Flashback Friday: Three stars who ruled Bollywood in the 70s

Individually, in their own distinct ways, they were the big bosses of Bollywood, dominating the film industry particularly during the 1970s. That was the decade when punch-'em-shoot-'em vendetta movies dislodged romance. And to this day, the trio continues to command a massive fan base.
I'm talking of Dharmendra who, at the age of 81 is the eldest of the troika; Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 75 next month; and Shatrughan Sinha, who's 71 now. Coincidentally, the three stay in well-appointed bungalows in Mumbai's Juhu-Vile Parle enclave, the address-to-go-to for show business toppers of the last millennium.
Another thread which binds them together in the public eye is that no one could carry out action sequences with the forceful impact that they had when anger (read violence, if you will) was being unbottled on the screen, particularly during the Emergency - 1975-77, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Curiously enough, the recent release Baadshaho, toplining Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi, backtracked to the time of the Emergency. And although Devgn is infallibly impressive as an action hero, the film (despite the use of new age digital technology), just doesn't bear comparison to the golden oldies. In fact, the Devgn heist drama revolving around a truckful of gold appropriated from the character of Maharani Gitanjali Devi - a harkback to the real-life Maharani Gayatri Devi - struck me as a hopelessly clumsy attempt to recreate a bygone era.
Be that as it may, the three combative heroes of the '70s are still in the fray. And it goes without saying that Amitabh Bachchan is still going extra-strong. Currently, his work itinerary is packed with an armful of projects, which have cast him in roles commensurate with his age. Count among them Umesh Shukla's family drama 102 Not Out, the YashRaj production Thugs of Hindostan (which has completed an extended stretch of filming in Malta), a cameo in R Balki's Padman, as well as pivotal parts in Shoojit Sircar's October and Kabir Khan's next film, both of which are currently at the pre-production stage.
Also, he's back in form in the trendsetting, television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati, in its ninth edition. While the patented Bachchan diction, the charismatic hosting style and sharply-cut outfits are impeccable as ever, the show isn't quite in the league of the earlier seasons. Perhaps the fault lies in the preponderance of questions that are obviously designed to endorse the government's policies as well as the substitution of that tension-fraught phone-a-friend helpline option with a video call, which comes off as quite contrived.
Dharmendra is not as active as his Sholay co-star Bachchan - whom he had recommended personally for the role of Jai to his Veeru in the big daddy of all blockbusters. Justly considered as one of the most drop-dead handsome heroes of his time, Dharmendra has had to contend with a bout of ailments and would often retreat to his farmhouse in the cool environs of the hilltown of Lonavla, a two-hour drive away from Mumbai. There, Indian cinema's quintessential man of muscles has been spending time writing Urdu poems, which he intends to incorporate in an autobiography.
The actor is shy of revealing details about the book, though. But he has come out of his shell, and is seen far more frequently at film events. Clearly, he's determined to keep the family banner - Vijayta Films - flying high, and will be seen in the company of his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, in Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se, the third instalment of the cross-generational comedy.
His grandson Karan Deol will be launched next year in the romance-centric drama Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. The title, apparently, is a reference to a song from Dharmendra's thriller Blackmail. Grandpa has said, "Sunny's son is confident. I want him to fly on the wings of that confidence. I have watched him ever since he was a child, always full of energy while running around the house. No one can stop him."
Dharmendra's tryst with politics, as an elected member of Parliament from Bikaner constituency, was shortlived. By contrast, Shatrughan Sinha is still entrenched in politics, despite differences with senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He travels constantly to New Delhi and back, presumably with the hope that he can return to the centre of power politics. His frank and forthright memoir Anything But Khamosh is ranked among the highest sellers from the Bollywood fold.
Lately, 'Shotgun' - his pet nickname - has announced that he will be returning to the cameras and lights, portraying a detective in a noir mystery titled Woh Aadmi Bahut Kuch Jaanta Tha. As for offers that have sought to cast him as the dad to his daughter Sonakshi Sinha, these have been politely declined so far. A livewire and a crowd-pleasing orator, he draws huge crowds whenever summoned to speak at public rallies and events.
That's the indefatigable threesome, then: still batting on the field, not out.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com