16 Years of Bunty Aur Babli: The Rare Con Film That Didn’t Con The Audience

Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji as the two charming con artists and Amitabh Bachchan as the cool cop made this comedy sparkle on the celluloid.

Hindi Cinema hasn’t done the genre of heist pretty well. We have names that made a lot of noise on the ticket windows but went numb on the screen and we also have names that sank without a sight. Fortunately for Yash Raj Films, 'Bunty Aur Babli' escaped from ticking off both the above boxes. It starred the then sensational lead pair, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji as the titular characters.

Bollywood is known for writing and birthing characters that take to crime due to external circumstances and internal conflicts. Unlike ‘Satya’, where the protagonist was literally sucked into this dingy world, the leads of Shaad Ali’s comedy choose to walk on this path by choice, albeit after failing to break through their respective fields. Jaideep Sahni, who penned the screenplay, nailed the nuances of this flamboyant and feisty duo and the space they occupy.

Sahni’s stories have always understood the essence of the small-town India many other filmmakers struggle to imbibe in their direction. It’s not only about shooting in small towns and hiring actors who can speak in the accent, the magic lies in the writing. Back in 2005, both Bachchan and Mukerji were in top form, blending into any world the directors threw them in. Mukerji, in particular, showed a drastic range as a performer (She was coming after the aching performance in ‘Black’). 

Bunty and Babli’s con stories are obviously filmed for comic reliefs, and it’s not as much as their sharpness and wit as it’s the dumbness and naïveté of their victims, two of them being the veteran star Ranjit and the budding Brijendra Kala. Enters Dashrath Singh, played by Amitabh Bachchan exactly how he buoyed with his acts in his peak. The name suggests he shall be a nightmare for the duo, and he is. 

But Ali doesn’t let the film end before the father-son duo has a moment to cherish for a lifetime. The trump card was the pulsating music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The surprise pack of the lot was the thunderous ‘Kajra Re’ number, where Alisha Chinai’s voice was as seductive as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s aura. It’s a song for the ages and the sequel better come up with something that can equal the legacy of this comedy, at least in terms of music.

2005 can be regarded as one of the greatest years for the two Bachchans and Rani Mukerji. They never displayed the same range as actors again. And with 'Bunty Aur Babli', they gave us a con film that thankfully didn’t con the audience. 

Also Read: Bunty Aur Babli, Dhoom, Special 26: Fun money heist movies you shouldn't miss

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