What made Zanjeer such a blockbuster despite the fact that odds were absolutely against it from the very start ? For starters it had Amitabh bachchan who had a made a name for himself then as a good character artist with films like anand and Reshma Aur Shera but had delivered 7 back to back flops as lead. The film was rejected by top stars like Dev Anand owing to the violent theme which supposedly did not work with an Indian Audience. Then what element in Zanjeer not only made it so successful but also started the rebellion movement in bollywood that was later capitalised by films like Yash Chopra's Deewar and Trishul ?.
Directed By Prakash Mehra Zanjeer is about Inspector Vijay (a name still associated with Mr Bachchan) and honest police officer with a volatile temper and a scarred past. His hard handed dealings lands him in an uncanny friendship with reformed criminal Sher Khan (Pran) and in the bad books of Criminal kingpin Teja. Vijay is framed on false charges and how he gets back at the villains forms the crux of the film.
On the outset 40 years down the line this seems done to death. but in 1973 where heroes were more bothered with their pairings and running around trees, Zanjeer became a breath of fresh air. What is most important is the political climate of India during that time. Economic growth was at an all time low and the average man was of no worth. Government was corrupt and power hungry and a state of emergency had drowned all hopes for the common man. In the midst of all this Vijay Khanna comes to screen with his furious temper and strict moral code and the common man had found his medium. Vijay Khanna became the symbol of revolt. The man who would fight the system to keep it intact and India had finally found a hero The smoldering look owing to Bachchan's amazing acting skills and that heavy baritone became iconic overnight. My father tells people would go upto Amitabh bachchan and aks him to repeat the scene where he thrws Sher Khan out of his office, All of it is proof that what the common man couldn't do in reality it wanted to see on the silver screen.
The iconic scene where Vijay Khanna tells Sher Khan " jab tak baithne ko kaha na jaaye, khare raho...ye mera office hai tumhaare baap ka ghar nahi" is still played over and over again and is recieved by seetis and taali's
While Pran was the bigger star during that period Amitabh Bachchan took away all the praise for one simple reason - it is because he successfully became the embodiment of the people. Angry, ready to fight, impulsive.And thus was born the
Angry Young Man
An image India still associates with Amitabh Bachchan and the film Deewar. But its safe to say it was born with this film. Zanjeer - The shackles of the system that needed strong hands to break.
Considering the times of corruption that we live in now, it is apt that this very film is being remade but the magic of it cannot be made again. Because that baritone and that look is something people have tried and tried but failed to achieve.
