Baghban

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Back in 1937, Hollywood made a film that is today considered a real classic...though in it's time it was seen more as a little, lower budgeted picture. "Make Way for Tomorrow" is a tragic story about a husband and wife who have worked their entire lives for their children...only to find that the kids aren't there for them when they get old. It's a truly heartbreaking film to watch yet really works because of the amazing story as well as the direction by Leo McCarey--one of the great directors of his time. Well, Bollywood often remakes classic or contemporary Hollywood films and "Baghban" is no different--adding the usual Bollywood music and style to the terrific and sad tale of two parents with ungrateful children. When the film begins, the Molhatras are celebrating their 40th anniversary. All their friends and most of their family (their adopted son is abroad working and '''studying) come and they do what every Indian family apparently does (at least in Indian films), they have a giant song and dance-filled night. It culminates with one of their four grown sons asking to borrow some money--and Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) very generously gives it to him. After all, he's their father and for decades he's been giving his boys everything he and his wife, Pooja (Hema Malini), have. Despite the Molhatras being so generous, or, perhaps because of it, this soon spells trouble. Raj is about to retire and he simply assumes like the average Indian that his kids will quickly offer to have he and Pooja move in with them. The problems are that they have never really saved up for retirement and they cannot keep going on has they have...and the boys are ungrateful wretches. Each has an excuse for not taking in the parents and they offer a lousy option instead--each parent can move in with one of them...separately! So what's next in this sad film? After all, you learn all this only halfway into this picture. What of the Molhatras and what of their brats? Well, in the Hollywood film, it pretty much ends here...so it's up to you to see how the two films differ. One of the biggest and most obvious difference, apart from all the song and dance numbers, was the choice of stars. Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini) look amazingly young...perhaps too young. By contrast, victor Moore and Beulah Bondi LOOKED very old in the Hollywood film--- though Bondi and Moore were actually close to the same age (and Bondi was the youngest of all). This is because the Hollywood actors were made to look as plain and simple as possible-- whereas Malini and Bachchan were still very beautiful people. I'm 51 and would LOVE to look as youthful as they do here in "Baghban"! I think using B-list actors like Moore and Bondi actually worked better in making the couple seem realistic and believable. But to me, THE biggest difference overall was the second half of the film. The original story simply stopped with the oldsters having their lives torn apart...no happy ending, that's for sure. But in the Bollywood version they did what most Bollywood films do...end with everyone happy and the story neatly tied up in a way that is satisfying but completely unrealistic. I liked this film but having seen the original, I can see that it's only a pale imitation in many ways.

OMG, what a terrible movie! I could never imagine the great actor would have signed up to play this father/husband/grand father/retiree role, because the screenplay is so bad, so phony and the director of this movie, in my opinion, should be banned from directing any movie from 2003. Yes, that's how bad this movie is. I just don't know how could this poor screenplay would be made into movie. From the very beginning, the loving husband and loving wife were so poorly acted and performed as a couple. All the scenes from the very beginning were just so overdone and so pretentious. All the characters, old or young, male or female, were just thoroughly ruined by this pathetic screenplay and the director. This is the first Bollywood movie that has made our watching a complete disgusting experience. It's more like a typical Korean TV drama, everybody had to murmur to herself or himself, with exaggerated gestures, expressions. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the greatest Hindi actors, maybe the best of the bests, a Hindi Clark Gable + Gary Cooper + Marlon Brando, but...

Being one of the first Indian movies I have ever watched, I didn't know what to expect.I have to admit I was enchanted and awed beyond my expectation by the way the brilliant storyline, the excellent acting by Amitabh, Hema and the others, plus the superb editing and production combined, to create the most near perfect film that not only Indian families can relate to but every family from every culture, race and nation, which is excellent in itself.I cried like a baby! Indian movies have a new big fan in me because of this excellent production, Baghban. The main focus of the story line centred around an elderly couple and the manner in which situations faced by elderly people nowadays and experienced everywhere in the world were presented touched me deeply. Great piece of work!

this movie is very emotional....children should learn to give love for their parents and not separate them. "Parents are not the ladders to children to grow up but are roots of children's success" these are small things which often neglected ...in the movie the children separate the parents and at the age where they need love they are denied...righteously they deserve the punishment... Amitabh and Hema Malini excelled in their respective roles and emotions shown by them were able to bring tears in my eyes, especially when they are separated. Baghban, should be shown to every child to let them know the value of parents.

Two days ago I got a chance to watch this movie on Cable (TV-Asia). I have been very disturbed since then. The movie "Baghban" has been very successful in portraying only one side of the real life. It is highly partial towards parents. Have you ever thought of other side (kids)?? There are few parents in this world who just give birth to their kids but don't give right parental care. I am a victim of that. Why do you (parents) want to have 5 kids in your life if you are merely making only Rs 2000 per month? I was made to work on streets along with my siblings. I have no idea how I managed to reach IIT from there. It has been a long time since then but still I don't believe. Now I am a research scientist here in USA. I have provided all the necessities to my parents along with care by my two brothers who stay along with them. They could not provide basic things to us when we were kids. I find this movie very resentful. Its very partial. It has hurt my sentiments very deeply. I strongly urge the producer/director of this movie to look at the Indian society in other point of view also and make another movie. I can be reached at john_simension@yahoo.com