Bunty Aur Babli

Plot

Rakesh Trivedi, a young man from the small village of Fursatganj, dreams of achieving great success and is constantly devising new business ideas. His father, a railway ticket collector, wants him to pursue a stable government job, but Rakesh is determined to escape a conventional life. After being given an ultimatum by his father, he leaves home to pursue his ambitions.

In another village, Pankinagar, Vimmi Saluja aspires to become Miss India and dreams of a glamorous life, despite her parents arranging her marriage to a conventional suitor. Rejecting their plans, she also runs away from home.

Rakesh and Vimmi meet at a railway station and quickly bond over their shared aspirations. They attempt to pursue their dreams in separate ways—Rakesh by pitching business ideas, and Vimmi by entering the Miss India pageant—but both face exploitation and rejection. After being deceived by a businessman who steals Rakesh’s idea, the duo con him in retaliation. Realizing the potential of con artistry, they adopt the aliases "Bunty" and "Babli" and begin executing elaborate scams across the country.

Disguising themselves as religious leaders, bureaucrats, investors, and tour guides, they carry out a series of flamboyant cons that capture nationwide attention. As their notoriety grows, so does their relationship, and they eventually marry.

Their exploits attract the attention of JCP Dashrath Singh, a stern police officer committed to capturing them. As Singh closes in, Bunty and Babli decide to abandon their criminal lifestyle for the sake of their newborn child. However, Singh eventually catches them. Moved by their genuine remorse and their desire to reform, he releases them, believing their criminal lives to be over.

Three years later, Singh offers them a second chance—as government operatives working to uncover and stop other con artists, giving their skills a new purpose in service of the law.

Cast

• Amitabh Bachchan as JCP Dashrath Singh
• Abhishek Bachchan as Rakesh Trivedi / Bunty
• Rani Mukerji as Vimmi Saluja / Babli
• Raj Babbar as T. T. Chandra P. Trivedi, Bunty's father
• Talluri Rameswari as Mrs. Trivedi, Bunty's mother
• Puneet Issar as Mr. Saluja, Babli's father
• Kiran Juneja as Mrs. Saluja, Babli's mother
• Pratima Kazmi as Phool Sakhi
• Prem Chopra as the Sikh Truck Driver
• Rajesh Vivek as Protestor
• Ranjeet as Showroom Manager
• Ravi Baswani as Hotel Owner in Mussoorie
• Sanjay Mishra as Q. Q. Qureshi
• Virendra Saxena as Police Commissioner
• Yunus Parvez as Hotel Owner
• Anupam Shyam as Raj Kapoor Tiwari
• Brijendra Kala as Mehmood Bilal
• J. Brandon Hill as Harry Epstein
• Kunal Kumar as Newspaper Salesman
• Lilliput as a trumpet player
• Shiamak Davar as a dancer in the song 'Nach Baliye' (special appearance)
• Shaad Ali in a special appearance in the title song
• Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as a bar dancer in the song 'Kajra Re' (special appearance)

Production

Development

The narrative was loosely inspired by the 1967 American film Bonnie and Clyde, though adapted into a distinctly Indian setting, combining crime and comedy through the journey of two small-town dreamers who become notorious con artists.

To portray the spirited character of Rakesh "Bunty" Trivedi, Abhishek Bachchan underwent a significant physical transformation, reportedly losing around 12 kilograms.

Casting

Hrithik Roshan was offered the role of Bunty. However, after he rejected the role, Abhishek Bachchan was cast.

Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji were cast in the lead roles as Bunty and Babli, respectively. Amitabh Bachchan was cast as JCP Dashrath Singh, a police officer determined to catch the duo. This marked the first time the father-son duo, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, appeared together on screen.

Costume designer Aki Narula created an iconic look for Mukerji, outfitting her character in vibrant short kurtis and Patiala salwars. The bold and colorful styling not only matched Babli's vivacious personality but also sparked a major fashion trend across India following the film’s release.

Filming

Principal photography took place across several Indian cities including Kanpur, where scenes were shot at Thaggu Ke Laddu, Bada Chauraha, and the Kanpur Central Railway Station. Varanasi provided spiritual and cultural texture, with sequences shot at Nandeshwar Ghat.

Agra served as a romantic backdrop with the Taj Mahal featured in key scenes, while additional scenes were filmed at Film City, Mumbai.

Reception

Box office

Bunty Aur Babli emerged as a major commercial success. Released on 27 May 2005, the film grossed approximately ₹904 million (US$11 million) worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year, behind No Entry. It performed strongly in both domestic and international markets, with the popular soundtrack and the hit song "Kajra Re" contributing to its box office appeal. The film also enjoyed sustained popularity through television broadcasts and home media.

Critical response

Bunty Aur Babli received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its energetic performances, witty script, music, and vibrant styling. Namrata Joshi of Outlook described Abhishek Bachchan as “perfect as Bunty” and noted Rani Mukerji's ease in playing to the gallery. She also lauded Amitabh Bachchan’s performance and the widely appreciated item number “Kajra Re.” Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com called the film “a delicious dessert” and praised its blend of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Catch Me If You Can (2002), noting that the film “wouldn't be the same without Abhishek and Mukerji’s enthusiastic performances.”

Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu said the film “totally banks on charm” and succeeds due to its colorful characters and charismatic leads. Avijit Ghosh of The Telegraph praised the film's portrayal of “splintered yearnings of small-town India,” calling it an ambitious and largely successful effort.

Influence

Bunty Aur Babli not only made an impact at the box office but also left a significant cultural imprint. The stylized portrayal of con artists inspired several real-life criminal cases across India, where individuals cited the film as an influence on their methods.

One notable incident involved Sushant and Kajal, a married couple from Darjeeling, who used a photo frame scam to defraud businesses and explicitly referenced the film when caught. Another couple, Suresh and Rekha, mirrored the film’s tactics in their fraudulent activities and admitted to drawing inspiration from the characters. In yet another case, Shahnaaz Bano and her brother-in-law Sajid Ahmed were arrested for using disguises to shoplift and smuggle luxury items, echoing Bunty and Babli’s methods.

Soundtrack

Aditya Chopra

The soundtrack for Bunty Aur Babli was composed by the musical trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics by Gulzar and Blaaze. It was released on 15 April 2005 under the Yash Raj Music label. Initially, A. R. Rahman was approached to compose the music, having previously collaborated with director Shaad Ali on Saathiya (2002), but he declined due to scheduling conflicts.

The album featured energetic dance numbers and romantic tracks, performed onscreen by lead actors Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji. The song "Kajra Re", featuring Aishwarya Rai in a special appearance alongside the Bachchans, became a major hit and was especially praised for its choreography and visual appeal.

According to Box Office India, the soundtrack sold approximately 1.9 million units, making it the second highest-selling Hindi film album of 2005.

Track listing

Lyrics by Gulzar except where noted.

Reception

The music of Bunty Aur Babli received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its originality, energy, and lyrical composition. Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com described the album as "over-the-top, uninhibited, rustic and teasing," calling it “one helluva musical masala.”

Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama noted the departure from traditional Yash Raj musical stylings, writing, “Bunty Aur Babli does not contain your routine Yash Chopra genre of music choreographed around the meadows and Swiss Alps. They are more of situational rhythmic tracks that take a story forward.”

Glamsham highlighted the contribution of lyricist Gulzar, noting, “Throughout this zany, zingy and zippy album, the 70-year-old Gulzar imbues a youthfulness that comes from being young at heart... You can't miss its zest for life or its lunge towards a luscious nirvana obtained from looking at life through rose-tinted glasses.”

Accolades

|- style="background:#d9e8ff;" ;Total number of awards and nominations |- | | | |- style="background:#d9e8ff;" |}

Sequel

Main article: Bunty Aur Babli 2

In December 2019, Yash Raj Films announced a sequel titled Bunty Aur Babli 2, directed by Varun V. Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra. The film starred Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji as the original Bunty and Babli, alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi and debutante Sharvari Wagh as a new con duo. Initially scheduled for release on 26 June 2020, the film was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was eventually released theatrically on 19 November 2021.

Although set 16 years after the events of the original, the character of Bunty was portrayed by Khan, replacing Abhishek Bachchan. Upon release, the sequel received mostly negative reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office.

Legacy

Rani Mukerji’s performance in Bunty Aur Babli has been cited as one of the most notable of her career. Her portrayal of Babli became widely popular, and the character was later named by Rediff.com as one of Bollywood's most beloved characters. The on-screen pairing of Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan was also recognized by Bollywood Hungama, which listed them among the top 10 best romantic couples of the decade.

The film’s soundtrack enjoyed widespread popularity, with songs like “Kajra Re” becoming major chart-toppers. The song was voted as the best song of 2005 by listeners of three South African Indian radio stations. The film’s influence extended internationally; Japanese manga artist Hidekaz Himaruya, creator of Hetalia, embedded the video for “Dhadak Dhadak” on his blog, leading to a surge of fan interest in the track.

Bunty Aur Babli was remade in Telugu as Bhale Dongalu in 2008, starring Tarun, Ileana D'Cruz, and Jagapathi Babu. In 2013, Time Out placed the film at number 63 in its list of “The 100 Best Bollywood Movies.”

Notes

References

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