Bbuddha...Hoga Tera Baap! (2011) Dir. Puri Jagannadh

Popular Telugu Director Puri Jagannadh's Bollywood release starring Icon Amitabh Bachchan got me all excited when I saw this trailer for the movie:


OMG! Sonu Sood! Charmee! Subba Raju! and Prakash Raj! Squee! Some Southie style Dishoom, and  my favorite Hema Malini and then Raveena Tandon making a comeback appearance! Woo Hoo! This was looking like all kinds of fun!

 Bbuddha...Hoga Tera Baap! mostly lived up to my expectations, it was a fun masala romp.

The movie starts with Prakash Raj as the mafia don Kabir gleefully ordering and then watching the bombing of some public figures. Sonu Sood plays ACP Karan Malhotra in charge of hunting down the criminals. He is given the classic rowdy bashing slow-mo entrance of a Southie Hero. It is so cool to see him in his IPS uniform kicking some goonda butt. Infact one of the plusses of the movie is Sonu gets lots of screen time. 

Kabir gets frustrated when ACP Karan arrests two of his henchman so he demands that the best assassin be hired to take him out. Enter the Big B..stylish hired gun and angry "old" man, Viju. He gets angry anytime he is called "Bbuddha" (old man) and either verbally or physically bashes the hapless ne'er do wells that cross his path. These confrontations were done in a "toned down" Southie style which worked because you don't really expect to see Big B flipping 12 rowdies through the air with one punch but it was cool to see him take on 3. Woot! Go Big B!

I have to admit I am a noob when it comes to Mr. Bachchan's pre-2000 iconic roles (**looks around sheepishly and whispers**...I have only seen Sholay and Yaarana) so I am unfamiliar with his "angry young man" persona. But I did thoroughly enjoy this role..I am one who does not get put off by him playing a flirt either. 

Early in the first half he runs into Amrita, played by bubbly South Actress Charmee, and helps her and her friend Tanya, played by the lovely Sonal Chauhan, deal with some eve teasers.  When Amrita invites him home to thank him, her mother, played by Raveena Tandon immediately responds as if they are long lost friends. It was great fun to see Raveena back in a funny role.  Amrita's over active imagination leads her to suspect that Viju might possibly be her Father. On top of that Tanya is being romantically pursued by ACP Karan all the while that Viju is threatening and taking shots at him.

There is a nice but predictable twist at the interval, and in the second half Subba Raju shows up as one of Kabir's rowdies who is suspicious of Viju's sudden prominent position in the gang.

As a fan of Telugu movies I have to say Puri Jagannadh did an excellent job creating roles for the supporting actors that highlighted what they are so very good at without having the South Indian OTT tropes overwhelm the story. Prakash was awesome as usual in his Prakash Bad avatar and the final confrontation scenes with Big B are fabulous! A must see for Prakash Raj fans.  Charmee had a role that showed her comic and bubbly nature. Subba Raju was a bad guy with a significant speaking part and it was a thrill to watch him go toe to toe with Bachchan. (Can someone please cast him as a Hero already? Geez! Some fan girls have been waiting..) Likewise it was fun to watch Sonu get his hero entrance at last.

I do have some complaints as a fan however...Hema Malini was waisted in her role as Sonu's Mother. She just mainly worried...Her and Amitabh are so good together and have such chemistry but the role she was given didn't call for it. She didn't have much screen time (Raveena Tandon's part was bigger) and though there was ample reason for sparks to fly between her and Amitabh it just didn't happen. That was a lost opportunity in my opinion.

Also the biggest throw away scene from Jagannadh's hit Pokiri was included word for word in this movie..Why?
My other complaint is why oh why wasn't Raveena Tandon's Item number in the movie?? Without it there was only one full song picturization with dancing, the Title song combined with Go Meera Go which was fun enough.




 Haal-E-Dil only had about a minute of a montage of Big B walking on the beach.
Main Chandigarh di Star would have been a great addition to the film and there were several places I can think of that it would have fit.


While I don't expect Mr Bachchan to do anymore dancing than he did, it would have been great if Puri Jagannadh had brought some South Indian Choreographers down for the Main Chandigarh Di Star Item Promo song. It could have been choreographed alot better. Raveena could have done more than she was asked to do in that number. Also Charmee is a good dancer and could have been used as such.  This was a Masala movie so more songs would have been appropriate.  I just don't understand why Hindi film makers are pulling away from one of the most important USP's they have. Maybe Hindi audiences really don't like songs in their movies anymore. If that is the case I will either adjust or stick with Southies.

Alexandre Dumas seen Lurking at Golconda Fort!

I share many, many loves with my 2 sisters. Since we were kids we’ve always liked the same kind of music (Beatles! Springsteen!), movies (Rom-Com’s, Musicals, Adventures) and Books ( Austen, Greek and Roman Mythology and Dumas). We love the slapstick of Abbott and Costello and the absurdity of Monty Python. We even were attracted to the same types of men. (tall, dark and handsome, swarthy piratey types) But much to my chagrin I have never been able to convince them of the awesomeness that is Indian Cinema. Just looking at the above characteristics you’d think they would be ripe for SI film induction, but I am very sad to say that I have failed miserably in my attempts to win them over so far. This is my last best attempt. If mine and Dolce and Namak’s posts on Tollywood and the Romantic hero can’t crack them, then nothing will. (Well I may still try my duct tape and Youtube videos idea) So Karen and Gale, this post is dedicated to you.

I have loved the books of Alexandre Dumas since I was a kid. I remember writing a poem about the Three Musketeers for an English class in Jr. High (I can’t find it,  I remember it being very cheesy, but hey it rhymed!) Recently I found this picture I sketched in college.  

My favorite books for the longest time were the Three Musketeers and its sequels, plus I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, the best revenge book ever.    It says something for these stories that were mass produced for 19th century French audiences that they have remained so popular. Many of the things I love about these books are reflected in the things I love about Tollywood Masala.

                                               At the end of her post 2 degrees of Separation: The Romantic Hero in Tollywood, Dolce and Namak imagines a conversation between the ghost of Alexandre Dumas and the “first Telugu dishoom” writer.

ADG: Monsieur, my stories are too French at heart to be adapted. How can you presume to do so?

FTDS: Rreyy, I dare you to find one element that we cannot translate into a South Indian movie.

ADG: I have evil dukes, jealous queens and mistresses, and cardinals who are up to no good.

FTDS: And we have evil goondas and underworld lords, jealous aunties, and all kinds of corrupt Ministers and Chief Ministers just waiting to chew some hero meat.

ADG: Hm… I also have family rivalries and backstabbing.

FTDS: That’s ok, we have factionists!

ADG: And what about the damsel in distress whose greatest asset is not her wit but her beauty and her virginity.

FTDS: Ah, for that we have Kajal!

ADG: I also have lyrical speeches and heart tugging emotional love scenes.

FTDS: Heh… Our script writers are not very good with that, but we’ll make do with plenty of songs, dances and sensual poses instead.

The Ghost of Alexandre Dumas has no choice but to slap his forehead and return to the darkness whence he came.

I don’t think of Dumas as the ghostly predecessor to Tollywood’s mass films. I am convinced that he has been reincarnated in the script writers and directors of my beloved Tollywood Masala. When I began preparing for this post I dug out the well worn Bantam paperback edition of The Count of Monte Cristo I got from my parents as a Christmas present in 1982. 

On the first page there is a short bio of Alexandre Dumas (pere). Two quotes from there stood out as proof that Dumas has been reincarnated as the Writers and Directors of Tollywood.

About Dumas: “L’action and L’amour were the two essential things in his life and his fiction” That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it? Action and Love that’s what we the mass audience want and what gets delivered over and over again in Tollywood movies.

And this quote: “His work ignored historical accuracy, psychology and analysis, but its thrilling adventure and exuberant inventiveness continues to delight readers.” I mean come on! If that doesn’t prove Dumas is alive and well and hanging out at Ramoji Film City, I don’t know what does! (I hope the next time fans of Indian cinema complain about mass films, and wish  there would be more class films coming out of Hyderabad, that they first think on whether they would also criticize the works of Dumas.)

How's this for some "exuberant inventiveness"

    So if the writers and directors are Dumas incarnate, what about his characters? One of the reasons I love the Heroes in SI movies is because they remind me so much of the  moustachioed macho lover boys of Alexandre Dumas’ novels. In fact I suspect that Tarak, Mahesh, Prabhas, Bunny and Siddharth are all reincarnations of Dumas’ swashbuckling heroes. 

    

Here’s what I think: 

The Three Musketeers

Athos: I picture Mahesh as Athos. He’s supposed to be the wisest, bravest and most secretive. A lot of his most popular characters were very secretive like Nandu in Athadu and Pandu in Pokiri. He just needs a proper 'stache. Can't you picture him looking out from under the brim of a Musketeer hat?

 He’s kind of an enigma in real life too.

Athos is supposed to be older than the other Musketeers and looked at as a Father figure by D’Artagnan. It doesn’t bother me that Mahesh isn’t old enough for that, but if you need a real Father figure for Athos look no further than MegaStar Chirenjeevi. Beside who doesn’t look up to him in Tollywood? And he has a righteous moustache. 

Porthos: He can only be Tarak. Porthos was honest, fierce and has an appetite for food, women and song. Besides that he has a sword named Balizarde. Lots of Tarak’s movies fit here but his character in Simhadri works best. Simhadri in his goodness refuses to explain his relationship with Bhoomika. He doesn’t have a sword but he has a kick-ass axe.

Besides the awesome dancing the movie also implies he ends up with both heroines. (gasp!)

Aramis: The lover of the Three Muskateers, I think of Siddharth. He is more of a lover than a fighter but he can dishoom with the rest of them when called upon. Here he gets thrashed at a wedding until he is sure of Sada’s love, then his Tollywood super powers come into play.

d’Artagnan: I think of Bunny as d’Artagnan. d'Artagnan is young and hot headed and easily smitten by pretty ladies. His interest in Milady gets him into all kinds of trouble. He is a loyal friend and has major bromances going with his Musketeer pals. I just watched Arya 2 so I can’t help thinking of Bunny playing d’Aragnan after that…only less crazy…LOTS less crazy.

                       The Count of Monte Cristo

Edmond Dantes: Has to be the one and only Prabhas. Just watch Munna and you will see Dumas type revenge played out Tollywood style.  Edmond Dantes had so many alter egos as he exacted his revenge. Prabhas can play down and dirty tough as well as cool and classy a la Billa.

The Man in the Iron Mask:

Sometimes I want to put Ravi Teja in the mask but he looks too macho and tough to have been imprisoned for so long so I think Pawan Kalyan would make an excellent Philippe. He could play royalty with class (after all he is Chiranjeevi’s brother) and he is built in a way that makes him look wiry and tough like I imagine Philippe to be. Plus he rocks the 'stache, must be in the genes.

 

 
 
 
 
 
     I could go on, I love to imagine who would be Cardinal Richelieu (Sonu Sood!) Milady (Sameera Reddy) or the Comte de Rochefort (Rahul Dev) and Constance Bonacieux (has to be Charmi).

     Yep even though it's Hyderabad India, they are all there, 19th century French heroes created by Dumas for a mass audience that hasn’t changed its love for L’action and L’amour no matter what century or continent they are from.
      Now when I watch a fight scene of my Tollywood Super Heroes at Golconda Fort or in the Vikarabad Forest, I imagine the camera panning around and we see Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, Edmond Dantes, Phillipe and Dumas cheering them on.

Vive la Mass! Jai Masala!