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Rachel Dwyer profile coming soon. From "Indian Cinema: The Visual Culture of Hindi Film" The major star of Hindi cinema is undoubtedly Amitabh Bachchan, who, although one of the most famous men in the world and a major international icon, is hardly known in Europe and North America outside the South Asian communities. He emerged as India's undisputed top star from the early 1970s, subsequently winning popularity polls as the star of the year, even in years when he did not have a film released. Born into an elite family and a childhood friend of the Nehru-Gandhis, Amitabh's first major successes were in middle-class cinema where he established himself as a fine actor. His greatest role was one he played in many films of the 1970s, that of the angry young man or 'industrial hero', introducing a new physically and style to Hindi cinema, using his tall, long-limbed body and deep voice to great effect. A typical version of his role appears in "Deewaar ("the Wall", directed by Yash Chopra, 1975) When Vijay (Amitabh) is a child his family is wronged by society and, after the father deserts them, they come to the city. As an outsider he finds that he can support his mother and educate his younger brother by taking to crime. When they discover the source of his money, they argue that he must uphold the law, embodied in the film by his younger brother, now a policeman, who ultimately has to kill him in a shoot-out. Vijay dies in his mother's arms in front of a temple. Clearly this character has the makings of a folk hero, supporting traditional values relating to religion and , in particular, to the family. Often an orphan, he criticizes the 'system' or the state, fighting for righteous causes from outside its sphere of operation. There is no doubt that he is on the side of Right, but these values conflict with those of the state and to resolve these he has to doe, adding martyrdom to his cause...
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Rachel Dwyer is a Senior Lecturer in Indian Studies,ÊDepartment of Languages and Cultures of South Asia at the University of London. She has written a number of books on Indian cinema including; "Cinema India", Mother India", "Yash Chopra", and "All you Need is Money, All you Want is Love: Sex and Romance in Modern India" Link: Rachel Dwyer home page http://racheldwyer.com/ Books:
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