Retrospective of Amitabh Bachchan set at France’s 3 Continents Festival

MUMBAI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan also known as the ‘Shehenshah of Bollywood’ is undoubtedly among the best actors the Hindi cinema has ever witnessed.

From ‘Deewar’, ‘Zanjeer’ to ‘Paa’ and ‘Pink’, Amitabh has delivered a string of impactful performances over the years.

And now, a nine-film retrospective of Amitabh Bachchan is set for the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France, reported Variety, a US-based media outlet.

Titled ‘Amitabh Bachchan, Big B Forever,’ the retrospecive will showcase different aspects of the actor’s oeuvre including his persona as the ‘angry young man,’ created by writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, action, drama, romance and comedy in some of the greatest films of Hindi-language cinema including ‘Sholay,’ ‘Deewar,’ ‘Don,’ ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ and ‘Amar Akbar Anthony.’ The directors are also legends of Indian cinema including Yash Chopra, Ramesh Sippy, Manmohan Desai and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, as per Variety.

The non-profit organisation Film Heritage Foundation, which was established by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, is co-presenting the showcase. Last year, the foundation has arranged a number of incredibly popular retrospectives in Indian theatres, including ‘Bachchan Back To The Beginning,’ ‘Dilip Kumar – Hero of Heroes,’ and ‘Dev Anand @ 100 – Forever Young.’

Talking about the retrospective, Big B said, “Film Heritage Foundation’s initiative to bring classic Indian films back to the big screen in India has been truly remarkable. I am so pleased to hear that they are co-presenting a selection of nine of my early films at one of the oldest and most reputed film festivals – the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, especially as it focuses on the cinema of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Many of these films gave me an opportunity to play a diverse range of characters and work with some of the most significant filmmakers of the time including Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra and Ramesh Sippy. I hope that the festival audience will enjoy the selection of films that continue to give so much joy to viewers half a century since they were made. Even though I will not be there in person, I am delighted that my daughter Shweta will be in Nantes to represent me at the festival, ” reported Variety.

Big B films which will be showcased are ‘Abhimaan’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Don’, ‘Kaala Patthar’, and ‘Kabhie Kabhie’.

The Festival des 3 Continents will take place from Nov. 24 – Dec. 3 in Nantes, France.

Big B’s daughter Shweta Bachchan said, “This a special occasion for me as I have the opportunity, for the first time, to represent my father, on an international platform. I would like to thank Film Heritage Foundation for their exceptional commitment and ability in showcasing classic Indian cinema and drawing audiences back to the big screen when no one had faith that this would be possible. I saw the phenomenal success of “Bachchan Back to the Beginning” – the retrospective they curated on a massive scale to celebrate my father’s 80th birthday last year. Many of us in the family were watching his films on the big screen for the first time and we were overwhelmed. The films being screened in Nantes cover varied genres that will give the audiences at the festival the opportunity to see my father’s remarkable versatility as an actor,” as per Variety.

Meanwhile, Amitabh will be next seen in the upcoming sci-fi action film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ alongside Deepika Padukone and Prabhas. The film is all set to hit the theatres on January 12, 2024.

He also has a courtroom drama film ‘Section 84’ in his kitty.