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19 years of Bunty Aur Babli! A look back at Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan's timeless chemistry
The Bunty Aur Babli anniversary shines a light on Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan's versatile collaboration, spanning from romance to drama.
May 27, 2024
Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan in a still from Bunty Aur Babli
Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan are two Bollywood mainstays whose magnetic on-screen chemistry has made an everlasting impression, and the 19th anniversary of Bunty Aur Babli is the ideal time to explore their mesmerising collaborations. Their work together has been a source of joy for audiences across a wide range of genres and styles, from the comedy Bunty Aur Babli to the moving Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna which depicts complicated relationships. With their mesmerising performances, Rani and Abhishek have never failed to enthral audiences. Their films take audiences on captivating journeys through love, drama, and intrigue, whether they're playing the eponymous duo or navigating the complexities of love and ambition.
As we commemorate the timeless enchantment of Bunty Aur Babli let us set out on a cinematic journey through their filmography, where each role showcases their extraordinary talent and indisputable chemistry.
Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan films to watch on OTT
Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai (Prime Video; ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium]; ShemarooMe [OTTplay Premium])
Goldie Behl wrote and directed the 2001 romantic drama Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai. Jackie Shroff, Abhishek Bachchan, Sushmita Sen, and Rani Mukerji are the film's stars.
Abhishek Bachchan plays the role of Suraj, a humble villager who travels from Benaras to Mumbai in pursuit of higher education. A beautiful girl named Pooja (Rani Mukerji) has captured his heart. They dither for a while, but eventually they declare their love for one another. Suraj is full of aspiration. He looks up to the cunning media magnate Naved Ali (Jackie Shroff), whom he admires. Eventually, Suraj's courageous act of saving a critically injured man impresses Naved Ali. When Naved finds out that Suraj is interested in starting a new channel, he sends his racy coworker Lara (Sushmita Sen) to recruit him. Lara starts to step in for Pooja as the naive youth gradually matures into a cunning businessman. Unfortunately, Pooja's attempts to persuade Suraj of the pointlessness of the situation are fruitless. A career in the upper class is something Suraj is hell-bent on achieving. Pretty soon, he will have a mansion, fast cars, and all his other desires fulfilled. His innocence, however, has slipped away. After some time, Suraj learns that Naved Ali, who wants to be the country's prime minister, has used him for his own power struggles and has evil intentions.
Yuva (Netflix)
In 2004, Mani Ratnam directed the political drama Yuva. Mani Ratnam, who was also filming Aayutha Ezhuthu in Tamil, based the film on the life of George Reddy, an Osmania University of Hyderabad scholar, and only loosely adapted his work. A tragic event on Kolkata's Howrah Bridge alters the course of three young men's lives, and the film follows their experiences as they come from diverse social backgrounds. The film presents parts of the storyline as hyperlinks. This film features the acting talents of Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Esha Deol.
Lallan (Abhishek), Michael (Ajay), and Arjun (Vivek), despite their ideological differences, share a common drive to achieve. Lallan is a corrupt politician's employee, in contrast to Micael, an idealistic youth leader who also transforms Arjun into one. Unlike Lallan, who is only interested in making sure wonderful things never happen, Michael and Arjun want to use their prosperity for good.
Abhishek Bachchan portrays Lallan Singh, a politician who relies on his goons for support. Rani Mukerji portrays Lallan's battered wife, Shashi Biswas Singh.
Bunty Aur Babli (Prime Video)
Shaad Ali directed and Yash Raj Films produced the crime comedy Bunty Aur Babli in 2005. Jaideep Sahni wrote the screenplay, which was based on an idea by Aditya Chopra. The film is the first of many collaborations between Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan (the father and son, respectively) and Rani Mukerji; it is based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. Junior Bachchan and Rani portray the titular con artists, while Big B portrays the DCP, whose sole mission is to apprehend them.
Abhishek Bachchan plays the character Rakesh who is constantly planning, thinking, and inventing. His grand ambitions are starting to feel out of scale with his little community. An unlikely young woman in another region of India, Vimmi (Rani Mukerji), has a crinkled nose and lives in a small town. She has no interest in becoming a wife. She claims that the rest of the world lusts after her as "Miss India." Accordingly, they opt to stage a coup. Rakesh and Vimmi cross paths during their separate adventures. And thus, the myth of Bunty and Babli was born in an instant of mistaken truth. Through a series of capers, we follow the couple as they assume a variety of roles, including spiritual guru and secretary, gangster and moll, business partners, a pregnant woman and her husband, homeless people, and lovers caught in a downpour. Elephants, explorers, hoteliers, chai boys, rajas, power brokers, shaadi bandwallahs, millionaires, investors, ministers, and one irate policeman, DCP Dashrath Singh (Amitabh Bachchan), are all objects of their wrath as they run amok.
Hum Tum (Prime Video)
Written and directed by Kunal Kohli, Hum Tum is a romantic comedy film from 2004. It is an adaptation of the 1989 English film When Harry Met Sally... produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films. Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji are the main stars of the film, which also features Jimmy Sheirgill, Kirron Kher, Rati Agnihotri, Rishi Kapoor, and a special cameo by Abhishek Bachchan. Two characters, Karan and Rhea, cross paths multiple times in Hum Tum each time in a different setting.
The movies often exaggerate the beauty of real life. First sight doesn't necessarily spell love. It usually takes a long time for a relationship to develop, stretching from "boy meets girl" to "boy gets girl." Hum Tum offers a new perspective on the age-old conflict between the sexes via the experiences of Saif Ali Khan's Karan and Rani Mukerji's Rhea. His cartoons "Hum" and "Tum" illustrate how cartoonist Karan perceives the unique love-hate dynamic between the sexes. Rhea is confident, well-mannered, and sensitive; she is unafraid to stand up to men and can give as good as she gets. When they first met, they didn't have much in common. However, fate has other plans, as their paths continue to cross for the next decade, during which they go from hating each other to respecting each other, becoming friends, and ultimately... Hum Tum provides a new angle on the difficulties "every man" and "every woman" encounter when trying to understand one another in a movie universe that presents oversimplified depictions of the intricate dynamics between sexes.
Abhishek Bachchan played Rhea's first husband, Sameer Khanna, in a cameo role.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Netflix; Prime Video)
Karan Johar directed and Shibani Bathija co-wrote the romance drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna in 2006. Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Preity Zinta, and Kirron Kher are among the film's lead stars. The film, addressing issues of infidelity in marriages and unhealthy relationships, promoted itself with the slogan "A Love That Broke All Relationships." Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna primarily takes place in New York City, narrating the story of two married individuals, Dev and Maya, who ultimately fall in love with each other.
The protagonists, Dev and Maya, are both married and sure of their happiness in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna until they cross paths. A professional football player named Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) has his career cut short due to an accident. Preity Zinta portrays his wife, Rhea, who is enjoying a successful career. Kirron Kher portrays Kamaljit, Dev's mother, who resides with them and their child, Arjun (Ahsaas Channa). Rani Mukerji portrays Maya, a nursery school teacher, while Abhishek Bachchan plays a PR consultant and her husband. The joy of his son and daughter-in-law is at the centre of Samarjit Singh's (Amitabh Bachchan) life.
Despite their underlying discontent, the two spouses appear satisfied. However, things begin to shift as Dev and Maya become closer through a fortuitous encounter. They develop a bond of friendship after experiencing an odd connection. Their time together quickly led to problems. Because of their newfound connection, Dev and Maya examine their marriages from different angles and confront problems they hadn't previously encountered. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna revolves around the many characters' reactions to this life change.
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (Prime Video)
Pradeep Sarkar directed the 2007 drama film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Journey of a Woman which featured Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Kunal Kapoor, and Abhishek Bachchan among its actors. Things don't work out the way Badki (Rani Mukerji), a girl from a small hamlet in Banaras, had hoped when she landed in Mumbai to make a decent life for her family back home. Konkona Sen Sharma's character, Chutki, her younger sister, confronts her and reveals her secret life. This unexpected confrontation sets off a chain reaction that engulfs the entire family in chaos. The world is about to burst apart, wreaking havoc on them. Rohan Verma, played by Abhishek, falls for Rani's character despite being aware of her secret double life.
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