindu police officer, Superintendent Khanna (Kamal Kapoor); the middle one, running through the rain to seek help, finally falls asleep outside a nearby church with Bharati's suicide letter in hand, and is taken in by the large-hearted Christian priest, Father Gonsalves (Nazir Hussain); and the youngest one abandoned under the statue in the park, is picked up by a kind Muslim tailor, Darji Ilahabadi (Shivraj). Elsewhere, Bharati is struck by the falling branch of a tree in the storm and becomes blind as a divine punishment for abandoning her children (or so she believes). On his way back, Darji Ilahabadi also rescues Bharati from the accident and escorts her back home, although Bharati is unable to identify her youngest child due to her visual disability. Further, Bharati is devastated when the police inform her that Kishanlal and the children died in the car accident. Kishanlal, who has survived the car accident, returns to the park with the smuggled gold bullion in Robert's car to search for his sons, only to find the park empty. The disintegration of the family is complete.

Cue to 22 years later, Bharati, now a flower seller, has met with an accident outside the church and is rushed by Anthony Gonsalves (Amitabh Bachchan), a licensed liquor store owner and the bootlegging Robin Hood of the neighbourhood, to the hospital, where Akbar Ilahabadi (Rishi Kapoor) is busy romancing Dr. Salma Ali (Neetu Singh). Inspector Amar Khanna (Vinod Khanna) also comes to the hospital to check on the accident case, and all three are shown donating blood at the same time to the woman who is their biological mother, only none of them know her or each other. Akbar and Anthony are friends, and Anthony is invited to Akbar's qawwali programme. He comes along bringing Bharati with him and Salma is also present there with her father, Taiyyab Ali (Mukri), and his harem. Akbar takes the opportunity to proudly and publicly declare his love for Salma, much to her Taiyyab Ali's annoyance. Meanwhile, Amar, tracking a highway robbery case, comes across Lakshmi (Shabana Azmi), who is being forced by her abusive stepmother (Nadira) and stepbrother, Ranjeet (Ranjeet Bedi), to act as decoy. Amar has Lakshmi's stepmother arrested and offers refuge to Lakshmi and her elderly, wheelchair-bound grandmother (Pratima Devi). Elsewhere, the wheel of fortune has turned for both Kishanlal and Robert; the former gets his start in life with the smuggled gold bullion from Robert's car; the latter, his daughter having been kidnapped by Kishanlal, has now come down in the world.

Despite this, it does not take long for fickle fate to change sides as Kishanlal's loading dock is raided by the police and in the ensuing chaos, Robert escapes with a shipment of Kishanlal's smuggled gold bullion and shoots down Superintendent Khanna non-fatally in the process. While escaping, Robert runs into Anthony, who helps him hide from the police. Amar is searching for the man who shot his foster father, and has Anthony arrested after word comes in that Robert was seen with the latter. While being taken to the court, Anthony is kidnapped from the police truck by Kishanlal's henchmen and meets Kishanlal, who also enquires with him about Robert. After a handful of chilli powder, a whirring fan and a quick fight, Anthony returns to the police station himself, not wanting to betray Amar, but he is puzzled on learning that Robert had shot Superintendent Khanna, Amar's foster father. Anthony is quick to take Amar to his hideout under the church, only to discover that Robert has escaped, and an angry Father Gonsalves advises Anthony to find a girl and get married. Even as Anthony is telling him what sort of a girl he would like to marry, Robert's daughter, Jenny (Parveen Babi), who has been brought up by Kishanlal, arrives in India and Anthony, meeting her during a church sermon on Easter Sunday, falls head over heels in love with her. He even woos Jenny with a song, but she is guarded by her overprotective bodyguard, Zebisco (Yusuf Khan), who has been hired by Kishanlal.

Soon, the three brothers are singing and romancing their respective girlfriends - in a boat, in a horse chariot, on a train, on the beach, in the garden. Meanwhile, Bharati miraculously regains her eyesight after suffering a minor head injury at a ceremony honouring the Sai Baba of Shirdi, which is hosted by Akbar, who proceeds to take Bharati to his home. While there, Bharati comes across Akbar's childhood photograph and identifies him as her youngest son, and Darji Ilahabadi identifies Bharati as the woman he had rescued from the branch accident. Simultaneously, Akbar rescues Salma and Taiyyab Ali from a house fire arranged by some prostitutes who worked for Taiyyab Ali, and a grateful Taiyyab Ali gives his blessings to Akbar and Salma's relationship. This incident leads both Akbar and Amar to learn that they are brothers and that Kishanlal and Bharati are their parents. However, things take a drastic turn when Kishanlal is betrayed by Zebisco, who kidnaps Jenny and sells her out to Robert in exchange of her hand in marriage. Father Gonsalves and Lakshmi witness the kidnapping, but Father Gonsalves is stabbed to death by Robert, while Lakshmi is also kidnapped by Ranjeet, who has joined Robert's gang. After discovering Father Gonsalves' murder, Anthony learns with the help of Kishanlal's divine locket and Bharati's old suicide letter that they are his parents and that Amar and Akbar are his brothers.

With the knowledge that they are related and the realisation of the whole chain of incidents, the three brothers are determined to free Lakshmi and Jenny from the clutches of Robert and make the latter pay for his crimes. Accompanied by Salma, they disguise themselves as a one-man band, an elderly tailor and a marriage priest respectively, and manage to enter Robert's mansion as marriage planners invited for the "marriage" of Jenny and Zebisco. After a musical performance, they creates a commotion that allows Salma to assist Lakshmi and Jenny in escaping and calling in the police. After the real marriage planners invited by Robert arrive at the scene, the three brothers reveal themselves and beat up Robert, Zebisco, Ranjeet and the other henchmen before having them all arrested by the police for their crimes. However, Bharati is distraught as Kishanlal is also arrested by the police for his previous crimes, but the latter consoles her by stating that the only thing which matters to him is that their family is reunited once again. To emphasise his point, Kishanlal is briefly released from prison by Superintendent Khanna (who has recovered from his injuries) only to share a heartfelt embrace with his three sons. The film ends with the three brothers driving joyfully with their girlfriends in the sunset.

Cast

  • Vinod Khanna as Inspector Amar Khanna
  • Rishi Kapoor as Akbar Ilahabadi
  • Amitabh Bachchan as Anthony Gonsalves
  • Neetu Singh as Dr. Salma Ali
  • Parveen Babi as Jenny
  • Shabana Azmi as Lakshmi
  • Nirupa Roy as Bharati
  • Pran as Kishanlal
  • Jeevan as Robert
  • Yusuf Khan as Zebisco (Jenny's bodyguard)
  • Mukri as Taiyyab Ali (Salma's father)
  • Nazir Hussain as Father Gonsalves (Anthony's foster father)
  • Kamal Kapoor as Superintendent Khanna (Amar's foster father)
  • Hercules as Raghu (Anthony's rival)
  • Shivraj as Darji Ilahabadi (Akbar's foster father)
  • Pratima Devi as Lakshmi's grandmother
  • Moolchand as Pedro (Robert's friend)
  • Helen as Kishanlal's accomplice who assumes Jenny's identity at the airport
  • Nadira as Lakshmi's stepmother
  • Madhumati as Bijli (prostitute working for Taiyyab Ali)
  • Ranjeet Bedi as Ranjeet (Lakshmi's stepbrother)

Production

"You see the whole country of the system is juxtapositioned by the hemoglobin in the atmosphere, because you are a sophisticated rhetorician intoxicated with the exuberance of your own verbosity."

—Anthony Gonsalves, in his monologue preceding the "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" sequence[9]

Amar Akbar Anthony has a cinematic antecedent in Yash Chopra's 1965 film Waqt, in which a father's three sons are separated from each other. Waqt also inspired the 1976 super-hit diamond jubilee Pakistani film Talash, starring Shabnam and Nadeem. However, Amar Akbar Anthony was slated to release in 1975, prior to Talash's release.[10][11]

Prayag Raj wrote the film's screenplay, while Kader Khan wrote the dialogue.[12]

The character of Anthony Gonsalves was named after the famous composer and teacher of the same name, whose pupils included Pyarelal (of Laxmikant–Pyarelal, the composer duo of the film) and R. D. Burman.[13][14] Director Manmohan Desai had planned for Amitabh's character to be named “Anthony Fernandes,” with Bakshi's song entitled “My Name is Anthony Fernandes.” However, the song didn't go well with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Composer Pyarelal then recalled his famous violin teacher and suggested that the character's last name be changed to “Gonsalves.”[13][15] The nonsensical monologue preceding the "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" sequence was taken in part from an 1878 speech by British politician Benjamin Disraeli in reference to W. E. Gladstone.[13]

Filming

Amar Akbar Anthony was Manmohan Desai's first film as an independent film producer. The film was shot over a month at Ranjit Studios in Mumbai. Some exterior and interior shots were filmed at the Mount Mary Church in Bandra, Mumbai and at the Don Bosco School, Wadala, Mumbai respectively.[13][16] Shooting was scheduled so that the entire cast didn't have to appear together except for the climactic sequence and the title song ("Anhoni Ko Honi"), where they all perform as a group. However, the shooting went over schedule, which required Rishi Kapoor and Shabana Azmi to shoot their scenes separately so they could leave towards the end of production to work on other films.

Analysis

Amar Akbar Anthony incorporates a strong element of secularism[17] within a Bollywood masala film. Analysts such as Virdi (2003) and Kavoori & Punathambekar (2008) opine that the themes of Desai's "magnum opus" include religious pluralism and secular nationalism.[18][19] Philip Lutgendorf hints that the separation of the three children on Indian Independence Day is akin to the Partition of India.[20] Similarly, Vijay Mishra (2013) argues that the film reaffirmed India's "liberal ethos." [21] The three religions represented by the titular characters are the "pillars of the nation:" when they work together, they can restore life to their mother (represented when they donate blood during the opening title sequence) and beat any evil (symbolised by their common villain).[22] The characters' reunion with their parents completes the nationalistic allegory,[18][19] suggesting that what was lost at independence can be regained.[23]

The film's masala style is evident in its plot and characters. According to Varia (2013), Amar Akbar Anthony was conceived as a tragedy but later incorporated many other genres.[24] Dickson (2016) commented that the film featured a plot which would "give even Shakespeare migraines."[25] Some authors also highlight the archetypal character of the suffering and self-sacrificing mother (Roy).[26] However, Dinesh Raheja concludes that "ultimately, the show belongs to Amitabh Bachchan. In a tailor-made role, he has the audience in stitches. Despite his playing an implausible character, one quickly surrenders one's reservations in favour of a rollicking romp."[27]

Music

Amar Akbar Anthony
Soundtrack album by
Released7 January 1977
GenreFeature Film Soundtrack
LabelUniversal Music India
ProducerManmohan Desai

Amar Akbar Anthony's soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, with lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi. It proved as popular and successful as the film itself.[citation needed] The vinyl record, released on Polydor, was the first LP that was coloured pink.[citation needed]

Some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry of the time provided vocals for the songs:

The song "Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyar" is notable for bringing Mukesh, Rafi, Kumar and Mangeshkar together for the first and only occasion in their careers.[13] The film also features a comical filmi qawwali entitled "Parda Hai Parda" sung by Rafi,[28] with a single line (for Bachchan) supplied by an uncredited Amit Kumar.[29]

Original tracklist[30][31]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Ye Sach Hai Koi Kahani Nahin"Mohammed Rafi2:22
2."Amar Akbar Anthony"Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, Shailendra Singh5:52
3."Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyar"Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh7:33
4."Taiyabali Pyar Ka Dushman"Mohammed Rafi4:40
5."Parda Hai Parda"Mohammed Rafi7:59
6."Shirdi Wale Sai Baba"Mohammed Rafi5:52
7."My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves"Kishore Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan5:32

Release

The Emergency Period delayed the release of several of Manmohan Desai's films. As a result, four of Desai's films, Dharam Veer, Chacha Bhatija, Parvarish, and Amar Akbar Anthony, were released in 1977.[32][33] Incidentally, all of these would be amongst the top-grossing films of the year.[3]

Marketing

For the film's marketing, erasers with the images of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan were sold to students.[34] Posters, postcards, and song booklets of the film were sold in shops.[citation needed] Colourful vests and metal crosses that were similar to the ones worn by Bachchan in the film achieved popularity.[citation needed]

Reception

The film grossed ₹155 million (US$17.69 million) at the Indian box office and was the highest-grossing Bollywood film at the Indian Box Office for the year 1977.[3] It has since been regarded as one of the most iconic films of Indian cinema.[35]

Adjusted for inflation, the film has grossed approximately ₹423 crores ($51 million) as of 2023.

Accolades

In 2023, Time Out ranked it #10 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."[36]

Award Category Recipients and Nominees Results
25th Filmfare Awards Best Actor Amitabh Bachchan Won
Best Music Director Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Best Editing Kamlakar Karkhanis
Best Film Manmohan Desai Nominated
Best Director
Best Lyricist Anand Bakshi for "Parda Hai Parda"
Best Male Playback Singer Mohammed Rafi for "Parda Hai Parda"

Bibliography

  • Booth, Gregory D. (2008). Behind the curtain: Making music in Mumbai's film studios. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-971665-4.
  • Elison, William; Novetzke, Christian Lee; Rotman, Andy (2016). Amar Akbar Anthony: Bollywood, brotherhood, and the nation. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674504486.
  • Haham, Connie (2006). Enchantment of the mind: Manmohan Desai's films. Roli Books. ISBN 978-81-7436-431-9.

Further reading

References

  1. ^ Sadana, Rashmi (2 February 2012). English Heart, Hindi Heartland: The Political Life of Literature in India. University of California Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-520-26957-6. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  2. ^ Elison, William (4 January 2016). Amar Akbar Anthony: Bollywood, Brotherhood, and the Nation. Harvard University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-674-49599-9. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Box office 1977". Box Office India. 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  4. ^ Dwyer, Rachel (2005). 100 Bollywood films. Lotus Collection, Roli Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-81-7436-433-3. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016.
  5. ^ Sharma, Devansh (2 November 2018). "Yaadon Ki Baaraat: Nasir Hussain's 1973 potboiler initiated Hindi cinema's transformation into 'Bollywood'". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  6. ^ Manwani, Akshay (8 January 2018). "Yaadon Ki Baaraat: The quintessential bollywood film". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  7. ^ ET Bureau (20 September 2008). "Transcending language barrier". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  8. ^ Rabe, Nate (2 September 2017). "Sounds of Lollywood: The big difference between 'Amar Akbar Anthony' and its Pakistani rip-off". Scroll. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  9. ^ Heyman, Michael; Satpathy, Sumanyu; Ravishankar, Anushka (2007). The tenth rasa: An anthology of Indian nonsense. Penguin Books India. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-14-310086-7. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014.
  10. ^ Dasgupta, Rohit K.; Datta, Sangeeta (2019). 100 essential Indian films. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 6. ISBN 9781442277984. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Talash". Pakistan Film Magazine. n.d. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Excerpt: Amar Akbar Anthony". Mint. 3 August 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  13. ^ a b c d e Roy, Gitanjali (8 May 2013). "10 things you didn't know about Amar Akbar Anthony". NDTV Movies. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  14. ^ Booth, p. 3
  15. ^ Booth, p. 5
  16. ^ San Miguel, Helio (2012). Mumbai. World Film Locations. Intellect Books. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-84150-632-6.
  17. ^ Mohamed, Khalid (31 January 2018). "Muslims in the movies: The good, the bad, and the Khilji". The Quint. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  18. ^ a b Virdi, Jyotika (2003). The cinematic imagiNation: Indian popular films as social history. Rutgers University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-8135-3191-5.
  19. ^ a b Kavoori, Anandam P.; Punathambekar, Aswin (2008). Global Bollywood. NYU Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-8147-2944-1.
  20. ^ Lutgendorf, Philip (2014). "Amar Akbar Anthony". Indian cinema. University of Iowa. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  21. ^ Mishra, Vijay (2013). Bollywood cinema: Temples of desire. Routledge. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-135-31099-8.
  22. ^ Damsteegt, Theo, ed. (2003). Heroes and heritage: The protagonist in Indian literature and film. Leiden University. p. 217. ISBN 978-90-5789-090-1.
  23. ^ Nochimson, Martha P. (23 September 2011). World on film: An introduction. John Wiley & Sons. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-4443-5833-9.
  24. ^ Varia, Kush (2013). Bollywood: Gods, glamour, and gossip. Columbia University Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-231-50260-3.
  25. ^ Dickson, Andrew (2016). Worlds elsewhere: Journeys around Shakespeare's globe. Henry Holt and Company. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-8050-9735-1. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  26. ^ Breckenridge, Carol A., ed. (1995). Consuming modernity: Public culture in a South Asian world. University of Minnesota Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-8166-2305-1.
  27. ^ Raheja, Dinesh (22 March 2003). "Amar Akbar Anthony: Whoop-it-up fun!". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  28. ^ Morcom, Anna (1 January 2007). Hindi film songs and the cinema. Ashgate Publishing. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-7546-5198-7. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016.
  29. ^ Diptakirti Chaudhuri, "Bollygeek: The Crazy Trivia Guide to Bollywood", Hachette India, 2021.
  30. ^ "Amar Akbar Anthony (Original motion picture soundtrack)". Apple Inc. January 1981. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  31. ^ "Amar, Akbar, and Anthony soundtrack credits". IMDb. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  32. ^ Whitener, Brian (2007). "Amar Akbar Anthony". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  33. ^ Ganti, Tejaswini (5 March 2013). Bollywood: A guidebook to popular Hindi cinema. Routledge. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-415-58384-8.
  34. ^ "100 Filmfare Days: 49- Amar Akbar Anthony". Filmfare. 10 June 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  35. ^ "70 iconic films of Indian cinema". Mint. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  36. ^ "The 100 best Bollywood movies". Time Out. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

External links

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Films directed by Manmohan Desai