Amar Akbar Anthony (1998 Film)

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language masala film directed and produced by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. Released in India on 27 May 1977, the film stars an ensemble cast of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Neetu Singh, Parveen Babi, Shabana Azmi, Nirupa Roy and Pran. The plot focuses on three brothers separated in childhood who are adopted by families of different faiths; Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. They grow up to be a police officer, a qawwali singer and the owner of a country bar, respectively.

The soundtrack album was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi. The film was released on 27 May 1977 and earned at the Indian box office, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of that year, alongside '' Dharam Veer'' and ''Hum Kisise Kum Naheen''.

Religious tolerance became a landmark theme in Bollywood masala films, building on the masala formula pioneered a few years earlier by Nasir Hussain's '' Yaadon Ki Baaraat'' (1973). ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' also had a lasting impact on pop culture with its catchy songs, quotable one-liners, and the character of Anthony Gonsalves (played by Bachchan). It won several awards at the 25th Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor, Best Music Director and Best Editing. It was later remade in Tamil as ''Shankar Salim Simon'' (1978), in Telugu as ''Ram Robert Rahim'' (1980), and in Malayalam as ''John Jaffer Janardhanan'' (1982). In Pakistan, the film was unofficially remade in Punjabi as ''Akbar Amar Anthony'' (1978).

Plot

The story revolves around three brothers - Amar (Vinod Khanna), Akbar (Rishi Kapoor), and Anthony (Amitabh Bachchan) - who are separated in their childhood during a family crisis. Each brother is raised in a different religious community: Amar is raised by a Hindu policeman, Akbar by a Muslim tailor, and Anthony by a Christian priest.

The narrative takes a comedic and dramatic turn when circumstances bring the three brothers together as adults, unbeknownst to their real identities. The film explores their individual struggles, adventures, and romantic pursuits, all while maintaining a light-hearted and entertaining tone.

As the story unfolds, the brothers face various challenges, including mistaken identities, hilarious situations, and conflicts. The film is known for its catchy music, including the popular song "My Name is Anthony Gonsalves." In the end, the brothers discover their true identities, and the movie concludes with a celebration of family unity, religious harmony, and the triumph of love over adversity.

Cast

Main

* Vinod Khanna as Amar Khanna, the eldest
* Rishi Kapoor as Akbar Ilahabadi, the youngest
* Amitabh Bachchan as Anthony Gonsalves, the middle one
* Neetu Singh as Salma
* Parveen Babi as Jenny
* Shabana Azmi as Lakshmi
* Nirupa Roy as Bharati
* Pran as Kishanlal

Supporting

* Jeevan as Robert
* Yusuf Khan as Zebisco (Jenny's bodyguard)
* Mukri as Taiyyab Ali (Salma's father)
* Nazir Hussain as Father Gonsalves (Anthony's adoptive father)
* Kamal Kapoor as Superintendent Khanna (Amar's adoptive father)
* Hercules
* Shivraj as Mr. Ilahabadi (Akbar's adoptive father)
* Prathima Devi as Lakshmi's grandmother
* Moolchand as Pedro (Robert's friend)

Special appearance

* Helen as Fake Jenny
* Nadira as Lakshmi's stepmother
* Madhumati
* Ranjeet as Ranjeet (Lakshmi's stepbrother)

Production

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' has a cinematic antecedent in Yash Chopra's 1965 film '' Waqt'', in which a father's three sons are separated from each other. ''Waqt'' also inspired the 1976 super-hit diamond jubilee Pakistani film '' Talash'', starring Shabnam and Nadeem. However, ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was slated to release in 1975, prior to ''Talashs release.

Prayag Raj wrote the film's screenplay, while Kader Khan wrote the dialogue.

The character of Anthony Gonsalves was named after the famous composer and teacher of the same name, whose pupils included Pyarelal (of Laxmikant–Pyarelal, the composer duo of the film) and R. D. Burman. Booth, p. 3 Director Manmohan Desai had planned for Amitabh's character to be named “Anthony Fernandes,” with Bakshi's song entitled “My Name is Anthony Fernandes.” However, the song didn't go well with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Composer Pyarelal then recalled his famous violin teacher and suggested that the character's last name be changed to “Gonsalves.” Booth, p. 5 The nonsensical monologue preceding the "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" sequence was taken in part from a 1878 speech by British politician Benjamin Disraeli in reference to W. E. Gladstone.

Filming

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was Manmohan Desai's first film as an independent film producer. The film was shot over a month at Ranjit Studios in Mumbai. Some exterior and interior shots were filmed at the Mount Mary Church in Bandra, Mumbai and at the Don Bosco School, Wadala, Mumbai respectively. Shooting was scheduled so that the entire cast didn't have to appear together except for the climactic sequence and the title song ("Anhoni Ko Honi"), where they all perform as a group. However, the shooting went over schedule, which required Rishi Kapoor and Shabana Azmi to shoot their scenes separately so they could leave towards the end of production to work on other films.

Analysis

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' incorporates a strong element of secularism within a Bollywood masala film. Analysts such as Virdi (2003) and Kavoori & Punathambekar (2008) opine that the themes of Desai's "magnum opus" include religious pluralism and secular nationalism. Philip Lutgendorf hints that the separation of the three children on Indian Independence Day is akin to the Partition of India. Similarly, Vijay Mishra (2013) argues that the film reaffirmed India's "liberal ethos."
The three religions represented by the titular characters are the "pillars of the nation:" when they work together, they can restore life to their mother (represented when they donate blood during the opening title sequence) and beat any evil (symbolised by their common villain). The characters' reunion with their parents completes the nationalistic allegory, suggesting that what was lost at independence can be regained.

The film's masala style is evident in its plot and characters. According to Varia (2013), ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was conceived as a tragedy but later incorporated many other genres. Dickson (2016) commented that the film featured a plot which would "give even Shakespeare migraines." Some authors also highlight the archetypal character of the suffering and self-sacrificing mother (Roy). However, Dinesh Raheja concludes that "ultimately, the show belongs to Amitabh Bachchan. In a tailor-made role, he has the audience in stitches. Despite his playing an implausible character, one quickly surrenders one's reservations in favour of a rollicking romp."

Music

''Amar Akbar Anthony''s soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, with lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi. It proved as popular and successful as the film itself. The vinyl record, released on Polydor, was the first LP that was coloured pink.

Some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry of the time provided vocals for the film's songs. Four leading playback singers Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh, sang together for the first and only occasion in their careers on "Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyar." In this song Kishore sang for Amitabh Bachchan, Rafi sang for Rishi Kapoor, Mukesh for Vinod Khanna while Mangeshkar sang for Shabana Azmi, Neetu Singh, and Parveen Babi. The film also features a comical ''filmi qawwali'' entitled "Parda Hai Parda" ("There Is a Veil"), sung by Rafi. Other musical legends who worked on the film include Mahendra Kapoor and Shailendra Singh.

Release

The Emergency Period delayed the release of several of Manmohan Desai's films. As a result, four of Desai's films, '' Dharam Veer'', '' Chacha Bhatija'', '' Parvarish,'' and ''Amar Akbar Anthony'', were released in 1977. Incidentally, all of these would be amongst the top-grossing films of the year.

Marketing

For the film's marketing, erasers with the images of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan were sold to students. Posters, postcards, and song booklets of the film were sold in shops. Colorful vests and metal crosses that were similar to the ones worn by Bachchan in the film achieved popularity.

Reception

The film grossed at the Indian box office and was the highest-grossing Bollywood film at the Indian Box Office for the year 1977. It has since been regarded as one of the most iconic films of Indian cinema.

Adjusted for inflation, the film has grossed approximately 423 crores ($51 million) as of 2023.

Accolades

In 2023, Time Out ranked it #10 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."

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References

External links

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{{Manmohan Desai

1970s Hindi-language films
1970s Indian films
1970s masala films
1977 films
Films about organised crime in India
Films directed by Manmohan Desai
Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Films set in Mumbai
Films shot in Mumbai
Hindi films remade in other languages
Secularism in India