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Scam 1992 by The Big Bull: Abhishek Bachchan, Pratik Gandhi and the difference in their identical world
Despite based on the same man in the same era, how different is Abhishek Bachchan's The Big Bull directed by Kookie Gulati, from Pratik Gandhi's Scam 1992 directed by Hansal Mehta.
The trailer of Big Bull hit the digital world today, and it is based against the backdrop of the Harshad Mehta stock market scam that took place in 1992 with Abhishek Bachchan in the titular role. September last year saw the release of the Pratik Gandhi fronted Scam 1992, a web-series set against the backdrop of same real-life story. The show won appreciation from all quarters and proved to be Sholay of digital world. The Hansal Mehta directed show used real name for the lead characters, but some names were changed to avoid any conflict with the people alive. However, for The Big Bull, director, Kookie Gulati has changed the lead character name to get the liberty of giving it a fiction spin.
While Pratik Gandhi brought in his own swag and spin to the character of Harshad Mehta, Abhishek Bachchan has given it a relative subtle approach, letting his eyes and body language do the talking. A glimpse at the trailer of both the projects and one can make out the difference in portrayal of the lead character, with the feature film version being subtle yet larger than life, whereas the web series sticking to the realistic space.
Despite being in the same era, Hansal Mehta’s visualization of Mumbai from the 80s and 90s, is diametrically opposite of Kookie Gulati’s version. While Hansal’s Mumbai was very close to what it is today – the crowded streets, hectic life and more importantly, the colour palette which is as modern as it gets, Kookie’s Mumbai has a vintage touch with its portrayal as a relatively calm city, that’s changing its face, getting richer by the day thanks to the money floated in the market by Harshad.
While Hansal’s Mumbai was very close to what it is today – the crowded streets, hectic life and more importantly, the colour palate which is as modern as it gets, Kookie’s Mumbai has a vintage touch with its portrayal as a relatively calm city
One can also see some commercial elements entangled in the story telling of The Big Bull, giving it a racy touch to evoke the adrenaline rush among the audience. The character is treated in a larger-than-life manner from the first frame of the trailer, it seems to be more of a personal rag to riches journey of the protagonist from a no one dreaming to be a millionaire to living the dream by becoming one. As compared to this, Scam 1992, showcased the world of stock exchange and how, Harshad changed the phase of Mumbai forever. It was more of a holistic approach of Harshad’s journey and its impact on the lives of every person associated with the stock market.
There is however some similarity in the casting. Both the projects ride on a formidable ensemble with a mix and match of known and unknown faces. While Scam 1992 boasted of names like Rajat Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Anant Mahadevan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Sharib Hashmi and Shreya Dhanwanthary among others, The Big Bull has the presence of Sohum Shah, Saurabh Shukla, Nikita Dutta, Ram Kapoor, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ram Kapoor and Samir Soni among others. The makers of both projects managed to get actors who fit the bill like a hand in glove. Now will The Big Bull create its own distinct identity or not, is something we would know when it releases, but from the trailer, it seems like a different approach to the same tale with one being on the commercial side and other being gritty and real.
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