Big B therapy

R Balakrishnan
National Creative Director, Lowe Lintas

We are a young country. 60% of us are below 30. And the man we all want to be like, talk like, walk like, dress like, watch, hear and have a deep connection with is 63. Amitabh Bachchan is blessed with eternal contemporariness.

It’s a quality that no Indian star, in the history of cinema has had so far. That’s why, however, hard the industry tries to crown him as a senior citizen with its liberal use of words like ‘legend’, ‘institution’, ‘ji’, etc, it just doesn’t seem to suit the man we all know so well. At 63, he is the coolest actor.

More chilled out than any 40ish, 30ish or 20ish star. At 63, he can effortlessly blank out the prettiest female co-star or any of our poll-proclaimed superstars in a flash when he comes on screen. At 63, he is still everybody’s biggest threat. At 63, he is the poster boy for millions of 18-year olds . At 63, he is by far our finest actor. Inexplicable for an industry that loves eras.

Amitabh Bachchan is quoted as the finest example of brand ‘reinvention’ by our strategists in the marketing fraternity. They all have their pre-KBC and post-KBC analysis. Strange, how they forget they gazed at the screen, spell-bound, for years. They forget Amitabh Bachchan went on a self-inflicted sabbatical.

They forget, when an audience is dying to see their favourite man back in action, all it needs is a half-decent project to make them give him a thumping welcome. Did KBC make the man or did the man make KBC? Silly question.

Amitabh Bachchan made KBC happen in style. Like he made a Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Trishul, Naseeb and hundreds of others. That’s why I keep saying Amitabh Bachchan is not an example of brand reinvention but is a brand that’s engineered the reinvention of two product categories: film and television.

I believe Amitabh Bachchan is the greatest actor this country has seen. Not because he can play a million characters, and transform himself completely each time. He is supreme because he makes the same thing so interesting again and again.

Amitabh Bachchan should be included immediately in the ‘endangered species’ list. And no effort should be spared in preserving this species. Only one left, ladies and gentlemen.

(Balakrishnan is currently directing Amitabh Bachchan in the film Chini Kam)