Amitabh Bachchan’s birthdays are no less important than any Indian festival. Back in 2017, when Mr Bachchan celebrated a landmark 75th birthday, Filmfare magazine dedicated a special issue in October to celebrate everything about the legend. In the dozen tributes, one was by Ramesh Sippy who has directed Mr Bachchan in classics like Sholay, Shakti and Shaan. Read on to see what Ramesh Sippy has to say about everything that makes Amitabh Bachchan the original GOAT.
When I signed Amitabh Bachchan for Sholay (1975), he was going through a lean phase. Salim Javed recommended him because they were working with him on Zanjeer (1973). I’d seen two of his films then. First, Anand (1971), where he stood his ground even though the accolades went to Rajesh Khanna. The other was Bombay To Goa (1972), which was shot in a bus. I felt if this tall gentleman could look so graceful in the space of a bus, he has to have a rhythm in him. If in Anand he was serious, here he was light-hearted. And he had carried off both – a serious and a comic role well. Jayaji (Bachchan) and he were a good combination to have. Little did we know that during the making of Sholay, his films Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975) would release and he’d become a superstar. Later, we went on to do Shaan (1980) and Shakti (1982). Shakti again was a difficult role for him because Dilip Kumar’s role had all the sympathy.
While he was the ‘angry young man’ playing his son. It was a tight-jacketed role with not much room for performance. And to stand in front of Dilip Kumar, without too many lines or expressions and to still convey the anger and pain within was difficult. The scene where his mother (Raakhee) dies and he comes and sits close to his father, touching him gently, without a word being spoken was wonderful. On the set, he was exceptionally observant. Yes, he’d be chatting with people but it would be around work. He’d stand in a corner and watch Dilip saab, a young Anil Kapoor… He’s not just an actor who emotes from his heart, he’s also a thinking actor. The knack of combining these two has helped him grow as an actor through the years. In fact, you cannot flaw his performance in any film. He’s a class unto himself. Our country is not short of fine actors but to stand amongst them and to stand above them… is a huge achievement. He’s unbelievably professional, probably the most disciplined actor we have. He will come on time, he will ask what’s to be done. He will have also done his homework. He’ll stick to work and not waste time, his or his producer’s. Till he has given his best, he won’t give up. He’s always ready for one more take. This combination of discipline, performance and understanding, you won’t find in anyone else. It would be wrong to say that he doesn’t lose his temper. But I love it when he does. It means something’s not right on the set. Something he needs is not there. Actors need respect. You must understand their need.
Few years back, I was appointed the Chairman of the National Awards jury. That year he won the National Award for Shoojit Sircar’s Piku (2015). It was by far the most eccentric yet tender performance I’d seen in a long time. His lips speak a rough language but his heart is full of the joy of living. He’s always cursing himself and everyone around him and yet you can’t help but love him. I was also the Chairman of the jury, when he received the National Award for Paa (2009). For Paa, it was also the make-up, sitting for five-six hours every day, to bring out the different stages of his character. And in spite of the prosthetics, his performance came through. There were arguments around that. The press in Delhi asked, “Don’t you think the makeup artist deserves the award more than Mr Bachchan?” I replied saying, “The makeup artist did get the award. But does that take away from what Mr Bachchan did? Could you or I give that performance with the make-up artist?” There was total silence. Recently, he inaugurated the Ramesh Sippy Film Academy, which we have started in Mumbai University.
I was touched by his readiness to do it. He did his bit gracefully and with lovely words for us all. My students asked whether he would come and lecture them sometimes. He said, “Main zaroor wapas aaoonga, student bankar!” He reads a lot; he watches films. His knowledge is extensive. He keeps himself well informed and that’s found in his tweets and on his blog. He’s been close to 50 years in the industry and yet he’s only looking ahead. We want him to carry on doing the wonderful work. I’m looking forward to doing something with him. I’m sure he will welcome me. He loves challenges after all. I’d like to congratulate Mr Amitabh Bachchan on his 75th birthday. It’s a distinctive achievement that at the age of 75, he’s still considered one of the topmost stars, besides being one of the best actors of all time.