Baghban (2003 film)

Baghban (transl. Gardener) is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language family drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, co-written and produced by B. R. Chopra. It tells the story of an elderly couple, Raj (Amitabh Bachchan) and Pooja (Hema Malini), who have been married for 40 years. After Raj retires, they reunite with their four sons (Aman Verma, Samir Soni, Saahil Chadha, Nasir Khan) to discuss who will support them. However, none of the sons want to take care of both parents, causing Raj and Pooja to live separately.

Baghban was conceived by producer and co-writer B. R. Chopra during his 1960s trip across Europe, when he visited a retirement home and was inspired by the householders' story. Although the screenplay was finished in 1973, Chopra did not begin production for decades because he was busy with other projects. After he revived it, principal photography began in July 2002 in Film City. Baghban's soundtrack was composed by Aadesh Shrivastava, with lyrics written by Sameer.

The film premiered at the Leeds International Film Festival on 2 October 2003, and was released worldwide the following day. With a production cost of ₹100 million (US$1.2 million), the film was a commercial success; earning ₹431.1 million (US$5.1 million) at the box office, Baghban was the year's fifth-highest-grossing Indian film. It received mixed reviews from critics, Bachchan and Malini's performances were praised. They received the Screen Award for Jodi No. 1. Bachchan and Malini were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress at the 49th Filmfare Awards. It has gained cult status.