Amitabh Bachchan locked himself up for 15 hours for this 3-minute shot, and this scene, which transformed him into an angry young man, was whistled at.
Amitabh Bachchan is enshrined in golden letters in the history of Hindi cinema as the “Angry Young Man.”
Although romance reigned supreme in the 70s, one film the Prakash Mehra directorial “Zanjeer” gave Indian cinema a new hero in Amitabh Bachchan , one who fought the establishment and had fire in his eyes. This film made him an overnight superstar and Bollywood’s first “angry young man.” But portraying this image on screen wasn’t easy.
To bring that specific “anger” and “fierceness” to this 3-minute scene, Amitabh Bachchan locked himself in a room for 15 hours. He didn’t want to be distracted or lose the tension on his face amidst shoot. He didn’t speak or meet anyone in the midst of this time, so he could completely immerse himself in the frustration and anger of his character.
Amitabh knew this film was the last hope for his faltering career. Veteran filmmaker Prakash Mehra had given him complete freedom. When he emerged from the room after 15 hours, the redness in his eyes and the sternness on his face stunned everyone on set.
When the camera rolled and Amitabh kicked the chair, the shot was so perfect that even legendary actor
Pran was stunned. That single scene proved that Amitabh Bachchan was not just an actor, but a master performer. When audiences saw this scene in theaters, the halls reverberated with whistles and applause.
This marked the beginning of Amitabh Bachchan’s journey, one that transformed the course of Hindi cinema. It was the result of that 15-hour solitary labor that even today, 50 years later, that scene and that anger remain a school for every young actor. This film not only transformed his fortunes but also gave Bollywood its greatest superstar.
This is a scene from the film Zanjeer, which remains a cult favorite even today. In it, Amitabh Bachchan, playing Inspector Vijay, puts Sher Khan Pran, in his place at the police station. When Sher Khan pulls out a chair and tries to sit down, Amitabh kicks it down and says, “Stand like a gentleman until you’re told to sit down. This is a police station, not your father’s house!”
News Edit KV Raman
