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Bollywood News Updated Oct 5, 2025

When Amitabh Bachchan revealed how his characters in 'Anand' & 'Zanjeer' were similar

Amitabh Bachchan recently shared fascinating insights about two of his most iconic roles. He revealed that both his characters in Anand and Zanjeer were essentially rebels at heart. The Big B explained that if Zanjeer had released first, its powerful character might have overshadowed his gentle Babu Moshai role. Ultimately, both characters represented different forms of rebellion against societal injustices.

Mumbai, Oct 5

Amitabh Bachchan has delivered some memorable roles during his tenure as an actor spanning decades. Let's turn back the clock to the time when Big B revealed how his characters in the movies "Anand" and "Zanjeer" were similar.

During an old interview, Amitabh was asked, "The role you played in Anand still remains fresh in the memory of the viewers. Later, you went on to do vivid roles in various films, but for a very long time, the image of an angry young man stayed with you. What can be the reason for that?"

Big B responded with the claim that if "Zanjeer" had been released before Anand, his character "Babu Moshai" would have never come forward, as his character in "Zanjeer" was extremely powerful.

Amitabh said, "It is a matter of destiny that a movie like Anand was released before a film like Zanjeer. If Zanjeer had been released earlier, it is possible that my character 'Babu Moshai' from Anand would never have come forward because my character in Zanjeer was so powerful that it would have surpassed every other character."

He added that both his characters in "Anand" and "Zanjeer" were revolting against something they believed was wrong.

"Babu Moshai from Anand was in a way the same character as the police officer from Zanjeer, because the doctor from Anand also had the suppressed tendency to revolt, something which was observed by a very few people. He was also revolting against the regular norms of the doctors at the time. He did not like giving various pills to cure a patient.

The same revolve ended up changing form in Zanjeer as well," Amitabh added.

Drawing parallels between the two characters, Big B added, "However, the character in Zanjeer came out much more positive, and a physical form of that revolt. A police officer who faced injustice and was wrongfully terminated goes to Pathaan's lane and says, "I am not in uniform anymore, let's talk now". It was more exciting than a doctor whose revolt is more internal - 'Why are people making money out of these medicines?'"

— IANS

Reader Comments

Rohit P

Anand will always be my favorite Bachchan role. The subtle rebellion of Dr. Bhaskar against the medical system was so beautifully portrayed. "Babu Moshai" remains iconic! ❤️

Aditya G

Interesting perspective but I respectfully disagree. Both characters were powerful in their own right. Zanjeer's Vijay might have been more dramatic, but Anand's Dr. Bhaskar had deeper philosophical rebellion. Both deserve equal recognition.

Sarah B

As someone who grew up watching these films with my Indian grandparents, this analysis is fascinating! The common thread of rebellion makes so much sense. Bachchan's ability to portray different shades of protest is remarkable.

Vikram M

"Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi" - Anand's philosophy still resonates. Both characters fought against systems, just in different ways. That's the beauty of Amitabh's acting range.

Kavya N

This makes me want to rewatch both films! The internal struggle of Dr. Bhaskar versus the external anger of Vijay - both revolutionary for their time. Bachchan sahab truly understood his characters deeply.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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