Amar Akbar Anthony : Bollywood, Brotherhood, and the Nation

A Bollywood blockbuster when it was released in 1977, __Amar Akbar Anthony__ has become a classic of Hindi cinema and a touchstone of Indian popular culture. Delighting audiences with its songs and madcap adventures, the film follows the heroics of three Bombay brothers separated in childhood from their parents and one another. Beyond the freewheeling comedy and camp, however, is a potent vision of social harmony, as the three protagonists, each raised in a different religion, discover they are true brothers in the end. William Elison, Christian Lee Novetzke, and Andy Rotman offer a sympathetic and layered interpretation of the film’s deeper symbolism, seeing it as a lens for understanding modern India’s experience with secular democracy. __Amar Akbar Anthony__’s celebration of an India built on pluralism and religious tolerance continues to resonate with audiences today. But it also invites a critique of modernity’s mixed blessings. As the authors show, the film’s sunny exterior only partially conceals darker elements: the shadow of Partition, the crisis of Emergency Rule, and the vexed implications of the metaphor of the family for the nation. The lessons viewers draw from the film depend largely on which brother they recognize as its hero. Is it Amar, the straight-edge Hindu policeman? Is it Akbar, the romantic Muslim singer? Or is it Anthony, the Christian outlaw with a heart of gold? In this book’s innovative and multi-perspectival approach, each brother makes his case for himself (although the last word belongs to their mother). Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Introduction: Outright Hokum 12 The Unoriginal, Unreasonable, Unrealistic Blockbuster 17 Critical Mass: The Maturing of the Masala Film 21 The Social Message of Escapism: Travels in an Idealized Moral World 29 Bombay as Allegory: The Geography of Time 36 Methodology: Sugar Coated, Homeopathic . . . or Bullshit? 42 Chapter 1. Amar: Straight Shooter 47 Here’s a Story of a Man Named Kishanlal, Who Was Busy with Three Boys of His Own 48 Adoptive Fathers and Lovely Ladies 52 Rehabilitating Fallen Women with Love and Fraud 61 Rehabilitating the State in the Bedroom 65 The Buried Gun: Disciplined Celibacy and Muscular Hinduism 71 Seminal Statecraft: Shiva and Rama 73 The Gun Unburied: Amar, Kishanlal, and Manmohan 79 Chapter 2. Akbar: Parda and Parody 85 From Emo to Hero (via Urdu) 87 Akbar of Allahabad 93 Doomed Past: Lucknow 97 Chaudhvin Ka Chand (“Moon of the Fourteenth” or “Full Moon”) 98 Mere Mehboob (“My Darling”) 99 Palki (“The Palanquin”) 101 Pakeezah (“The Pure One”) 102 When Is a Veil Not a Veil? 103 Parody behind the Parda 108 Man behind the Curtain 118 This Is True, It’s No Story 121 Chapter 3. Anthony: Amar Akbar Irony 126 Item Number One: “I Am Alone in the World” 127 Item Number Two: One Is a Lonely Number 132 Item Number Three: Anthony and Jesus, Fifty-Fifty 134 Item Number Four: My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves 137 Item Number Five: The Irony of Anthony as Apotheosis 144 Item Number Six: The Hemoglobin in the Atmosphere 155 Chapter 4. Maa—! 161 Anthony and the Bad Mother 162 Akbar and the Wayward Mother 172 Amar and the Righteous Mother 185 Maa and the Cosmic Mother 201 Conclusion: Excuse Me, Please 210 Appendix: Film Synopsis 218 Prologue Sequence: The Historical Nation as Slum 219 Time Lapse into the Present 223 Title Sequence and First Song 225 Neighborhood Antics and Second Song 226 Enter Lakshmi: Romance and the Redemption of Middle-Class Hindu Respectability 228 Reversal of Fortune: Kishanlal and Robert 229 Amar and Anthony: Fictive Brotherhood between Real Brothers 232 Enter Jenny: Christian Hybridity and Third Song 235 Three Models of Romance and Fourth Song 239 Muslim Social Subplot and Fifth Song 242 Zabisko Makes His Move 245 The Scales Fall from the Eyes: Bharati’s Redemption and Sixth Song 249 Akbar and Salma United, Kishanlal and Amar Reunited 252 Anthony Loses One Father and Regains the Other 255 Masquerade 257 Seventh Song and Finale 260 Notes 264 Bibliography 312 Acknowledgments 326 Index 330 A Bollywood blockbuster when it was released in 1977, "Amar Akbar Anthony" has become a classic of Hindi cinema and a touchstone of Indian popular culture. Delighting audiences with its songs and madcap adventures, the film follows the heroics of three Bombay brothers separated in childhood from their parents and one another. Beyond the freewheeling comedy and camp, however, is a potent vision of social harmony, as the three protagonists, each raised in a different religion, discover they are true brothers in the end. William Elison, Christian Lee Novetzke, and Andy Rotman offer a sympathetic and layered interpretation of the film s deeper symbolism, seeing it as a lens for understanding modern India s experience with secular democracy. "Amar Akbar Anthony" s celebration of an India built on pluralism and religious tolerance continues to resonate with audiences today. But it also invites a critique of modernity s mixed blessings. As the authors show, the film s sunny exterior only partially conceals darker elements: the shadow of Partition, the crisis of Emergency Rule, and the vexed implications of the metaphor of the family for the nation. The lessons viewers draw from the film depend largely on which brother they recognize as its hero. Is it Amar, the straight-edge Hindu policeman? Is it Akbar, the romantic Muslim singer? Or is it Anthony, the Christian outlaw with a heart of gold? In this book s innovative and multi-perspectival approach, each brother makes his case for himself (although the last word belongs to their mother)." A Bollywood Blockbuster When It Was Released In 1977, Amar Akbar Anthony Has Become A Classic Of Hindi Cinema And A Touchstone Of Indian Popular Culture. Delighting Audiences With Its Songs And Madcap Adventures, The Film Follows The Heroics Of Three Bombay Brothers Separated In Childhood From Their Parents And One Another. Beyond The Freewheeling Comedy And Camp, However, Is A Potent Vision Of Social Harmony, As The Three Protagonists, Each Raised In A Different Religion, Discover They Are True Brothers In The End. William Elison, Christan Lee Novetzke, And Andy Rotman Offer A Sympathetic And Layered Interpretation Of The Film's Deeper Symbolism, Seeing It As A Lens For Understanding Modern India's Experience With Secular Democracy--book Jacket. Introduction: Outright Hokum -- Amar: Straight Shooter -- Akbar: Parda And Parody -- Anthony: Amar Akbar Irony -- Maa-! -- Conclusion: Excuse Me, Please. William Elison, Christian Lee Novetzke, Andy Rotman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The 1977 blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony about the heroics of three Bombay brothers separated in childhood became a classic of Hindi cinema and a touchstone of Indian popular culture. Beyond its comedy and camp is a potent vision of social harmony, but one that invites critique, as the authors show.