Bunty Aur Babli

Bunty Aur Babli

DVD cover
Directed by Shaad Ali
Produced by Aditya Chopra
Screenplay by Jaideep Sahni
Story by Aditya Chopra
Starring Abhishek Bachchan
Rani Mukerji
Amitabh Bachchan
Narrated by Amitabh Bachchan
Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Cinematography Abhik Mukhopadhyay
Edited by Ritesh Soni
Distributed by Yash Raj Films
Release dates
 27 May 2005
Running time
 177 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹ 120 million
Box office ₹ 632.0 million[1]

Bunty Aur Babli (Hindi: बंटी और बबली, translation: Bunty and Babli), released in 2005, is an Indian Bollywood crime-comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and starring Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan stars in a supporting role. It was the first film to feature Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, and featured guest appearances by Aishwarya Rai and Tania Zaetta. It was one of the biggest hits of the year.[2] Though the lead actor Abhishek Bacchan was shown living in Fursatganj, those scenes were shot in Agra.

The plot, although drawing on the idea of two rather lovable crooks, does not contain violence. Each of the adventures of Bunty and Babli are thoroughly Indianised, like the fake selling of the Taj Mahal. It draws comparisons to the American classic Bonnie and Clyde but without dark elements, and the lead characters do not die a bloody death (unlike their American counterparts).

Plot

Rakesh Trivedi (Abhishek Bachchan) comes from a small village. His father is a ticket collector on the train and wants him to get into a similar occupation as well. However, Rakesh has big dreams; he is forever coming up with new business plans and is convinced he will make it big one day. He adamantly refuses any notion that he will one day work in a 9-to-5 environment.

Vimmi Saluja (Rani Mukerji) is the daughter of a Punjabi family in another small village; she spends her hours watching films and studying supermodels. She dreams of becoming Miss India.

Vimmi's parents tell her they have arranged her marriage to a young man with a decent job. At the same time, Rakesh's father gives him an ultimatum – go on the job interview he has arranged or get out of the house.

Rakesh and Vimmi pack their bags and sneak out in the dark of the night. They bump into each other at a train station and become friends after realising their stories are similar. They support and encourage each other to achieve their dreams: Vimmi tries to enter the Miss India contest but gets thrown out after an argument. Rakesh tries to sell his ideas for an investment scheme, but a businessman turns him away. In fact, a man he had met at a restaurant stole ideas from Rakesh's presentation file and, when he enters the office, the interviewer states someone before him came in with the same idea. After finding out that the businessman who Rakesh approached has used his idea to make money, he and Vimmi con him and take money they believe is rightly theirs.

Once they realise how easy it is to con people, they decide to run some more cons to raise money to make it to Bombay.

Unfortunately for India, they find the lifestyle too exciting to give up. Adopting the names of 'Bunty' and 'Babli', they successfully pull off con after con, looting rich people dressed as local guides, religious priests, health inspectors, business partners, etc. Their flamboyant antics make them famous in newspapers nationwide. Soon their friendship leads to romance and they decide to continue conning the rich as husband and wife.

Little do Rakesh and Vimmi know that ACP Dashrath Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) is catching up with their cons and pranks, getting closer each day. He relentlessly pursues them across India in the hopes of putting them behind bars. To complicate matters, Rakesh and Vimmi have a child and, after a very close call eluding Dashrath, they decide to quit conning for their child's sake. This decision leads to their capture by Dashrath. While in custody, their heartfelt confessions and conversation soften the policeman's heart and he lets them go, certain he has destroyed Bunty and Babli's career as criminals.

Three years later, Dashrath rescues them from their mundane domestic lives by offering them to work for the nation thwarting the activities of other scammers.

Cast

Reception

The film was a critical and commercial success becoming one of the biggest hits of 2005.[2] Designer Aki Narula dressed Rani Mukerji a new look Patiala salwars and kurtis, which became quite popular.[3]

Soundtrack

Bunty Aur Babli
Soundtrack album by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Released
13 April 2005 (India)
Recorded 2004
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length 37:09
Label
Producer Yash Chopra
Aditya Chopra
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy chronology
Phir Milenge
(2004)		 Bunty Aur Babli
(2005)		 Dil Jo Bhi Kahey...
(2005)

A. R. Rahman was initially approached to compose the film's music, but he declined due to his busy schedule. The soundtrack includes six tracks composed by the musical trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy and was released on 13 April 2005 by Yash Raj Music.[4] The lead actors Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji danced to the tunes of the album.[5] The lyrics were penned by Gulzar and Blaaze.

Track listing

No. TitleLyricsSinger(s) Length
1. "B N B"  BlaazeShankar Mahadevan, Blaaze, Loy Mendonsa 3:38
2. "Bunty Aur Babli"  GulzarShankar Mahadevan, Siddharth Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Jaspinder Narula 5:42
3. "Chup Chup Ke"  GulzarSonu Nigam, Mahalakshmi Iyer 7:13
4. "Dhadak Dhadak"  GulzarUdit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Nihira Joshi 6:33
5. "Kajra Re"  GulzarAlisha Chinoy, Shankar Mahadevan, Javed Ali 8:02
6. "Nach Baliye"  GulzarSukhwinder Singh, Jaspinder Narula, Shankar Mahadevan, Siddharth Mahadevan, Sowmya Raoh 6:02

Reception

The music of Bunty Aur Babli received favourable reviews from almost all critics. Sukanya Verma of Rediff, said in her review, "On the whole, the music of Bunty Aur Babli, with its over the top, uninhibited, rustic and teasing spices, makes for one helluva musical masala."[6] Planet Bollywood's review concluded, "Overall, Shakhar-Ehsaan-Loy do an excellent job of getting different singers for each track, trying to infuse different beats together and creating an album worth buying. It’ll take a few listens to pick your favourites, but its fresh and an above average album to own. Enjoy!"[7] "Bunty Aur Babli does not contain your routine Yash Chopra genre of music that are choreographed around the meadows and Swiss alps. They are more of situational rhythmic tracks that take a story forward" Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama said in his review.[8] The Glamsham was full of praise for the lyrics by Gulzar, "Throughout this zany zingy and zippy album the 70-year-old Gulzar imbues a youthfulness that comes from being young at heart. Indeed that's the quality, which flows freely out of this album. You can't miss its zest for life… or its lunge towards a luscious nirvana obtained from looking at life through rose-tinted glasses."[9] Avijit Ghosh wrote in The Telegraph, "In essence, Bunty Aur Babli is an on-the-road flick about a boy and girl in search of fun and freedom rather than a story of two cons. To capture the splintered yearnings of smalltown India which watches Aastha channel in the morning and FTV at night is a difficult and ambitious task. But like his protagonists, director Shaad Ali Sahgal pulls it off. Bravely. Almost." 10[10]

Legacy

"Kajra Re" was voted as the best of 2005 overwhelmingly by listeners of three radio stations catering for South African Indians.[11]

Hidekaz Himaruya, the manga artist who created Hetalia, embedded the video of "Dhadak Dhadak" on his blog around Christmas time, which caused a sudden influx of Himaruya fans commenting on the video.[12]

Influence of movie

The glorification of crime in the movie inspired many people to emulate the glamorous couple, resulting in a trend of real-life Buntys and Bablis. One such case is that of Shushant and Kajal, a married couple who conned two businesses out of money using a photo frame.[13] "The Darjeeling-based couple did a 'Bunty Aur Babli' on their victims, and were caught and arrested." Another case of the movie's influence on crime is that of another married couple, Suresh and Rekha. Their crimes also mirrored those committed in the movie "Bunty Aur Babli", and they admitted to committing the crimes they were accused of in a "Bunty Aur Babli" style.[14] Yet another couple, a sister and brother-in-law, were caught for crimes that mirrored those committed in the movie. Shahnaaz Bano and Sajid Ahmed were caught smuggling and shoplifting diamonds and other expensive merchandise out of stores, using disguises.[15]

The movie was so popular that it created a trend of crime shows the power and influence of Bollywood movies on India. The crimes that the characters commit in the film include petty crime and scamming, which are already popular in India (see Crime in India). With the influence of the movie, people are starting to see such crimes as a glamorous way to get rich quickly, not realizing the consequences. Unlike Bunty and Babli for the majority of the movie, those who try to emulate their crimes get caught.

Filmfare Awards[16]
Screen Awards
IIFA Awards[17]
Zee Cine Awards[18]
MTV Immies

References

  1. ↑ "Top Lifetime Grossers Worldwide (IND Rs)". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Box Office 2005". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "FASHION: How to Dress a Rockstar" 8 (39). Tehelka. 1 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Yash Raj Music – Bunty Aur Babli Audio CD". Yash Raj Music. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  5. ↑ "Bunty Aur Babli Music Launch". Yashraj Films. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Verma, Sukanya. "Bunty Aur Babli's Music Rocks!". Rediff.com. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "Bollywood – Music Review – Bunty Aur Babli". Planetbollywood.com. 20 August 1996. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Bunty Aur Babli : Music Review by Joginder Tuteja". Bollywoodhungama.com. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Bunty Aur Babli music review". glamsham.com. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  10. ↑ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050603/asp/etc/story_4821507.asp
  11. ↑ "Kajra Re is song of season in S Africa". Hindustan Times. 5 January 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "Broadcast Yourself". YouTube. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "Hindustani Times". Real life 'Bunty Aur Babli' couple held for cheating Archies. HT Media Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "The Pioneer". 'Bunty Aur Babli' held in Dehradun. HT Media Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Hindustani Times". Bunty aur Babli plot goes wrong, woman thief held. HT Media Ltd. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  16. ↑ http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/movies/bunty-aur-babli/awards.html
  17. ↑ "Showcase: IIFA 2006 – Dubai | Award Winners". IIFA. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  18. ↑ "Winners of Zee Cine Awards 2006". Bollywoodhungama.com. 4 March 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2011.

External links

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