Black: Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji’s cathartic film turns 18

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s critically acclaimed film Black, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, turns 18. Released in February 2005, the movie follows the life of a deaf-and-blind girl Michelle and her bond with her elderly teacher Debraj, who himself develops Alzheimer’s disease later. Regarded as a one-of-a-kind narrative in the world of Hindi cinema, Black was also co-written by Bhansali, along with Bhavani Iyer and Prakash Kapadia.

A cathartic tale, in which a teacher brings a ray of light into the dark world of a young woman, who cannot see, hear and speak, Black was well-received by fans and critics alike. In fact, it was declared a blockbuster hit at the box office too. The movie also featured actors Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel and Dhritiman in supporting roles.        

As the film completed 18 years on February 4, Bhansali Productions took to Instagram to share a special video. “Here’s to incredible performances, timeless learnings and an inspiring story of a teacher and a student! #18YearsOfBlack”, they captioned the clip. 

The Bhansali directorial received three National Awards - under the ‘Best Feature Film’, ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Costume Design’ categories. Meanwhile, Black also received four Filmfare Awards - ‘Best Film’, ‘Best Actor, ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Supporting Actress’.

Soon after the production house shared the video, fans flooded the comment section and dropped red hearts and fire emoticons. “Proud of Rani acting like Michelle thanks Sanjay for this movie in 2005 and brought Rani to be the best actress,” a fan commented, while another user wrote, “What a gorgeous film from start to finish! The score beautifully compliments the cool toned cinematography. Rani Mukherjee gives the performance of her career with such vulnerability and nuance! Black truly makes me want to be a better person every time I watch it! Thank you @bhansaliproductions, and especially for using the snow score in the logo!”

Cut to the stars’ upcoming projects, Rani’s new drama film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, directed by Ashima Chibber, is releasing on March 17, 2023. Amitabh, on the other hand, will be seen in Nag Ashwin-directed Project K, alongside Deepika Padukone, Prabhas and Dulquer Salmaan. Big B is also working on the Indian adaptation of the 2015 film The Intern, which starred Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.