When a legend from one field congratulates another legend from a different field, it's a special occasion. But Sachin Tendulkar's way of wishing Amitabh Bachchan after the latter was announced as the latest recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke Award was truly special.
Sachin didn't just post a simple, straightforward and off the cuff statement on Twiiter. Instead, the 'Master Blaster' quoted one of the most iconic lines that the Bollywood superstar has uttered in a movie.
The legendary former Indian batsman didn't just quote the dialogue from Angeepath which Bachchan delivered with such authority that it has become immortal, but also praised the iconic actor in a most poetic and lavish manner.
"Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Poora Naam. Baap Ka Naam Dinanath Chauhan, Maa Ka Naam Suhasini Chauhan. Gaon Mandwa. Umar 36..." a line that gives me goosebumps even today! May you continue to win hearts across the globe, Amit ji," wrote Tendulkar on his Twitter timeline.
He followed this statement with a beautiful tribute in Hindi to the man set to be conferred the Dada Saheb Phalke Award. "Kirdar anek par shahenshah bas ek (Characters many but emperor just one)." The word shahenshah is a reference to one of the popular movies of Bachchan.
The Big B, as he is popularly called, has won every award imaginable in India. He has been accorded Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Dada Saheb Phalke award is the latest in the kitty of arguably, the biggest superstar that Bollywood has.
Sachin, due to being a Mumbaikar, has been in touch with top Bollywood actors over the years and is friends with many. Not surprisingly, the biggest star of Bollywood and his counterpart in cricket also share a good rapport.
Agneepath, the movie whose dialogue was quoted by Sachin, was released in 1990 and starred Bachchan in an intense role. It was directed by Mukul Anand and produced by Yash Johar. The title of the movie comes from a famous poem penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, father of Amitabh and one of the most renowned Hindi poets in modern times.
The movie was initially declared a flop due to the collections falling below the budget. However, with the passage of time, it started to attain fame and ended up being regarded as a classic and one of the many great works in Bachchan's oeuvre.
The film was remade in 2012 by producer Yash Johar's son Karan and starred Hrithik Roshan in the role that Bachchan had essayed in the original. The fact that Tendulkar gets 'goosebumps' due to that line shows how much he must have liked it.
