SYDNEY, 10 May 2023: In celebration of Indian screen legend Amitabh Bachchan’s 80th birthday last year, the Sydney Film Festival (SFF), 7-18 June 2023, presents a remarkable retrospective of his classic films curated and restored by the Film Heritage Foundation. This exciting news for the Indian and South Asian communities in Australia was revealed in a media release of the 70th SFF, announcing the full program of the film festival today. The four movies from the 70s are Amitabh Bachchan’s all-time hits.
The SFF has selected four titles from the ‘Bachchan Back to the Beginning’ program to screen at this year’s Festival: Deewaar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don and Kaala Patthar. Each film showcases the essence of Hindi cinema at its finest, blending action, melodrama, and life-affirming musical numbers that have become synonymous with the industry.
Amar Akbar Antony, 1977, India, 175 minutes, M
1978 Filmfare Awards: Winner Best Actor (Amitabh Bachchan); Winner Best Musical Director (Laxmikant–Pyarelal).
SAT 10 JUN; 10:15AM; Art Gallery of New South Wales; SUN 11 JUN; 1 PM; Casula Powerhouse
Kaala Patthar; Directed by Yash Chopra; 1979; India; 171 minutes; PG
Bachchan is Vijay, a disgraced sea captain who once abandoned a sinking ship, leaving hundreds to die. Shattered by guilt and shame, he now works in a notoriously deadly coal mine. Though indifferent to the danger to himself, he looks out for his fellow workers and the residents of the mining town – and kindles a flame with the town’s doctor (Rakhee Gulzar). Shashi Kapoor co-stars as a rabble-rousing engineer who organises the miners against their predatory boss (Prem Chopra). When the boss’s rapacious greed leads to disaster, Vijay’s heroics give him a shot at redemption. The screenplay’s unabashed anticapitalism and focus on the power of collective action delivers an underdog story that audiences can root for. Nominated for eight Filmfare Awards in 1980.
DEEWAAR; Directed by Yash Chopra; 1975; India; 165 minutes; Unclassified 15+
- PROGRAM STRAND: Amitabh Bachchan Retrospective; YEAR 1975; CLASSIFICATION Unclassified 15+; COUNTRY India; LANGUAGE In Hindi with English subtitles; DIRECTOR Yash Chopra;
- PRODUCER Gulshan Rai; CAST Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy; SCREENWRITERS Salim Khan, Javed Akhtar; CINEMATOGRAPHER Kay Gee; EDITOR T.R. Mangeshkar, Pran Mehra; GENRE Music, Crime, Retrospective, Indian subcontinent; COMPANY CREDITS Restored digital print provided by Film Heritage Foundation.
DON; Directed by Chandra Barot; 1978; India; 166 minutes; M;
The influence of Blaxploitation flicks is apparent in this stylish thriller, with its funky soundtrack, delightful ’70s fashions and tangled undercover capers. When notoriously cold-blooded crime boss Don is killed in a police chase, DSP D’Silva (Iftekhar) schemes to cover it up, drafting the hapless Vijay, a humble migrant from the country who happens to look exactly like Don, as an undercover agent. Vijay’s dangerous mission is to pass as Don and bust his international cartel. In a feminist twist, Zeenat Aman defies stereotypes as a deadly interloper out to avenge her brother’s murder. Tensions between rich and poor in contemporary Mumbai provide rich subtext to the action, intrigue and fantastic musical numbers.
1979 Filmfare Awards: Winner Best Actor (Amitabh Bachchan); Winner Best Male Playback Singer (Kishore Kumar); Winner Best Female Playback Singer (Asha Bhosle)
