Rajiv Vijayakar traces
the comebacks made by actors
in Bollywood, and how some
stars stay back while some
others fizzle out.
There are addictive elements like tobacco and narcotics. And then there is cinema. Madhuri Dixit may claim that ‘working after five years’ is not a comeback because she never “left”, but Aaja Nachle is considered her comeback film by the film industry and her fans, just like Kajol’s Fanaa was.
So are comebacks just about long gaps between films? We think not. Aamir Khan never acted between 2002 and 2004. But Mangal Pandey was not touted as a comeback film. The same was the case with Hrithik Roshan’s gap between Lakshya and Krrish.
“Multiple factors decide on whether a film is a comeback movie, including media-hype that is usually orchestrated,” says a trade analyst. “But in the case of Kajol and Madhuri, it is because the two are superstars, they had got married and it was not certain when and which film they would do after their last work.”
Among the genuine comebacks are Vinod Khanna returning after six years in the ‘80s and Begum Para facing the camera 50 years later! But that is where the quality of the comeback counts too - because we have had so many names coming back in insignificant ways, like Rati Agnihotri who began effectively with Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi and then petered out.
Here’s a look at the comeback trails that were successful - in alphabetical order:
Amitabh Bachchan:
Perhaps this is Indian cinema’s most spectacular comeback. Bachchan technically returned after his political fling in the late ‘80s, but that was beset with failures and modest successes.
After almost becoming insolvent, the Big B thundered back in the millennium with KBC on television and Mohabbatein, creating history by becoming Hindi cinema’s first and so far only 60-plus hero who sells. Though the fervour has died down, the Big B made his splash with films like K3G, Baghban, Black and now Cheeni Kum.
Anu Malik
Here was a man whose films were still coming, but he had been written off by 1989 by all except two faithfuls (Venus and the Mehras of Eagle Films) and was doing insignificant films.
Mahesh Bhatt (Sir, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi) and Venus (Baazigar) slalomed him straight to the top past the reigning Nadeem-Shravan in 1993 and Anu withstood the avalanche of A R Rahman and others all the way till 2005. Today, Anu is at low-key, but the buzz is that he will hit the charts again in 2007.
BR Films
This was a 1955 banner that virtually became equated only with television from the mid-’80s. But B R Chopra and son Ravi Chopra staged a spectacular comeback to the big screen with Baghban while retaining their television clout. Today, no less than seven films are in various stages of concept and production - and TV is on too.
Dharmendra
Here was an actor who did B- and C-grade actioners for almost a decade from the mid-’90s. His few A-grade films like Kis Kiski Kismat and Hum Kaun Hai? were catastrophes. But the designer comeback his sons planned for him finally happened with the 2007 Apne, and as destiny turned kinder, it was backed by acclaimed cameos for this top star from the ‘60s to the ‘80s in Life In A…Metro and Johnny Gaddaar.
Dimple Kapadia Dimple rewrote the rules just like Bachchan, and over a decade before him! A divorcee and a mother of teenagers, Dimple Kapadia returned with Saagar a full 12 years after her stunning debut in Bobby and even if she did not maintain her commercial high after Insaaf and Ram Lakhan gave a series of powerhouse portrayals in Rudaali, Dil Chahat Hai et al.
Govinda
India’s first A-grade comic hero after Kishore Kumar had great highs and lows right from his 1986 beginnings, but he was almost wiped off in the millennium till Partner’s stellar act and stupendous success have resuscitated his career - and how!
Kajol Kajol would never agree with the term ‘return’, for she has spelt out her terms of work clearly right after her 1999 marriage. But for the trade Fanaa was her comeback film, and now she is busier than she has ever been since the turn of the decade, with her husband’s film U Me Aur Hum, Karan Johar’s film with Shah Rukh Khan and a Rajkumar Santoshi project.
Raakhee Raakhee’s was an unique case because her 1976 comeback film Tapasya after a failed marriage released just months after her last-signed film from the first phase, Kabhi Kabhie.
What’s more tangy is that another old project, Angaarey with Sanjeev Kumar, crawled into theatres a full year later. Raakhee peaked in 1978 and gradually made a graceful transition to mother's roles with good success all the way to the late ‘90s.
Rishi Kapoor Like Dharmendra, this not-so-old warhorse is not in the Bachchan league but is immensely respected as an actor, thanks to histrionic and commercial triumphs like Kucch To Hai, Hum Tum, Pyaar Mein Twist, Fanaa and Namastey London. Now all he needs is a Rishi-centric role and he can reach where Bachchan was - for wasn’t he the only hero who sold — solo — in the decade-long Bachchan- multi-star action-film reign?
S D Burman
He had his ups and downs but never left the charts, hearts and arts. Immensely respected and ahead of his times, his low phases were due to indifferent health.
But once Aradhana happened in 1969, he never looked back till he passed away in 1975, giving his son R D Burman and his generation of composers (Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji) tough competition at the charts with Prem Pujari, Sharmeelee, Abhimaan and other hits.
Yash Chopra Yash Chopra and his banner faced a severe trough with continuous turnips in the ‘80s. But the wheels turned in the ‘90s with Chandni (1989), Lamhe, Darr and above all Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Today his 36-year-old banner Yash Raj Films is worth a guesstimated 1000 crore, spearheaded by son Aditya and operating like a Hollywood studio. And Yash himself resonates with the audiences (Veer-Zaara) over four decades after he directed his first film!
The also-rans
These artistes staged a successful return, but could not sustain for various reasons:
Amrita Singh (Kalyug)
Jaya Bachchan (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham)
Khayyam, composer (Kabhi Kabhie)
Mithun Chakraborty (Lucky - No Time For Love)
Ravi, composer (Nikaah)
There are addictive elements like tobacco and narcotics. And then there is cinema. Madhuri Dixit may claim that ‘working after five years’ is not a comeback because she never “left”, but Aaja Nachle is considered her comeback film by the film industry and her fans, just like Kajol’s Fanaa was.
