Customer Reviews

Baghban

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Baghban (The Caretaker )is about an older couple (Amitabh Bachchan & Hema Malini) who have remained in love and devoted to each other, and have lived their marriage focused on their 4 natural sons and one adopted son (Salman Khan). They are good people who are loved by their friends but their geneority to their children means they retire with no money. They ask their sons that they live with them. All 4 natural sons and their wives resist this as it messed with their established lives. They offer a plan that Mum and Dad be split up and that each takes turns at putting one up. They aren't very generous with the parent they do have and treat them badly. Meanwhile Dad has befriended the childless owner of a local café/bookstore (Paresh Rawal) and his wife (Lillete Dubey) and they encourage him to write his story. Eventually adopted son and new wife rescue the pair and friends have arranged the publishing of the father's writings.
While it was a little slow in parts (and quite long) I became quite involved in this one. It is well acted -though Salman Khan was trying to play himself down as humble so much he was almost unnecessarily low key at times. The sons and wives were a bit stereotyped too. However this movie had some very thoughtful and poetic passages on love and relationships, and I found myself quite moved and drawn into it.
Frequenters of Bollywood are familiar with various plays on intergenerational relationships. We have seen amazing happy intergenerational families under the same roof; egotistical controlling parents dictating to their kids how to live with no real care for the child; and this sort - good parents with self-focused kids. This one was a bit deeper than usual and did leave me thinking of the balance between togetherness and freedom between generations that the West has taken into the free/ disconnected end (often as a reaction to experiences of control, blindness and suffocation from the opposite experience in earlier centuries).
It was also an exploring of a deep long-lasting marital relationship and how love can be when people are considerate and tuned in. I wouldn't have given it the ending they did but others may disagree with me on that.
Amitabh, Hema, Paresh & Lillete are especially good and the screenplay rich. The music was fine but mostly I can't recall much of it. The fact it brought me to tears at times (usually in a good way!) I always rate highly. Though it's fair to say some find it overdone in the melodrama too!
Elsewhere on the Net it scores above average and it was nominated for, and won a range of awards. A keeper.

This was an excellent movie. the first Indian movie i've seen i watched because a friend just couldn't stop talking about it. The movie is long like 3 hours but you get lost in the story. It is such a wonderful family movie and so refreshing, non violent and clean something almost impossible to find anymore even in a cartoon! It is very impressive to find something truly entertaining and a great story line. It is romantic, the scenes that show dancing are fabulous. I love the couple in this movie. A lot about the movie is realistic. I think it was definlety written from an older persons perspective but it is great to see it made me call my mom just to say i love you after seeing it. Its a reminder of how much we should respect and cherish our parents. No matter the mistakes they made we should remember the good and treat them with the dignity we hope to be treated with when we are their age. If you like a great love story, great writing and a clean movie this is for you!

Baghban is a movie that everyone should see at least once. It is a movie about love. It is a movie about family. It is a movie about three generations. It is a movie about heartbreak and hope. It is a movie about disrespect within those who are close and honour among those who are close. It is a movie about the attitude of the ungrateful vs one who is forever indebted.

This is what a movie should be. If you see one Indian movie this year, make it this one. You will be glad you did. Amitabh bachchan is one of the greats. Salman Khan acts as the adopted son. I have so much respect for him because I heard that Shahrukh Khan turned down the role thinking that it was only a small role. If there was ever a great role to play, this was it and shame on SRK for turning down this part.

This film is well done. We enjoyed it. Laughed. Cried. There weren't elements that we found objectionable to children. There weren't really too many 'religious' elements and there wasn't any bad language, violence, or immorality that we could see.

This movie is very emotional....children should learn to give love for their parents and not separate them.

"Parents are not the ladders to children to grow up but are roots of children's success" these are small things which often neglected ...in the movie the children separate the parents and at the age where they need love they are denied...righteously they deserve the punishment...

Amitabh and Hema Malini excelled in their respective roles and emotions shown by them were able to bring tears in my eyes, especially when they are separated.

Baghban, should be shown to every child to let them know the value of parents.

This movie is so different from the high violence, high sex, low morals drivel that drives Hollywood productions these days. I watched this movie on the high recommendation of a cousin who asked "have you ever watched Indian movies", to which my answer was "no". Mind you this is quite a bit different from western movies; also getting used to reading the subtitles and the theatrical acting style. However it is nicely filmed and before you know it the story line has sucked you in -- my husband and I both shed buckets (of tears) as the story got going. (PS: my husband rarely watches movies, but watched this and enjoyed it). If you want to try something different that has a REAL story line and content that you can actually sit down and watch with your family, try this movie.

I borrow this movie from my niece a few months ago, I loved it so much that I decided to buy my own and it was the best money I spent. I almost watch this movie every other week. It such a nice story and the I love the music so very much. All of them are so great actors specially Armitha. I LOVE THIS MOVIE A LOT! I don't mind the subtitles but the plot is great. WATCH IT - YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

I hate to use the word CHEESY, but I have to! The premise of this movie from India is in metaphor. Baghban means Caretaker, one who nutures garden. Or, a caretaker loves a tree with a shadow because the shade of the tree will provide. The belief is that if you devote your life to your children, in return, you will be guaranteed comfort.

The movie is based on a metaphor, fantasy, reality and sprinkled with lengthy dance musical numbers that only Bollywood provides. Baghban, at three hours long focuses on Raj who has had nearly a perfect life, retiring from a bank job, married for 40 years to a beautiful loving wife, and he raised five beautiful sons. He gave all to his sons, including caring love and kindness. At retirement, there is no money, and he believes that his sons will take him and his wife into their homes, lovingly..... Wrong.

Plot
Married for 40 years and retired, Raj and Pooja are forced to live separately as their sons reluctantly take them, rotating and separating the parents. In separate homes and "in the way" they become a disruption to the family. Alas, the "orphan turned adopted good son" arrives.

Cheesy unoriginal scenes
You will have to see these to believe how blatantly cheesy they are. What I would expect from a good director is to convey to me, the viewer, scenes that allow me to think on my own, even if just for a while. The director was quick to shove these numerous exaggerated scenarios in our face. This is insulting.

Unanswered Question???
If a man and wife raised four children with strong emotional loving, caring bonds, to lead successful lives, how could all four sons possibly be as inconsiderate and cold as they were? The two elements don't jive!!

Use of English language, Pepsi and Ford Surprisingly,
English phrases are used throughout and Pepsi and Ford take their spot prominently.

If you want a true family relationship movie that rings similar to this, try director Ozu's 50's Tokyo Story - Criterion Collection. You will see great work! Rizzo