It's 22 years since Bachchan and Hema Malini came together for a film. Their pairing started way back in 1973 with Kasauti when Hema ruled the roost and Bachchan was a mere prop. 22 years ago, they came together for Satte pe satta. Whilst, Bachchan usually paired with Rekha or Zeenat Aman and Hema usually with Dharmendra or Shashi Kapoor, Baghban brings them together and even after so many years, there is a freshness in the pair, not seen either in the Amitabh-Rakhee pairing in Ek Rishtaa or Amitabh-Jaya in K3G.
Baghban is a story as old as the hills.

Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) and Puja Malhotra (Hema Malini) are on the verge of celebrating 40 years of marriage. But here we find two people who are as attached to each other now as they ever were. The love is strong as is the companionship that exists between the two. Shown in a typical bollywood fashion with Puja coming to the door before Raj is even able to knock, it still drives home the point that this couple is very much a couple. They have four sons, three of whom are married and one unmarried. There is another “adopted son” (Salman Khan) whom Raj and Puja had brought up as one of the family. It’s all happy families until Raj decides to retire. the parents now want to be able to spend the rest of their lives with their children and leave it to the children to decide who would take on their responsibility first.

Sitting by themselves, the parents wonder that the delay in reaching a decision between the children must be because all of them must be fighting to take precedence over the other to look after them. The truth could not have been more different as they come to find out when their children state that each son agrees to take care of one parent for a period of six months. The reasoning being that each child wants a bit of each parent. Shocked, Raj refuses to be split up from Puja stating that 'They want to separate us, not share our love.' Puja however believes that this is out of sheer love and Raj eventually agrees.
Slowly reality dawns on both Raj and Puja. Both are relegated into the background and treated with derision and a lack of respect. Wives take precedence over the weak-willed sons and as Raj has no money to speak of, there is no real need to have to pander to him. Raj atleast meets with a couple (Paresh Rawal and Lilette Dubey) who ease his loneliness but Puja is caged indoors without anyone for company or a say in anything. It is a miserable life for both of them and they yearn to be together. Into their lives comes Alok (Salman) and his wife Arpita (Mahima). But Raj and Puja move on.

What makes Baghban different is not the story but the manner in which is relayed to us. There have been umpteen films in the past but they dealt with situations which were extreme. Mothers would be turned into naukranis and the bahus would come across as harridans with leather whips tucked away in their back pockets. The torn clothing and the mass of white hair accompanied indignities that befell these poor people. Not so in Baghban. Puja and Raj are a modern yet traditional couple. Being old does not mean that you are past looking nice. Puja here does not have even one white hair and hats off to her. This couple is a couple that have spent their lives, happily, giving all to their kids and yet maintaining their own lives for the sake of each other.
Ravi Chopra puts together a sincere and sensitive product which at times, suffers from small bouts of extremes. Alok’s character, his re-emergence into the lives of Raj and puja and some of his excesses are cringeworthy but seek to show, as in black and white, the difference between him and the true blood of the Malhotras. The scene with Puja arriving at the disco to save the to-be molested granddaughter is straight out of bollywood with hema’s “you scoundrel” going down a scream.

Chopra’s depiction of the Bahu is also somewhat hackneyed and whilst there are other inconsistencies, by and large, the product as a whole is engrossing without being too melodramatic and for once, ends with a befitting climax. Raj and Puja eventually come out unscathed although you wonder of all those who do not have that financial ability and left at the mercy of their unappreciative children
Amitabh Bachchan brings great restraint and sensitivity to his role although one could have done without the many songs that he has sung. In fact, the telephone call between Raj and Puja, the subject of a song was much more moving when the two spoke to each other than when Raj sings to her.

Still, Bachchan once again shows what a consummate performer he is in a solid and yet very moving performance. Hema Malini is a pure delight, looking beautiful and lending her character with tremendous grace and charm. It is her regal presence which lifts this film a notch or two above your usual run of the mill drama. It is really a film which is made by these two lead performances and by the charm of the lead pair. Paresh Rawal and Lillette Dubey are there for some light relief in what could have become a much heavier film. The rest of the cast is fine. Music is ordinary.

Old fashioned charm. Highly recommended.