Baghban (2003 film)

Baghban (transl. Gardener) is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, co-written and produced by B. R. Chopra. It tells the story of an elderly couple, Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) and Pooja (Hema Malini), who have been married for 40 years. After Raj retires, they reunite with their four sons (Aman Verma, Samir Soni, Saahil Chadha, and Nasir Khan) to discuss who will support them. None of the sons want to take care of both parents, causing Raj and Pooja to live separately.

Baghban was conceived by producer and co-writer B. R. Chopra during his 1960s trip across Europe, when he visited a retirement home and was inspired by the householders' story. It was inspired by a Marathi movie "Tu Tithe Mi" by Smita Talwalkar. In one of the interview it was told that, special screening was set for Mr. Bachchan for the Marathi movie Tu Tithe Mi, later the movie was remade in Hindi as Baghban. Although the screenplay was finished in 1973, Chopra did not begin production for decades because he was busy with other projects. After he revived it, principal photography began in July 2002 in Film City with cinematographer Barun Mukherjee. During post-production, it was edited by Shailendra Doke, Godfrey Gonsalves, and Shashi Mane. Baghban's soundtrack was composed by Aadesh Shrivastava and Uttam Singh, with lyrics by Sameer.

The film premiered at the Leeds International Film Festival on 2 October 2003, and was released worldwide the following day. With a production cost of ₹100 million (US$1.3 million), the film was a commercial success; earning ₹431.1 million (US$5.4 million) at the box office, Baghban was the year's fifth-highest-grossing Indian film. It received mixed reviews from critics; Bachchan and Malini's performances were praised, but the film's storyline and the chemistry between the lead actors were criticised. They received the Screen Award for Jodi No. 1, however, and Bachchan and Malini were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress at the 49th Filmfare Awards. Over the years via airing on television channels, it has gained cult status.