Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a 2000 Indian English-language biographical film directed by Jabbar Patel. It stars Mammootty in the title role. The film tells the story of B. R. Ambedkar, known mainly for his contributions in the emancipation of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in India and shaping the Constitution of India, as the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constituent Assembly.
When Jabbar Patel set out to make a biopic on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, his first choice for the role was Shah Rukh Khan. SRK declined—not from disinterest, but out of respect. Patel then happened upon a photograph of Malayalam superstar Mammootty. Intrigued, he had Mammootty’s face photo-shopped to resemble Ambedkar and sought an introduction through filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Soon after, Patel flew to Kochi to meet the actor.
At first, Mammootty refused outright, explaining that he avoided Hindi films and felt he bore no resemblance to Ambedkar. Patel then revealed the edited image. Seeing himself transformed, Mammootty realized he could embody the role. Yet one final obstacle remained: Patel insisted Ambedkar could not be portrayed with a moustache. Mammootty balked—his moustache was iconic, and he feared his fans would be shocked. Patel, however, stood firm.
Eventually, Mammootty agreed, and preparations for the role began. Looking back, his portrayal of Ambedkar is often regarded as deeply immersive—comparable in impact to Ben Kingsley’s performance as Gandhi.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar won the National Film Awards for Best feature film in English, Best Actor (Mammootty) and Best Art Direction (Nitin Chandrakant Desai) in 1999. The film was screened retrospective on 15 August 2016 at the Independence Day Film Festival jointly presented by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals and Ministry of Defence, commemorating 70th Indian Independence Day.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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