The Great Gambler (1979) is a Hindi action thriller film whose director was Shakti Samanta and stars Amitabh Bachchan in a double role, along with Zeenat Aman, Tanuja, and others.
The film begins with drama concentrating on Amitabh Bachchan’s character, Vikram, a charming and talented gambler. The movie introduces the audience to a world of deceit, intrigue, and high-stakes gaming. In the early scenes, Vikram is presented as a man of flair, knowledge, and attitude who has a perfect knack for winning at gambling. He is a well-respected yet enigmatic character.
The Great Gambler Movie Cast and Crew
- Director: Shakti Samanta
- Writer: C. J. Pavri (adaptation), Vrajendra Gaur (dialogues)
- Screen player: Shakti Samanta, Ranjan Bose
- Story teller: Vikramaditya (Bengali novel)
- Producer: C. V. K. Shastri
- Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh
- Cinematographer: Aloke Dasgupta
- Editor: R. P. Bapat, Pran Mehra
- Musician: R. D. Burman
- Director: Shakti Samanta
- Writer: C. J. Pavri (adaptation), Vrajendra Gaur (dialogues)
- Screenplayer: Shakti Samanta, Ranjan Bose
- Story teller: Vikramaditya (Bengali novel)
- Producer: C. V. K. Shastri
- Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh
- Cinematographer: Aloke Dasgupta
- Editor: R. P. Bapat, Pran Mehra
- Musician: R. D. Burman
- Genres: Action, Crime, Romance, Thriller
- Release date: 6 April 1979
- Running time: 163 minutes
- Country: India
- Language: Hindi
Story of the film
Since he can remember, Jay has been a skilled gambler who has never lost a game. Because of his abilities, he attracts the notice of Ratan Das, an underworld don who wants to hire him to defraud wealthy individuals of their money and then use that money to influence them to do his bidding. Jay consents to do so and, although unaware of it, plays well to catch government employee Nath. After suffering significant financial losses, he is blackmailed into disclosing the designs for a top-secret military laser weapon that can strike any target within 50 miles. Saxena, an underworld don, is after him. Upon learning about this, the Indian police send the case to Inspector Vijay, who resembles Jay.
When Vijay and Jay each go to Rome on different missions, their paths quickly cross. One of his former goons sends Vijay to gather information against mafia don Saxena, while Jay is up to a money-making ploy in which he would marry Mala in order to inherit her wealth. Vijay, on the other hand, agrees to accompany Mala to the Rome airport in order to identify his lookalike. Jai encounters Shabnam, a club dancer who believes he is Vijay, and is sent by Saxena to catch him when he is trying to learn about Saxena’s schemes. The fact that Jay and Vijay are truly long-lost twin brothers is subsequently disclosed, and they work together to prevent Saxena from obtaining the laser weapon.
Star Cast
- Amitabh Bachchan as a Jay / CID Inspector Vijay (Double Role)
- Zeenat Aman as a Shabnam
- Neetu Singh as a Mala
- Prem Chopra as a Ramesh / Abbasi
- Madan Puri as a Ratan Das
- Sujit Kumar as a Marconi
- Utpal Dutt as a Mr. Saxena
- Roopesh Kumar as a Sethi
- Helen as a Monica
- Iftekhar as a Deepchand
- Jagdish Raj as a Nath
- Om Shivpuri as a CID Head Sen Verma
Production of the film
Amjad Khan was originally cast as Saxena, but he was unable to continue after a car accident, so Utpal Dutt took his place.
Music/Songs of the film
- “O Deewanon”……Asha Bhosle
- “Tum Kitne”……Asha Bhosle
- “Raqqasa Mera”……Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi
- “Pehle Pehle”……Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle
- “Do Lafzon Ki”……Asha Bhosle, Sharad Kumar
The song “Do Lafzon” was shot on the Gondola in Venice’s Grand Canal.
Interesting facts
The movie uses the incredibly popular disco song “No Woman, No Cry” by Boney M. When Amitabh and Neetu Singh dance in the restaurant’s lounge, the song plays. Amitabh and Neetu Singh would be dancing to international disco music for the second time. The first would be Carl Douglas and Biddu’s “Dance The Kang Fu” from the 1976 film Adalat. The third instance would be in the 1981 film Yaarana. Herb Alpert’s international disco classic “Rise” was the music to which Amitabh and Neetu Singh danced.
“I was six months pregnant with Ahlam when I was on an outdoor shooting when that car accident happened near Goa, at Sawantwadi,” said Shehla, Amjad Khan’s wife. He had wheels. He began to turn the tape over. To prevent the accident., he crashed the vehicle into a tree. It was a serious mistake. He was admitted to the hospital in Goa after breaking his rib cage. I went into labor too soon. I was also seriously hurt. After being relocated from Goa to Bombay, he had to be taken directly to Nanavati Hospital. For months, he stayed there. He was a fitness enthusiast, but his physical activity decreased after the accident.
Despite being one of the busiest heroines of the era, this was Zeenat Aman’s only 1979 release. Following the successful 1978 releases of Don, Shalimar, and Satyam Shivam Sundaram, she was occupied with filming the following series: Dostana, Insaaf ka Tarazu, Ram Balram, Qurbani, Abdulah, Alibaba, and 40 Chor. These films were released in 1980 and strengthened her status as the second most popular heroine after Hema Malini. Her sole competitor was Rekha, who would quickly surpass her and take the top spot thanks to Khubsoorat and Umrao Jaan.
Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan portrayed gloomy characters who eventually become hopeful. One of the twins, Jai, is working with Samant to defraud government officials in the casino, while Shabnam is working with Ramesh and Marconi to blackmail Jai. Both are employed by the villains.
Movie review
With a plot that centers on the world of high-stakes gambling, crime groups, and excitement, the movie blends aspects of crime, action, and suspense. Bachchan received a lot of praise for her dual part, and the film had a compelling plot with unexpected turns.
Despite its dull box office performance, The Great Gambler was praised for Bachchan’s star power and gripping story. The film’s notable soundtrack also includes the well-known song “Rakhwala.” All things considered, it is a sleek and enjoyable movie for those who enjoy action-packed crime thrillers, but it is still considered a cultural classic more because of its entertaining qualities than because of its positive reviews.
References
- Wikipedia contributors. (2024c, October 14). The great Gambler. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gambler
- The Great Gambler (1979) 6.4 | Action, crime, romance. (1979, April 6). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079236/
