Trident
(Trishul)

The year 1978 not only sees A. Bachchan’s popularity beat all previous records but he is also nominated as best actor for three films! This time, however, the angry young man invented by the Khan-Akhtar duo has more personal motivations. Vijay, the illegitimate and unrecognised son of an industrialist, seeks revenge against his father for abandoning his pregnant mother, now deceased. Rolling out a star-studded cast headed by Big B, Yash Chopra continues to prove himself one of Bollywood’s most influential directors. But could it be that one the film’s effects is to shed light on the previous films – behind an obviously commercial ambition, the Chopra-Khan-Akhtar trident seems to assert its Balzac-like vision of society? JB