Amar Akbar Anthony
Encyclopedia
Amar Akbar Anthony is a 1977
Bollywood
film about three brothers separated during their childhood who grew up in three homes, adopting three religions. It was the biggest blockbuster of 1977 and won several Filmfare
awards.
The film was directed by Manmohan Desai
and starred three actors: Amitabh Bachchan
(as Anthony Gonsalves
), Vinod Khanna
and Rishi Kapoor
. Each of the heroes had an affiliation with a heroine; these women were played by Parveen Babi
, Shabana Azmi
and Neetu Singh
. Nirupa Roy
, Pran and Jeevan played supporting roles. The music was written by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Kishore Kumar
sang for Amitabh Bachchan
, and Mohammed Rafi
sang for Rishi Kapoor
. The soundtrack was one of Mukesh's last soundtracks with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anand Bakshi
was the lyricist. This movie proved to be a golden jubilee at the box office.
The film was later remade in Telugu as Ram Robert Rahim
(1980)and in Malayalam as John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982).
), on the assurance that his family's income will be tripled and their welfare looked after. He returns from prison to find his wife Bharati (Nirupa Roy
) suffering from tuberculosis and his three sons starving. Seeking help from Robert for the sake of his family, he is ridiculed, humiliated and repudiated, until he turns on Robert and tries to kill him. Making his escape, Kishanlal inadvertently takes a car containing a shipment of gold bullion. Robert's goons give chase.
Kishanlal goes home to rescue his family — only to find his wife's suicide note. Unknown to him, she fails and is struck blind. He leaves his sons in a public park (at the foot of a statue of Gandhi) while he draws off the pursuing goons. In the car chase that follows he crashes, is thrown clear of the wreck, and discovers the gold. But by the time he returns to the park with his riches, his three children have vanished. Amar, the oldest, has been adopted by a Hindu
policeman; a Muslim tailor adopts the youngest and names him Akbar; and a Catholic
priest, finding the middle son asleep on the steps of his church, fosters him and names him Anthony.
In revenge, Kishanlal kidnaps Robert's daughter Jenny and raises her as his niece, using the gold to destroy Robert's business and set himself up as mob boss instead.
Amar (Vinod Khanna
) becomes a policeman like his adoptive father; the Muslim Akbar (Rishi Kapoor
) becomes a singer; the middle brother, Anthony (Amitabh Bachchan
), becomes a likable, socially conscious scamp who runs quasi-legal operations and makes God his 'partner' by donating half his income to charity. The three meet when they donate blood for an accident victim, unaware that they are related — or that the recipient is their biological mother Bharati.
Their lives become entangled in an incredible web of coincidences and furious action sequences — interspersed with songs — when Amar's adopted father is seriously wounded and Anthony falls in love with Jenny, Robert's long-lost daughter. Because of it his adoptive father, the priest, is murdered. In their pursuit of justice their paths cross again until, combining efforts, the brothers discover both the culprit and their mutual heritage.
In addition to the ongoing feud between Robert and Kishanlal, each son meets and courts — with greater or lesser difficulty — their love interests. When the grieving mother regains her sight at a Dewali festival in honor of Sai Baba
, one by one the family is re-united and Robert, who caused their suffering, is finally imprisoned.
. The soundtrack of the movie proved as popular and successful as the movie itself. The vocals of the songs again have been given by some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry: Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar
, and Amitabh Bachchan
(sang in the song "My Name is Anthony Gonsalves").
The vinyl record was released on Polydor and was the first coloured LP: It was pink.
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film about three brothers separated during their childhood who grew up in three homes, adopting three religions. It was the biggest blockbuster of 1977 and won several Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
awards.
The film was directed by Manmohan Desai
Manmohan Desai
Manmohan Desai was a producer and director of Indian movies.- Background :His father, Kikubhai Desai, was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios from 1931 to 1941. His productions, mainly stunt films, included Circus Queen, Golden Gang, and Sheikh Challi...
and starred three actors: Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
(as Anthony Gonsalves
Anthony Gonsalves
Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves is an Indian musical composer and teacher from the village of Majorda who, during the mid-1950s, attempted to merge the symphonies of his Goan heritage with the Hindustani melodies and rhythms in films of the day.He found his first job in the city as a violinist in the...
), Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna
-Early life:Khanna was born to Kamla and Kishanchand Khanna, a textiles, dyes and chemicals businessman of Hindu Punjabi Khatri origin, on 6 October 1946, in Peshawar, British India . He has three sisters and one brother...
and Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
. Each of the heroes had an affiliation with a heroine; these women were played by Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan...
, Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
and Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
. Nirupa Roy
Nirupa Roy
-Filmography:* Lal Baadshah * Mard * Mawali * Betab * Khoon aur Pani * Aatish * Kartavya .... Vijay's mother* Khandaan .... Savitri G. Srivastav...
, Pran and Jeevan played supporting roles. The music was written by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
sang for Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
, and Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
sang for Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
. The soundtrack was one of Mukesh's last soundtracks with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist.-Early days:Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, on 21 July 1930. His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. His mother, Sumitra, died 1940, when he was 10...
was the lyricist. This movie proved to be a golden jubilee at the box office.
The film was later remade in Telugu as Ram Robert Rahim
Ram Robert Rahim
Ram Robert Rahim is a 1980 Telugu film directed by Vijaya Nirmala and stars her husband Krishna as Robert, Rajnikanth as Ram and Chandra Mohan as Rahim. Anjali Devi plays their mother. Sridevi plays Robert's girlfriend. The film is a remake of the Hindi hit film Amar Akbar Anthony , starring...
(1980)and in Malayalam as John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982).
Synopsis
Kishanlal (Pran), a chauffeur, takes the blame for a fatal hit-and-run accident committed by his mob boss employer, Robert (JeevanJeevan
Jeevan is a Tamil film actor.-Biography:He graduated from the St. Bede's School in Chennai. One of his classmates was actor Surya Sivakumar.-Career:...
), on the assurance that his family's income will be tripled and their welfare looked after. He returns from prison to find his wife Bharati (Nirupa Roy
Nirupa Roy
-Filmography:* Lal Baadshah * Mard * Mawali * Betab * Khoon aur Pani * Aatish * Kartavya .... Vijay's mother* Khandaan .... Savitri G. Srivastav...
) suffering from tuberculosis and his three sons starving. Seeking help from Robert for the sake of his family, he is ridiculed, humiliated and repudiated, until he turns on Robert and tries to kill him. Making his escape, Kishanlal inadvertently takes a car containing a shipment of gold bullion. Robert's goons give chase.
Kishanlal goes home to rescue his family — only to find his wife's suicide note. Unknown to him, she fails and is struck blind. He leaves his sons in a public park (at the foot of a statue of Gandhi) while he draws off the pursuing goons. In the car chase that follows he crashes, is thrown clear of the wreck, and discovers the gold. But by the time he returns to the park with his riches, his three children have vanished. Amar, the oldest, has been adopted by a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
policeman; a Muslim tailor adopts the youngest and names him Akbar; and a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest, finding the middle son asleep on the steps of his church, fosters him and names him Anthony.
In revenge, Kishanlal kidnaps Robert's daughter Jenny and raises her as his niece, using the gold to destroy Robert's business and set himself up as mob boss instead.
Amar (Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna
-Early life:Khanna was born to Kamla and Kishanchand Khanna, a textiles, dyes and chemicals businessman of Hindu Punjabi Khatri origin, on 6 October 1946, in Peshawar, British India . He has three sisters and one brother...
) becomes a policeman like his adoptive father; the Muslim Akbar (Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
) becomes a singer; the middle brother, Anthony (Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
), becomes a likable, socially conscious scamp who runs quasi-legal operations and makes God his 'partner' by donating half his income to charity. The three meet when they donate blood for an accident victim, unaware that they are related — or that the recipient is their biological mother Bharati.
Their lives become entangled in an incredible web of coincidences and furious action sequences — interspersed with songs — when Amar's adopted father is seriously wounded and Anthony falls in love with Jenny, Robert's long-lost daughter. Because of it his adoptive father, the priest, is murdered. In their pursuit of justice their paths cross again until, combining efforts, the brothers discover both the culprit and their mutual heritage.
In addition to the ongoing feud between Robert and Kishanlal, each son meets and courts — with greater or lesser difficulty — their love interests. When the grieving mother regains her sight at a Dewali festival in honor of Sai Baba
Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi , also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint....
, one by one the family is re-united and Robert, who caused their suffering, is finally imprisoned.
Cast
- Vinod KhannaVinod Khanna-Early life:Khanna was born to Kamla and Kishanchand Khanna, a textiles, dyes and chemicals businessman of Hindu Punjabi Khatri origin, on 6 October 1946, in Peshawar, British India . He has three sisters and one brother...
... Inspector Amar Khanna; first son - Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
... Anthony Gonsalves; second son - Rishi KapoorRishi KapoorRishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
... Akbar Allahabadi/Raju; third son - Parveen BabiParveen BabiParveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan...
... Jenny; Anthony's girlfriend - Shabana AzmiShabana AzmiShabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
... Laxmi; common thief and Amar's love interest - Neetu SinghNeetu SinghNeetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
... Dr. Salma; Akbar's neighbor and love interest - Nirupa RoyNirupa Roy-Filmography:* Lal Baadshah * Mard * Mawali * Betab * Khoon aur Pani * Aatish * Kartavya .... Vijay's mother* Khandaan .... Savitri G. Srivastav...
... Bharati; mother of three boys - Pran ... Kishanlal; driver profession, father of three boys, husband of Bharati
- Jeevan ... Robert, the mob boss
- RanjeetRanjeetGopal Bedi is an actor in Indian films and television, born in Jandiala Guru near Amritsar . He has played mostly character roles, with roles as the villain dominating his over 200 Hindi films...
... Ranjeet
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and the lyrics were penned by the veteran Anand BakshiAnand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist.-Early days:Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, on 21 July 1930. His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. His mother, Sumitra, died 1940, when he was 10...
. The soundtrack of the movie proved as popular and successful as the movie itself. The vocals of the songs again have been given by some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry: Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
, and Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
(sang in the song "My Name is Anthony Gonsalves").
The vinyl record was released on Polydor and was the first coloured LP: It was pink.
| Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|
| "Parda Hai Parda" | Mohammad Rafi |
| "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" | Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century... and Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades... |
| "Humko Tumse" | Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century... , Mukesh Mukesh Mukesh Chand Mathur was an Indian playback singer of Bollywood. He, alongside Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar, left such an impact on the Hindi film industry that they are still remembered to date.... , and Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional... |
| "Tayyab Ali" | Mohammad Rafi and chorus |
| "Shirdi Wale" | Mohammad Rafi |
| "Anhony ko honi" | Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century... , Mahendra Kapoor Mahendra Kapoor Mahendra Kapoor was an Indian playback singer.In a career spanning five decades, his repertoire extended to 25,000 songs in various regional languages, including memorable hits like ‘Chalo ek baar phir se Ajnabi ban jayen hum dono’ Gumrah, ‘Neele gagan ke taale’ Hamraaz, and in various... , and Shailendra Singh |
Awards and nominations
- Filmfare Best Actor AwardFilmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
: Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades... - Filmfare Best Music Director AwardFilmfare Best Music Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to the best composer/arranger of a soundtrack. This category was first presented in 1954. Naushad was the first recipient of this award for his song "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj"...
: Laxmikant-Pyarelal - Filmfare Best Editing AwardFilmfare Best Editing AwardThe Filmfare Best Editing Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.-List:-External links:* *...
: Kamlakar Karkhanis - FilmfareFilmfareFilmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Nomination for Best Movie Award - FilmfareFilmfareFilmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Nomination for Best Director: Manmohan DesaiManmohan DesaiManmohan Desai was a producer and director of Indian movies.- Background :His father, Kikubhai Desai, was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios from 1931 to 1941. His productions, mainly stunt films, included Circus Queen, Golden Gang, and Sheikh Challi... - FilmfareFilmfareFilmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Nomination for Best Lyricist: Anand BakshiAnand BakshiAnand Bakshi was a popular Indian poet and lyricist.-Early days:Anand Bakshi was born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, on 21 July 1930. His ancestors were from Kurree, near Rawalpindi, and had origins in Kashmir. His mother, Sumitra, died 1940, when he was 10...
for the song "Parda Hai Parda" - FilmfareFilmfareFilmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Nomination for Best Male Playback Singer: Mohd. Rafi for the song "Parda Hai Parda"