Sharaabi review :
After launching Sharaabi, noted director Prakash Mehra was asked about its plot. "Well its about Amitabh and he plays a drunkard" came his pat one line reply.
Sharaabi, a 1984 Superhit and my most favourite AB film, is indeed that!!
It is about Amitabh Bachchan who plays the kind hearted alcoholic. Thats it. Nothing else really matters!!
Drunken scenes were always the superstars fortè (as evident in Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and Satte Pe Satta (1982)), but in Sharaabi, Bachchan surpassed his past glory as Vicky, a richie rich guy neglected by his forever busy businessman dad (Pran) who recites poetry in a drunken stupor.
"Pyaar se shaayari mein wajan aata hai" suggests his guardian Munshiji (Om Prakash, endearing) and soon enough, Vicky falls in love with the charming dancer Meena (Jaya Prada).
"Inteha ho gayi, Intezaar ki.
Aayee na kuch khabar mere yaar ki"
he laments his yearning in to a song which the legendary Kishore Kumar (rumouredly) sang with a peg in hand just to come in to the mood. Bappi Lahiri's music was truly extraordinary and it rightly won him the Filmfare Best Music award that year.
Amitabh's comic timing is also superbly explored by Mehra Saahab in the "Mucche ho toh Nathulal jaisi" sequence. His emotional outburst against dad Pran makes for another memorable scene.
I watched Sharaabi with my entire extended family at Dadar's Plaza Cinema occupying a full balcony row and yep, having a blast!! A gigantic cut out of Amitabh with a glass of alcohol in hand graced Plaza for more than 25 weeks of its run and I used to admire it everyday from my school bus when it passed from there. Swag ho toh aisa. Cheers!!
Regards,
Sumeet Nadkarni
