Father figures

In spirit of Father’s Day, we present a roundup of iconic father roles in films

Igal Naor - The House of Saddam

In this four-part BBC/HBO miniseries, Saddam Hussein’s rise from a minister to president to a fugitive from invading foreign forces is documented in a rather sensational manner, but Hussein (played by Igal Naor) is also shown as a devoted father. Even though he orders his sons-in-law killed for what he believes is betrayal, he showers gifts and love on his children, orders them out of the country and manages to forgive his son Uday for all his misdemeanours.

Amitabh Bachchan - Baghban

Baghban is a great guilt-inducing film. Amitabh Bachchan retires from his job and expects that his three grown-up sons will take care of his wife and him. But the sons resent this idea, believing their parents are a burden, and separate the couple. Amitabh and his wife (Hema Malini) are miserable. The two manage to reunite and Amitabh writes a book about the betrayal wins the Booker Prize and becomes a millionaire overnight.

Sanjeev Kumar - Sholay

Kumar plays an upstanding police officer who discovers his entire family has been killed by the notorious outlaw Gabbar Singh. An attempt to kill him results in Kumar’s arms being cut off by Singh. In order to avenge his family’s massacre, Kumar hires two petty criminals (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra) to hunt and capture Gabbar Singh so he can kill him himself.

Mufasa - The Lion King

The 1994 animated film made millions of children (and adults) sob as Simba deals with the guilt of believing he was responsible for his father Mufasa’s death. Mufasa’s wise words about the circle of life and the belief that one’s ancestors look at them from the stars is great advice for children.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2010.