Baghban (2003 film)


Baghban is a 2003 Indian Hindi drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, featuring Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles andSalman Khan in a special appearance. Aman Verma, Samir Soni, Saahil Chadha and Nasir Khan portray Bachchan and Malini's four sons. Mahima Chaudhry, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen and Lilette Dubey are featured in important supporting roles.
It is based on Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 classic Tokyo Story, which was itself a loose adaptation of Leo McCarey's Make Way for Tomorrow.
The film was critically acclaimed, especially for the on-screen chemistry between Bachchan and Malini who came together 20 years after Nastik. Their performances in the film were highly lauded. It was remade in Kannada as Ee Bandhana in 2007.

Plot

The movie tells the story of Pooja Malhotra, her husband Raj, and their four sons Ajay, Sanjay, Rohit, and Karan. The couple has provided their children with everything, often at the cost of Pooja’s and Raj’s own requirements. The Malhotras have an adopted son Alok, who is in love with Arpita. Alok was an orphan and Raj provided him with money and education, bringing him up as his own son. Now a successful man, Alok worships Raj because of all his help and thinks of him as his father.
An elderly couple wish their children to care for them in their old age. But their children see and treat them as a burden, and they must struggle to regain their worth and dignity to themselves and others.
Raj has a flourishing job. But, once he retires, he is unable to support himself and has to vacate the house he and Pooja have shared for years. They decide to live with their kids to enjoy their love and affection. However, their kids do not want them. The children decide to split the parents up, each parent going to live with one of the sons for the next six months. The children think their parents will refuse the offer and therefore, they will remain in their home. However, the parents reluctantly accept the offer.
The parents endure this separation as well as horrible treatment from their children, after all they have sacrificed for them. Their grandson, Rahul, is the only one who gives Raj love and affection. Saddened by the treatment he has received from his children and their families, Raj writes down his feelings about how he fulfilled his children's dreams and, in return, how they treat him, as well as his love for his wife, and how much pain their separation has caused. His writing eventually becomes a novel. Pooja, meanwhile, endures abuse from her son and daughter-in-law, as well as her granddaughter, Payal. Payal, though, realizes her mistake when Pooja saves her from her boyfriend's sexual advances and nurtures Pooja with love.
While changing their trains after six months, Pooja and Raj spend some time together in Vijaynagar. There they suddenly meet Alok, who takes them to his home and gives them the importance and care which their real sons did not. Raj finds out that his writing has become a published book named Baghban. This book becomes a big hit, selling the first copies immediately. Raj, as a result, gains the money he needs to support himself and Pooja in their old age. Their sons ask their parents for forgiveness to achieve this end. Payal and Rahul, though, realize their true motives and refuse to come with their parents. Raj is honored for his work, and the four sons attend with their wives. But when they ask Pooja and Raj to forgive them, they instead refuse and disown them for the pain their sons have put them through.

Cast

According to film expert Rajesh Subramanian, B. R. Chopra had planned to make this movie in the mid-eighties, with Dilip Kumar and Raakhee in the lead roles.
Mohnish Behl was offered Aman Verma's role; he did not accept it because he did not want to be portrayed as the father of a 15-year-old girl. Juhi Chawla was selected for the role of Salman Khan's wife but could not accept because of her pregnancy. Shah Rukh Khan was offered the role played by Salman Khan. Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini were paired opposite each other 20 years after Nastik in 1983.
Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan were also offered Salman Khan's role in the film.
Amitabh Bachchan sang three songs himself.
Baghban was the last unofficial partnership between the legendary Salim-Javed screenwriter duo, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Amitabh Bachchan requested that Javed Akhtar write his final speech in the movie. Salman Khan, requested his father Salim Khan to write his speech in the movie. Neither Salim Khan nor Javed Akhtar were credited.
Ravi Chopra, the director of the film, denied that this was a remake of the Rajesh Khanna-Shabana Azmi starrer Avtaar. He said that the plot of that film was about a father seeking revenge on his children while this film just focused on the bond between an old couple. He also commented that just because this film is based on family relations they are comparing it to Avtaar. He said that just because a story revolves around the same relationship it doesn't make it alike as films can explore different aspects of that same relationship.

Reception

Baghban was premiered at the Leeds International Film Festival, England. It was critically acclaimed and went on to become one of Chopra's biggest hits. The film received an award at the EMVIE 2004 for best media innovation, cinema for the in-film placement of the ICICI group done by Group M.
As per Filmfare, Baghban was made at a budget of and made a domestic collections of while it fetched from overseas market.

Awards and nominations

5th IIFA Awards
Lyrics are penned by Sameer and Hasan Kamaal. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 14,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's ninth highest-selling.

Track listing