Monday,
June
11,
2007
Two
new
Bollywood
films
starring
Amitabh
Bachchan
that
were
released
simultaneously
last
month,
have
become
big
hits,
proving
once
again
that
even
at
the
age
of
64
years
Big
B
remains
the
darling
of
the
Indian
box
office.
Interestingly,
the
two
hits
are
contrasting
stories.
One
is
a
romantic
comedy
in
which
Amitabh
Bachchan
woos
a
woman
young
enough
to
be
his
daughter,
while
the
other
a
gangster
flick
called
"Shootout
At
Lokhandwala",
where
he
plays
a
lawyer
who
saves
trigger-happy
policemen
from
the
law.
The
two
films
opened
on
May
25
to
rave
reviews
and
an
impressive
box
office
response,
once
again
proving
Amitabh's
versatility
and
reaffirming
his
status
as
an
industry
legend,
critics
said.
Cheeni
Kum
(Less
Sugar),
the
romantic
comedy,
succeeded
because
of
humour,
whereas
a
similar,
bold
Lolita-like
story
also
starring
Bachchan
and
released
this
year,
failed
because
conservative
Indians
rejected
its
sexual
undertone.
According
to
trade
pundits,
a
film
-like
Cheeni
Kum
signifies
the
winds
of
change
in
Bollywood!
There
is
little
doubt
that
Amitabh
Bachchan
proves
his
supremacy
yet
again.
Playing
an
arrogant
chef,
the
actor
is
natural
all
through.
Not
only
is
Cheeni
Kum
doing
very
well
with
urban
audiences,
as
expected,
but
it
is
also
slowly
picking
up
in
small
towns.
Amitabh's
has
had
a
powerful
hold
over
Indian
audiences
for
over
three
decades,
and
even
now,
roles
are
written
exclusively
to
suit
his
age.
He
has
had
four
releases
so
far
this
year
and
three
more
are
due
to
open
around
the
end
of
the
year.
Big
B's
popularity
is
not
limited
to
the
big
screen
though.
He
is
also
among
the
most
sought-after
celebrities
by
the
advertising
industry
and
endorses
an
array
of
products,
from
cars
to
chocolates.
In
Cheeni
Kum,
Amitabh
is
a
confirmed
bachelor
living
with
his
85-year-old
mother
and
his
only
friend
and
confidante
is
a
nine-year-old
girl
with
cancer.
An
arrogant,
egoistic
and
pompous
man
with
a
singular
passion
in
life
-
cooking
-
Amitabh's
first
encounters
with
the
34-year-old
heroine
are
fraught
with
tension.
But
against
all
odds
they
fall
in
love
and
go
to
the
girl's
father
-
who
is
six
years
younger
than
the
prospective
groom
-
for
consent
to
marry.
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