''Amar Akbar Anthony'' is a

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language

masala film Masala films of Indian cinema are those that blend multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still being created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely blend action, comedy, romance, and drama, or melod ...

directed and produced by

Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s. Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of ...

and written by

Kader Khan Kader Khan (22 October 1937 – 31 December 2018) was an Indian actor, screenwriter and film producer. As an actor, he appeared in over 300 Bollywood films after his debut in the 1973 film '' Daag'', starring Rajesh Khanna, as a prosecuting l ...

. Released in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

on 27 May 1977, the film stars an

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

Vinod Khanna Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Kapoor (4 September 1952 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. In a career spanning 50 years, he is regarded as one of the most successful and accomplished actors in Hindi cinema. ...

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...

, Neetu Singh,

Parveen Babi Parveen Sultana Wali Mohammad Khanji Babi (; 4 April 195420 January 2005) was an Indian actress and model, who worked in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses of the 1970s and the 1980s, she appeared in over 70 films and was the first ...

Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi cinema, Hindi film industry has spanned Shabana Azmi filmography, over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist paral ...

Nirupa Roy Nirupa Roy (born Kokila Kishorechandra Bulsara; 4 January 1931 – 13 October 2004) was an Indian actress who had appeared in Hindi films. Noted for her portrayals of tragedy and sorrow, Roy was known for her acting ability, and was uncharitabl ...

and Pran. The plot focuses on three brothers separated in childhood who are adopted by families of different faiths;

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. They grow up to be a

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

, a

qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...

singer and the owner of a country bar, respectively. The

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

album was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyrics were written by

Anand Bakshi Anand Bakshi (21 July 1930 – 30 March 2002) was an Indian poet and lyricist. He won Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist 4 times during his career. He wrote over 6000 film songs in more than 300 films. Early life Anand Bakshi (Bakshi Anand Pr ...

. The film earned at the Indian

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...

, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of that year, alongside '' Dharam Veer'' and ''

Hum Kisise Kum Naheen ''Hum Kisise Kum Naheen'' () is a 1977 Indian masala film produced and directed by Nasir Hussain. It stars Rishi Kapoor, Tariq, Kaajal Kiran, and Amjad Khan, with Zeenat Aman in a special appearance. It took the third top spot at the box ...

''.

Religious tolerance Religious tolerance or religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, ...

became a landmark theme in

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

s, building on the masala formula pioneered a few years earlier by Nasir Hussain's '' Yaadon Ki Baaraat'' (1973). ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' also had a lasting impact on pop culture with its catchy songs, quotable one-liners, and the character of Anthony Gonsalves (played by Bachchan). It won several awards at the 25th Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor, Best Music Director and Best Editing. It was later remade in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

as '' Shankar Salim Simon'' (1978), in Telugu as ''

Ram Robert Rahim ''Ram Robert Rahim'' is a 1980 Indian Telugu-language masala film directed by Vijaya Nirmala, produced by Uppalapati Suryanarayana Babu and written by Tripuraneni Maharadhi. The film is a remake of the 1977 Hindi film '' Amar Akbar Anthony' ...

'' (1980), and in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

as '' John Jaffer Janardhanan'' (1982). In

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, the film was unofficially remade in Punjabi as ''Akbar Amar Anthony'' (1978).

Plot

Kishanlal, a

chauffeur A chauffeur () is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or a limousine. Initially, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to s ...

, is released from

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

on 15 August 1955, after serving a sentence for the fatal hit-and-run

accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not deliberately caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that the event may have been caused by Risk assessment, unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Many researchers, insurers ...

committed by his employer, crime lord Robert. Despite Robert's promises, Kishanlal returns home to find his wife Bharati suffering from TB and their three sons starving. Enraged, Kishanlal confronts Robert to beg for his assistance, only to be humiliated, abused and disowned. Turning the tables on Robert's henchmen, Kishanlal escapes in a car loaded with smuggled

gold bullion A gold bar, also known as gold bullion or a gold ingot, is a quantity of refining, refined metallic gold that can be shaped in various forms, produced under standardized conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record-keeping. Larger varietie ...

, pursued by Robert's goons. Arriving home, Kishanlal finds Bharati gone; her

suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...

explains her shame and despair. Taking his sons with him, he eludes pursuit to place the boys at the foot of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

in Borivali National Park, leaving the eldest in charge. He drives off to mislead Robert's goons, but after a fiery car crash both the police and Robert's people believe Kishanlal and his sons are dead. The three children become separated. Amar, the eldest, runs after his father, is knocked down by Robert's goons and adopted by

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Police Superintendent Khanna. Middle son Anthony goes in search of food for his crying baby brother; left alone, Raju is found and adopted by kindly

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

Darji Ilahabadi. Returning to find no one, Anthony shelters from a

storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

outside a nearby Catholic

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, falling asleep from exhaustion. The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, Father Gonsalves, discovers him and Bharati's suicide note and adopts him. Each will be reared in the religions of their adoptive fathers: Hindu, Islam and Christianity. Elsewhere: Bharati is caught in the storm and struck blind by a falling

branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...

- divine punishment for leaving her sons. She is rescued and dropped off home by Mr. Ilahabadi, but cannot see Raju beside him; at home she is told her family is dead. Kishanlal escapes the car crash and finds Robert's gold; returning to the empty park a rich man – he is devastated to be alone. Twenty-two years pass. Bharati, now a flower seller, is the victim of a hit-and-run accident outside a church and is rushed to a

private hospital A private hospital is a hospital not owned by the government, including for-profit and non-profit hospitals. Funding is by patients themselves ("self-pay"), by insurers, or by foreign embassies. Private hospitals are commonly part, albeit in var ...

by Anthony, the

moonshining Moonshine is high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries hav ...

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

of the neighborhood. Raju, now called Akbar and a popular ''

Qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...

'' singer, is at the hospital to romance Dr. Salma Ali because her grumpy father Taiyyab Ali disapproves of him. Amar is the police inspector who arrives to check on the accident case. All three men dontate blood to save Bharati's life, unaware they are related. Later, Amar tracks down

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

robbers Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

and meets Lakshmi, forced by her abusive criminal stepmother and stepbrother Ranjeet to act as bait to protect her elderly,

wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...

-bound grandmother. Together they take evidence and arrest the stepmother, and Amar gives sanctuary to Lakshmi and her grandmother in his home. With Robert's gold Kishanlal became a wealthy crime lord in his own right. Kidnapping Robert's infant daughter Jenny in revenge for his lost family, he reared her as his 'niece' and sent her to school abroad. He also destroyed Robert's organization, forcing a grovelling Robert to work for him while begging for his daughter's return. In the middle of a smuggling operation Kishanlal's gang are raided by police: in the chaos Robert takes a crate of Kishanlal's smuggled gold and shoots Superintendent Khanna (Amar's 'father'), badly wounding him. With the gold Robert reinstates himself as a crime lord and plans to get Jenny back and kill Kishanlal, hiring Ranjeet in the process. Jenny returns from abroad and Anthony falls head over heels in love with her during

Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...

services. Bharati, taken hostage by Robert, suffers a minor

head injury A head injury is any injury that results in trauma to the skull or brain. The terms ''traumatic brain injury'' and ''head injury'' are often used interchangeably in the medical literature. Because head injuries cover such a broad scope of inju ...

while escaping; miraculously, her

sight Visual perception is the ability to detect light and use it to form an image of the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment. Photodetection without image formation is classified as ''light sensing''. In most vertebrates, visual percept ...

is restored at a festival hosted by Akbar in honor of

Sai Baba of Shirdi Sai Baba of Shirdi (), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master considered to be a Hindu saints, saint, and revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. According to accounts from his life, Sai ...

. Further, she identifies Akbar as Raju from a childhood

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, or more generically referred to as an ''image'' or ''picture'') is an image created by light falling on a photosensitivity, photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor. Th ...

with Mr. Ilahabadi, while he recognizes her as the blind woman he drove home that fateful night. Akbar rescues Salma and Taiyyab Ali from a

house fire A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various types of residential, commercial or industrial buildings, such as barn fires. Residential buildings range from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments an ...

set by Taiyyab's blackmailing former mistress. A grateful Taiyyab gives permission for Akbar and Salma's marriage, leading to Akbar and Amar discovering they are brothers, Kishanlal and Bharati their parents. Events take a drastic turn when Kishanlal is double-crossed by Jenny's

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

Zebisco, who takes her to Robert in exchange for her hand in marriage. Father Gonsalves and Lakshmi see her abducted, but Lakshmi is also taken by Ranjeet and Robert murders Father Gonsalves – planting Kishanlal's

Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...

as a 'clue.' Through Father Gonsalves' death Anthony discovers that Kishanlal and Bharati are his parents and Amar and Akbar his brothers. The brothers take action to infiltrate Robert's

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

. Akbar, made suspicious when strangers try to collect Jenny's wedding dress, disguises himself as an elderly dithering tailor who goes with them to make last minute alterations. He sends a letter to his adopted father which Salma reads, and she joins him as his 'assistant/wife' to help the girls escape. Amar and Anthony waylay and impersonate the

one-man band A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform. The simplest type of "one-man ban ...

and

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

priest on their way to Robert's to marry Jenny and Zebisco. Rejoicing in their reunion, the brothers celebrate as they go after Robert, Zebisco, Ranjeet and the remaining goons. Happy that he is alive, Bharati is distraught to learn Kishanlal will go to prison for his crimes, but he reassures her: their reunited family is the only thing that matters to him. Superintendent Khanna, recovered from Robert's attack, briefly releases Kishanlal so that he may embrace his sons. The film ends with the brothers and their sweethearts joyfully driving into the

sunset Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...

Cast

as Amar Khanna, the eldest son *

as Anthony Gonsalves, the middle son *

as Akbar, the youngest son *

as Jenny *

as Lakshmi * Neetu Singh as Salma *

as Bharati (Amar, Akbar and Anthony's mother) * Pran as Kishanlal (Amar, Akbar and Anthony's father) * Jeevan as twins Robert and Albert **

Tom Alter Thomas Beach Alter (22 June 1950 – 29 September 2017) was an Indian actor. He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Early life Born in Mussoorie ...

as the voice of Albert * Yusuf Khan as Zebisco (Jenny's bodyguard), credited as Yusuf *

Mukri Mohammed Umar Mukri (5 January 1922 – 4 September 2000), popularly known as Mukri, was an Indian actor, who worked as a comedian in Hindi films. Born as Muhammad Umar Mukri in Uran. He started his film career with the film ''Pratima'' along ...

as Taiyyab Ali (Salma's father) * Nazir Hussain as Father Gonsalves (Anthony's adoptive father) * Kamal Kapoor as Superintendent Khanna (Amar's adoptive father) * Hercules as Raghu *

Shivraj Shivraj (; 1920 – 3 June 2017) was an Indian actor. Selected filmography *'' Singaar'' (1949) *'' Andolan'' (1951) (He played a key role) *'' Patita'' (1953) *'' Devdas'' (1955) *'' Seema'' (1955) *'' Dekh Kabira Roya'' (1957) *'' Miss Mar ...

as Mr. Ilahabadi (Akbar's adoptive father) * Protima Devi as Lakshmi's grandmother *

Moolchand Moolchand Kapoor was a prolific character actor in Hindi and Panjabi cinema, who was active from 1950 to his death in the late 1980s. He appeared in over 250 films. These films spanned the parallel cinema of Guru Dutt to the wrestler films of D ...

as Pedro (Robert's friend) * Master Bittu as Young Amar * Master Ravi as Young Anthony * Baby Sabina as Young Jenny * Master Tito as Young Akbar * Helen as Fake Jenny (special appearance) * Nadira as Lakshmi's stepmother (special appearance) * Madhumati as Bijli (special appearance) *

Ranjeet Ranjeet (born as Gopal Bedi; 12 September 1942) is an Indian actor and film director. He has mostly played villain roles in over 200 Hindi films. He has also played a positive character in the TV series '' Aisa Des Hai Mera''. He has also ...

as Ranjeet, Lakshmi's stepbrother (special appearance)

Production

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' has a cinematic antecedent in

Yash Chopra Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the reci ...

's 1965 film '' Waqt'', in which a father's three sons are separated from each other. ''Waqt'' also inspired the 1976 super-hit diamond jubilee Pakistani film '' Talash'', starring Shabnam and

Nadeem Nadeem/Nadim/Nadiem/Nedim () is an Arabic masculine given name. It means "best friend of the drinker", "companion", "confidant", or "friend". The name is common among many communities, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, in the Greater Middle ...

. However, ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was slated to release in 1975, prior to ''Talashs release. Prayag Raj wrote the film's screenplay, while

wrote the dialogue. The character of Anthony Gonsalves was named after the famous composer and teacher of the same name, whose pupils included Pyarelal (of Laxmikant–Pyarelal, the composer duo of the film) and R. D. Burman. Booth, p. 3 Director Manmohan Desai had planned for Amitabh's character to be named “Anthony Fernandes,” with Bakshi's song entitled “My Name is Anthony Fernandes.” However, the song didn't go well with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Composer Pyarelal then recalled his famous violin teacher and suggested that the character's last name be changed to “Gonsalves.” Booth, p. 5 The nonsensical monologue preceding the "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" sequence was taken in part from an 1878 speech by British politician

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

in reference to W. E. Gladstone.

Filming

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was Manmohan Desai's first film as an independent film producer. The film was shot over a month at

Ranjit Studios Ranjit Studios, also known as Ranjit Movietone, was an Indian film production company with studio facilities located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. The studio was founded by Chandulal Shah along w ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. Some exterior and interior shots were filmed at the Mount Mary Church in

Bandra Bandra ( æːɳɖɾa is a coastal suburb located in Mumbai, the largest city of the Konkan division in Maharashtra, India. The area is located to the immediate north of the River Mithi, which separates Bandra from the Mumbai City district. It ...

, Mumbai and at the Don Bosco School, Wadala, Mumbai respectively. Shooting was scheduled so that the entire cast didn't have to appear together except for the climactic sequence and the title song ("Anhoni Ko Honi"), where they all perform as a group. However, the shooting went over schedule, which required

and

to shoot their scenes separately so they could leave towards the end of production to work on other films.

Analysis

''Amar Akbar Anthony'' incorporates a strong element of secularism within a Bollywood masala film. Analysts such as Virdi (2003) and Kavoori & Punathambekar (2008) note that the themes of Desai's "magnum opus" include

religious pluralism Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religion, religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following: * Recognizing and Religious tolerance, tolerating the religio ...

and secular nationalism. Philip Lutgendorf hints that the separation of the three children on Indian Independence Day is akin to the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

. Similarly, Vijay Mishra (2013) argues that the film reaffirmed India's "liberal ethos." The three religions represented by the titular characters are the "pillars of the nation:" when they work together, they can restore life to their mother (represented when they donate blood during the opening title sequence) and beat any evil (symbolised by their common villain). The characters' reunion with their parents completes the nationalistic

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

, suggesting that what was lost at independence can be regained. The film's masala style is evident in its plot and characters. According to Varia (2013), ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' was conceived as a tragedy but later incorporated many other genres. Dickson (2016) commented that the film featured a plot that was so complex that it would "give even

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

migraines." Some authors also highlight the archetypal character of the suffering and self-sacrificing mother (Roy). However, Dinesh Raheja concludes that "ultimately, the show belongs to Amitabh Bachchan. In a tailor-made role, he has the audience in stitches. Despite his playing an implausible character, one quickly surrenders one's reservations in favour of a rollicking romp."

Music

''Amar Akbar Anthony''s soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, with lyrics penned by

. It proved as popular and successful as the film itself. The vinyl record, released on

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

, was the first LP that was coloured pink. Some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry of the time provided vocals for the songs: *

Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern India ...

for Bachchan *

Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It is commonly used as a male given name in India. People with the name Mukesh include: * Mukesh (singer) (1923–1976), Indian playback singer from ...

and

Mahendra Kapoor Mahendra Kapoor (9 January 1934 – 27 September 2008) was an Indian playback singer. In a long career spanning decades, his repertoire included popular songs such as ''Chalo ekbaar phir se Ajnabi ban jayen hum dono'' ( Gumrah) and ''Neele Gagan ...

for Khanna *

Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...

and Shailendra Singh for Rishi Kapoor *

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...

for Azmi, Neetu Kapoor and Babi The song "Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyar" is notable for bringing Mukesh, Kumar, Rafi and Mangeshkar together for the first and only occasion in their careers. The film also features a comical '' filmi qawwali'' entitled "Parda Hai Parda" sung by Rafi, with a single line (for Bachchan) supplied by an uncredited

Amit Kumar Amit Kumar (born 3 July 1952) is an Indian playback singer, actor, music composer. Kumar launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music. He predominantly worked in Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, ...

(Kishore Kumar's son).Diptakirti Chaudhuri, "Bollygeek: The Crazy Trivia Guide to Bollywood", Hachette India, 2021.

Release

The Emergency Period delayed the release of several of

's films. As a result, four of Desai's films, '' Dharam Veer'', '' Chacha Bhatija'', '' Parvarish,'' and ''Amar Akbar Anthony'', were released in 1977. Incidentally, all of these would be amongst the top-grossing films of the year.

Marketing

For the film's marketing,

eraser An eraser (also known as a rubber in some Commonwealth countries, including South Africa from which the material first used got its name) is an article of stationery that is used for removing marks from paper or skin (e.g. parchment or vellu ...

s with the images of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan were sold to students. Posters, postcards, and song booklets of the film were sold in shops. Colourful vests and metal crosses that were similar to the ones worn by Bachchan in the film achieved popularity.

Reception

The film grossed at the Indian box office and was the highest-grossing Bollywood film at the Indian Box Office for the year 1977. It has since been regarded as one of the most iconic films of Indian cinema. Adjusted for inflation, the film has grossed approximately 423 crores ($51 million) as of 2023.

Accolades

In 2023, Time Out ranked it #10 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."

Bibliography

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References

External links

* {{Manmohan Desai 1970s Hindi-language films 1970s Indian films 1970s masala films 1977 films Films about organised crime in India Films directed by Manmohan Desai Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal Films set in Mumbai Films shot in Mumbai Hindi films remade in other languages Secularism in India