Manmohan Desai's birth anniversary: His notable films with Amitabh Bachchan
One of the most important figures of Hindi cinema, Manmohan Desai is touted as one of the trailblazers of masala films and masterfully sculpted several classics. His films were hugely entertaining and truly timeless, brimming with the quintessential Hindustani flavor. Of the several actors he collaborated with, his work with Amitabh Bachchan remains extra special. On Desai's birth anniversary, check out their best collaborations.
'Amar Akbar Anthony' (1977)
Despite its narrative loopholes and logical fallacies, Amar Akbar Anthony had a clear goal in mind: to impart a lesson in secularism while also raising the entertainment quotient to the T. Bachchan essayed the titular Anthony, while Amar and Akbar were played by Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor, respectively. A film that's aged extremely well, it also starred Neetu Singh, Shabana Azmi, and Pran.
'Naseeb' (1981)
Humming Mere Naseeb Mein already? Naseeb is best remembered for Bachchan's dance on John Jani Janardan, which featured unprecedented, iconic cameos by a plethora of stars such as Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, and Sharmila Tagore, among others. As the story goes, this inspired Farah Khan, who recreated this in Deewangi Deewangi (Om Shanti Om). Desai was ahead of his time, and how!
'Coolie' (1983)
IMDb describes Coolie as, "When Iqbal gets separated from his mother and brother by a flood, he becomes a coolie at Mumbai railway station. He then fights for the coolies rights and faces challenges from a businessman." During a critical fight scene, Bachchan was gravely injured but recovered a few days later, miraculously scoring an edge over his comatose-like situation. It co-starred Rati Agnihotri.
'Mard' (1985)
One of the many game-changers in Bachchan's inimitable career, Mard featured Amrita Singh, Dara Singh, Nirupa Roy, and Prem Chopra, among others. Also among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 1985, made popular through its song Mard Tangewala, it was later remade into Tamil as Maaveeran (1986). Set against the backdrop of colonial India, it is now available for streaming on ZEE5 and YouTube.
