From ‘Angry Young Man’ to ‘Benevolent Patriarch’: Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood stardom and the remaking of post-liberalization India

ABSTRACT

For popular Hindi cinema’s aficionados, the cinematic idiom’s male protagonist, the Hindi film hero, is perceived as emblematic of the nation’s travails and aspirations. Subsequently, this magnifies the role of the Bollywood male star who with his hyper-virile masculinity, is often employed to the task of articulating questions of national and cultural identity. As the seventies’ iconic ‘Angry Young Man,’ Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan echoed the frustration of a nation battling political ineptitude, corruption and the demise of Nehruvian socialism. However, with the recent reinvention of his star persona, from the erstwhile ‘Angry Young Man’ to what I term as the ‘Benevolent Patriarch,’ Bachchan signifies millennial India’s avowed espousal of neo-liberalism. Employing a detailed analysis of Amitabh Bachchan’s star text, not only as a cinematic icon, but also, his recent avatar as a television host, consummate brand endorser and social media personality, I examine how the shift in his star discourse underlines issues of gender, class and national identity, particularly in the context of the shift from socialist ideals to consumerist aspirations. In doing so, I also contextualize the changing dynamics of contemporary Indian mediascape, with increasing synergy between film, television and digital media, thus engendering in the process, the transformation of the Bollywood star from a movie idol to a transmedia celebrity.

KEYWORDS:

• Amitabh Bachchan
• Bollywood
• stardom
• transmedia celebrity

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. I had employed the term, ‘Benevolent Patriarch,’ in a previous publication – ‘“The Show of the Millennium”: Screening the big-money quiz show and the Bollywood superstar,’ South Asian History and Culture 3.4 (2012) – where I discuss the success of Kaun Banega Crorepati, how it resonated with the nineties’ economic liberalization policies and Amitabh Bachchan’s star persona. The focus of the paper was primarily on the popularity of the big-money quiz show (as opposed to the earlier educational formats) and Bachchan’s role in legitimizing the appeal. The paper did not examine the other aspects of Amitabh Bachchan’s new, reinvented image – his recent film roles, endorsements and social media engagement.

2. Vijay was Amitabh Bachchan’s most famous screen name during his ‘Angry Young Man’ years. In a span of sixteen years (1975–1991), Bachchan appeared in fourteen films as ‘Vijay,’ some of them his classic hits, thus making it his most memorable screen moniker.

3. Bachchan and Nanda, Koffee with Karan, Star World. 26 December 2010.

4. Bachchan and Bachchan, Koffee with Karan, Star World. 7 January 2005.

5. Sen, Interview. Conducted by Sreya Mitra, 21 July 2010.

6. Koffee with Karan, Star World. Telecast date: 7 January 2005.

7. Ali, Interview. Conducted by Sreya Mitra, 19 July 2010.

8. The term ‘darshan,’ in Hindu religion and philosophy, refers to the practice of beholding or sighting of a deity/revered person by devotees. Considered highly auspicious, it is regarded a reciprocal event, with the devotees receiving ‘blessing’ by the deity.

9. The ‘India Poised’ campaign was launched by the Times of India (TOI) Group of publications to commemorate India’s christening of 2007 as the ‘Year of India.’

Additional information

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Sreya Mitra

Sreya Mitra is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mass Communication, American University of Sharjah, UAE. Her research focuses on popular Indian cinema and television, stardom, globalization and culture industries. She has presented her research at various international conferences and her work been published in edited anthologies and peer-reviewed journals.