This was the time period when Abhishek Bachchan was struggling hard. Really hard. He was in need of a hit, something that was eluding him for long. A rustic attempt like Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost promised something exciting for Abhishek but that didn't turn out to be the case as the film failed at the box office. There were just no takers for this film despite Lara Dutta adding on to the glamour quotient.
Meanwhile for Amitabh Bachchan, there were two releases this year which were embarrassing to say the least. Boom was an epic vulgar disaster that happens only once in a decade and it was totally out of question for Amitabh Bachchan's fans to give it a nod of approval after they saw it. To begin with, they gave the film a rousing reception, courtesy some striking visuals and three striking babes. However, the word of mouth was out and out negative on the first day itself, something that pushed the film out of business before first week came to a close. Fact One: Katrina Kaif made her debut with this film. Fact Two: This is one of the only 2-3 flops that she has given in her career so far.
If one looks at the directorial debut of Rakesyh Omprakash Mehra, Aks, one can well say that life came full circle for him and Bachchans with Delhi 6. When released, Aks had huge hype preceding it. The film opened well too but the moment negative word of mouth started spreading, there was only downfall that followed. One of the most criticized films of the year, it did feature Amitabh Bachchan in an author backed role but was way ahead of it's times.
For son Abhishek too, there were demons to fight as his Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai didn't find any takers. This was the time period when Abhishek was desperately trying to find a foot in the industry and nothing really was working for him. The debacle of Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai only added to his woes.
This was the year when each of the three Bachchans had a disappointment to their names. Amitabh and Aishwarya came together for Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, the most unsung movie ever coming from the house of David Dhawan. While Dhawan was having a golden run with Govinda and Salman Khan till then, he opted for Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn for this film. The film was not just one of the most ignored multi starrer of the year (it also starred Sanjay Dutt), it failed to find any mention even in the years after that.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Bachchan was trying his luck with friends and agreed to feature in Guruduv Bhalla's debut film Sharaarat. It also turned out to be his last as the film found total rejection coming its way. A disaster at the box office, it is also the least talked about. No wonder, the film isn't even been seen on home video as its DVDs never hit the stands.
This was a year when irony was at its worst for Abhishek Bachchan. His Yuva is still considered to be his best ever act till date. While the film is being revisited time and again and often compared to be a far better affair than Ratnam's Raavan and Dil Se, the fact is that on its release Yuva was panned by many. Also, it was a major flop at the box office as not just did it fail to take an opening, it didn't even see much word of mouth coming its way despite an all star studded cast.
For Aishwarya too there was disappointment galore as her off screen romance with Vivek Oberoi failed to translate into anything magical on screen in Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa. The film was panned by one and all and audience too gave it a royal miss. What promised to be a spicy saga on screen turned out to be a damp squib, hence turning out to be a much ignored affair. Incidentally, Amitabh Bachchan too featured in this film that has long ago been forgotten.
Earlier this week, we went through the 'once-a-year' disaster that has been evidenced coming from the house of Bachchans. While their journey from 2006-2010 has been explored, now is the time to look at how things haven't been quite rosy for the first half of the decade.
2005
Amitabh Bachchan had decided to help his friend Romesh Sharma when it came to launching his son in Dil Jo Bhi Kahey. A long in the making film, it turned out to be a disastrous affair at the box office. Releasing without much fanfare, it featured Amitabh Bachchan in a lengthy role but audience were still not enticed enough. Result was a total rejection where not many even bothered to check out the film in theaters. A film that would have been forgotten by Bachchan himself by now.
For Aishwarya Rai too, the year brought it with some disappointment as her Shabd turned out to be one of the major flops of the year. An abstract theme coupled with a terrible movement in the film's narrative meant that despite a good act, Aishwarya had to suffer with a flop under her belt.
