Speaking of the Bachchans here's a link to Harivanshrai Bachchan's poem "Kya Karoon Samvedna Lekar Tumhari?" on Manish Kumar's blog. Makes me a strong believer in the supposition – however tentative, however flimsy – that talent can be passed on – not inherited, mind you – from an accomplished person to another. The way Amitabh writes has distinct overtones of deep introspection and sensitivity. Oh, I didn't mention sincerity and humbleness (humility?), which is why I admire him even more. Having a famous person in the family goes against the grain of mediocrity most of us fall into. But realizing the greatness of a person, his/her struggle to be recognized, be it an ancestor, a contemporary, is another matter altogether.
Amitabh had it in him. Jaya knew it; a few select people close to him knew it. His brooding "Angry young man" persona was actually real and character-based and not just superficial fluff, sported by most aspiring stars today. That's the reason he has managed to stay on top. Few other personalities come to mind: Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahni, and Raj Kapoor. Maybe, I should do a detailed study on them. How persona was shaped by personality, how character made them distinctive and distinguished.
More on this later. Watch dis space only, no? My friend Anthonybhai would say thusly, if he is reading this.
i agree with you. there must be something in the personality of actors which is reflected in their on-screen characters. the reflective and introspective dilip kumar even in the mischievious and jaunty roles broke through. so we had pensive shades to ram and shyam in "ram aur shyam", and who can forget the heartbreaking performance in "sangharsh" even though we have the bubbly song which has dilip kumar dancing! meena kumari's personal misery and nargis's dilemma in real life, allthere for everyone to see in rare glimpses.
ReplyDeleteso, i am watching dis space, too!