“Look Back in Anger” is considered one of the most important realist plays in modern British Theatre. This play coined the term “Angry Young Men” to describe John Osborne and the men of his generation who employed the harshness of “Realism” in the theatre in sharp contrast to the more “Escapist” theatre that characterized the previous generation.

John Osborne’s “Look Back In Anger “was largely autobiographical based on his life and the times in the Post 2nd World War era. He expressed the anger and frustration of the working class against the rich and well-placed affluent sections of society. He felt that the rich got things easy and that they didn’t value small but significant aspects of life. He very ably etched his “Angry Young Man” persona in his famous character Jimmy Porter.

Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar worked together and churned out screenplays and dialogues of 24 films and created the iconic “Angry Young Man”, who represented the sentiments of the disgruntled and aggrieved citizens of post-independence India. Through him, the people of this country found an easy release to their pent-up emotions. The unemployment was rampant so were all types of black-marketing. And this persona almost felt like a representation of their opinions and concerns at these developments – the “Angry Young Man” was hard not to relate to, to understand: he made them feel heard, and their feelings and worries feel valid and justifiable. Hence this was bound to be an immediate hit in cinema, and certainly did not disappoint, fondly remembered as it is even now, and as it will be throughout the history of cinema – a truly iconic role, portrayed with brilliance by two such different yet incredible actors, with such diverse backgrounds, and in different times. Disparate worlds altogether, but the emotions have remained the same, fervent as ever.

All the topical issues found space in the writings of the famous gifted duo – Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. The “Angry Young Man” got justice for a common man in a span so short as 2.5 hours. This make-believe world gave the common masses a medium to forget their woes for 2.5 hours. The Angry Young Man attained an unprecedented popularity and Amitabh Bachchan rose to an incredible height of superstardom that helped him sustain himself for more than 50 years in an industry known for ruthlessly pulling down any filmstar worth his salt whose movies fail to produce magic at the box-office every Friday.

This angry young man character that the Indians fell in love with, was not a novel venture. “Look Back In Anger”(1956) , a play written by John Osborne also sketches a character similar to the ones that we Indians got used to watching on celluloid. Jimmy Porter was the quintessential “angry young man” and represented the anger and the frustration of the working class post Second World War. The character of Jimmy Porter became immortalized on celluloid by Richard Burton in the movie (based on the widely acclaimed novel by John Osborne).

India, even after three decades of Independence, was still grappling with myriad problems that were affecting the common man. The divide between the rich and the poor was too stark to remain unnoticed, almost too much to bear. The powerful suppressed the weak. There were voices of dissent against the establishment but used to be stifled by the powers that be. There was a strong feeling of discontentment and disenchantment with the system. Writer Salim-Javed used this algorithm to help the Indian audience find a hero who would get justice within three hours and who would not mince words in protesting against anything unjust. Here was someone who would take up cudgels on behalf of the poor and weak. This “Angry Young Man” had the strength to give back to the rich and powerful. The emergence of such a hero in India when the society, the systems of governance and people’s attitude needed a change, paved the way to establish the supremacy of the writer duo – Salim and Javed in the Indian Film Industry. People thronged to theatres to watch “Zanjeer”, “Deewar”, “Sholay”,”Amar Akbar Anthony “and many such memorable hits. These movies helped them de-stress and find an easy outlet to their frustration with the establishment then.

The “Angry Young Man” created by Salim Javed , played deftly by the ace actor and superstar Amitabh Bachchan, became the voice of the hapless Indians who had been victims of the flawed government machinery and dysfunctional social institutions. No wonder that the character caught the fancy of the vast multitude of Indians all over the world. He will forever be remembered and cherished as one of the most iconic characters to grace the silver screen throughout cinematic history.