Baghban
- Director
- Ravi Chopra*, *Harish RazdanVishal DesaiYatin Dang
- Studio
- B.R. Films
- Release Date
- 1 January 1938
- Running Time
- 181 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Box Office
- ₹4.16 Cr
Review
Amitabh Bachchan and Harivansh Rai Bachchan's *Baghban* tackles a genuinely uncomfortable subject—the abandonment of elderly parents by their ungrateful children—with a sincerity that elevates it beyond typical melodrama. Bachchan's performance carries a quiet dignity through scenes of domestic rejection, while Salmaan Khan's Alok provides the film's emotional anchor, embodying the son by choice rather than blood. Director Govind Nihalani approaches the material with restraint, avoiding the overwrought sentimentality that could have derailed this narrative. The film's strength lies in how it refuses easy answers; the parents aren't martyrs seeking forgiveness, but individuals confronting the heartbreaking gap between sacrifice and gratitude.
However, the second half falters considerably as the emotional truth gets swallowed by contrived plot resolutions and a screenplay that doesn't trust its own premise. The rotating-custody arrangement, which is conceptually devastating, becomes a vehicle for disconnected vignettes rather than a coherent exploration of fractured family bonds. Supporting characters lack dimension—the sons feel more like caricatures of ingratitude than complex people caught between filial duty and modern pressures. Compared to other films examining generational conflict like *Rishta Kagaz Ka* or *Khubsoorat*, *Baghban* has more emotional weight but less nuanced character development. The film's melodramatic final act, while moving, suggests Nihalani lost fai
Storyline
So basically, this movie is about this elderly couple, Raj and Pooja, who've been married for decades and have built this whole life together. They've got four biological sons and also adopted and raised this orphaned kid named Alok, who they treated just like their own son. After Raj retires, they're in a tough spot financially, so they decide they want to move in with their kids to be taken care of. Sounds reasonable, right? But here's where it gets messy—their sons are actually pretty selfish about it.
The sons come up with this plan to rotate their parents around—basically passing them off to different kids every six months instead of having them stay permanently with one family. Raj and Pooja are heartbroken but desperate enough that they agree to it, even though it means they'll be separated from each other too. What follows is this really sad journey where they experience neglect and mistreatment from their own children. Raj ends up staying with a couple of his sons while Pooja gets shuffled around, and they're both just dealing with disappointment and loneliness the whole time.
Meanwhile, Raj pours his pain into writing—reflecting on everything he's done for his kids and how they've repaid his love with coldness. Pooja goes through her own hardships while living with her sons' families, though there are some touching moments too, like when she helps her granddaughter out of a bad situation. After about six months of this arrangement, Raj and Pooja finally get some time together again in a place called Vijaynagar, and that's when things start to shift in unexpected ways.