The Great Gambler
Encyclopedia
The Great Gambler is a 1979 Bollywood
film
, starring Amitabh Bachchan
and Zeenat Aman
. The film which is known in Hindi as Sabse Bada Zuari was directed by Shakti Samanta. In spite of the big names involved, this film flopped at the box office but did decent business in Mumbai
and has attained cult status.
) is an expert gambler, has been for as long as he can remember, and has never lost a game. These skills bring him to the attention of the underworld don Saxena (Utpal Dutt
), who is interested in hiring him to win large amounts of money from rich people and then influencing them into doing whatever he wants. Jai agrees to do so, and plays successfully, though unknowingly to entrap Nath (Jagdish Raj
) who works for the government. After losing large amounts of money, he is blackmailed into revealing the blueprints of a top-secret military
laser
weapon that can hit any target within 50 miles. When the Indian police come to know of this, they assign the case to Inspector Vijay (also Amitabh Bachchan), who is asked to apprehend Jai at any cost. The only problem is that Inspector Vijay is Jai's look-alike, and is not at all a good gambler.
After this Jai and Vijay get confusingly mixed up as Jai and Vijay both coincidentally are sent to Rome
where Vijay is sent to retrieve evidence against underworld don Saxena by his former henchman and Jai is onto a money-making scheme where he would marry his rich girlfriend Mala (Neetu Singh
) to inherit her money. Mala however mistakens Vijay for Jai at the Rome airport and Vijay decides to go along with this to find out who his lookalike is. Jai meanwhile meets Shabnam (Zeenat Aman
), a club dancer who has been sent by Saxena to distract Vijay and stop him on his mission to retrieve evidence against Saxena. However Shabnam mistakens Jai for Vijay and Jai is embroiled into killing Saxena's former henchman to retrieve the blueprints of the laser weapon.
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, starring Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
and Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970...
. The film which is known in Hindi as Sabse Bada Zuari was directed by Shakti Samanta. In spite of the big names involved, this film flopped at the box office but did decent business in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and has attained cult status.
Synopsis
Jai (Amitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
) is an expert gambler, has been for as long as he can remember, and has never lost a game. These skills bring him to the attention of the underworld don Saxena (Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
), who is interested in hiring him to win large amounts of money from rich people and then influencing them into doing whatever he wants. Jai agrees to do so, and plays successfully, though unknowingly to entrap Nath (Jagdish Raj
Jagdish Raj
Jagdish Raj Khurana is a former Bollywood actor who holds a Guinness World Record record for being the most type-cast actor. He has played a police inspector in 144 films. He was born in 1928 in the town of Sargodha, British India, which is now in Pakistan...
) who works for the government. After losing large amounts of money, he is blackmailed into revealing the blueprints of a top-secret military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
weapon that can hit any target within 50 miles. When the Indian police come to know of this, they assign the case to Inspector Vijay (also Amitabh Bachchan), who is asked to apprehend Jai at any cost. The only problem is that Inspector Vijay is Jai's look-alike, and is not at all a good gambler.
After this Jai and Vijay get confusingly mixed up as Jai and Vijay both coincidentally are sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where Vijay is sent to retrieve evidence against underworld don Saxena by his former henchman and Jai is onto a money-making scheme where he would marry his rich girlfriend Mala (Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
) to inherit her money. Mala however mistakens Vijay for Jai at the Rome airport and Vijay decides to go along with this to find out who his lookalike is. Jai meanwhile meets Shabnam (Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970...
), a club dancer who has been sent by Saxena to distract Vijay and stop him on his mission to retrieve evidence against Saxena. However Shabnam mistakens Jai for Vijay and Jai is embroiled into killing Saxena's former henchman to retrieve the blueprints of the laser weapon.
Cast
- Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
.... Double role (Jai/Inspector Vijay) - Zeenat AmanZeenat AmanZeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970...
.... Gopi - Neetu SinghNeetu SinghNeetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
... Mala - Madan PuriMadan PuriMadan Puri was an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films.-Early life:Madan Singh Puri was born in Nawanshahr, Punjab to S. Nihal Singh Puri and Ved Kaur...
.... Ratan Das - Iftekhar ... Deepchand
- Utpal DuttUtpal DuttUtpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
.... Saxena - Helen .... Monica (Dancer)
- Jagdish RajJagdish RajJagdish Raj Khurana is a former Bollywood actor who holds a Guinness World Record record for being the most type-cast actor. He has played a police inspector in 144 films. He was born in 1928 in the town of Sargodha, British India, which is now in Pakistan...
.... Nath - Prem ChopraPrem ChopraPrem Chopra is an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in over 400 films. He is famous for his soft spoken diction despite being a villain in most films.-Personal life and education:...
.... Ramesh - Sujit KumarSujit KumarSujit Kumar , born near a village in Varnasi, was an Indian film actor and producer. He appeared in over 150 Hindi films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and 25 films in Bhojpuri. From the late 90s, he latterly concentrated more on production. Kumar was the first superstar of Bhojpuri cinema...
.... Marconi