Make no mistake about it – Shamitabh is an out and out Amitabh Bachchan film. It pays homage to the superstar and salutes that deep timbre of his that most have been listening to for almost four decades. Even though he plays the underdog, Bachchan ends up stealing the spotlight and then some.
R Balki’s earlier films Cheeni Kum and Paa also starred Amitabh Bachchan and with this third venture the ad-maker-turned-film-director gives Bachchan a well-etched character in Amitabh Sinha, an aging, failed actor one drink short of being an alcoholic.
Bachchan for his part has a whale of a time raving and ranting, spouting self-referential dialogues, many monologues and is even game at poking fun at himself. Despite his unkempt appearance, he clearly relishes this chance to dig his teeth into a solid character after a long time.
But the story isn’t all about Bachchan. It is also about Bollywood, stardom and its hold on the common man. Danish (Dhanush) being the common man in question is a film-obsessed aspiring actor with raw talent to match his stardom dream with just one sticking point. He can’t speak. As fate (and script contrivances) would have it, he crosses path with Akshara (Akshara Haasan), an assistant director who recognises his potential and is willing to help.
Some Finnish wireless voice transmission technology (yes, as far-fetched as it sounds) later, and voila Danish has a voice box but still no voice to transmit.
Enter Amitabh’s deep bass. One nondisclosure agreement later, Shamitabh is born. His is a meteoric rise to success and while Shamitabh basks in the spotlight, Amitabh is left in the shadows. Egos, jealousies and rivalries rear their ugly heads and both of them have a falling out.
While Balki had a novel idea and some inspired moments – the seedy video parlour, cemetery location, Phantom cigarettes and Amitabh sitting around till the end titles of the film – were all nice touches. Though the film is slick and shiny, it is mostly a superficial look at stardom.
Along with crass product placement, the LifeBuoy movie concept and Piddly song reek of sophomoric humour at best. Unfortunately, even the other songs composed by South Indian maestro Ilaiyaraaja are forgettable.
Though there were some flashbacks in the story, the mostly linear narrative doesn’t allow for any dramatic moments. The film then ends up being long and unwieldy as well as overindulgent of its main star. Despite the attempt at poetic justice at the end, it ends up being manipulative and somewhat predictable pulling at our heartstrings.
Danush remains a confident presence, though his tendency towards histrionics in the portrayal of the mute Danish was rather melodramatic. There is also a disconnect between the voice and the man. I don’t think I got over the disconcerting feeling of hearing Amitabh’s recognisable baritone emanating from him. Akshara Haasan, however, pulls in an assured debut in her rather urbane, cool creative kid role.
It’s interesting that films such as Luck By Chance and now Shamitabh that attempt to examine the Bollywood industry always seek established actors to play failed ones, strengthening the premise that it’s not what you know, but who you know to get ahead in Bollywood.
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