So I recently watched Dasvidaniya and Slumdog Millionaire, and though they are both really really good movies, what struck me was one word that was used in both the films… ::
GUNMASTER G-9 ..
And then it was again used in a reality TV show, read Roadies 6.0, audition where Raghu (or Rajeev or whoever) again used this name while making fun of a participant.
Which brings me to the question that most of my friends and family asked me… WHO IS GUNMASTER G-9 ??? Well, though it astonishes me that so few people know about Gunmaster G-9, I felt happy upon reflecting that atleast the memory of our very own desi Bond is being kept alive though modern film references. Gunmaster G-9 is none other than the one and only, the incomparable, the most awesome, the legendary… PRABHUJI yes Mithunda !!!
It hurts me to see people today sing the praises of actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan while totally forgetting about this great actor, who keeps churning out film after film, almost all of which go on to achieve cult status in our industry. Films like GUNDA, LOHA, WARDAAT, SURAKKSHA, CHEETAH and many others exemplify the versatility of my favourite actor. Prabhuji Mithunda has acted in films of all genres whether it be comedy, action, thriller, horror, unintented comedy… you say it and He has done it all with such panache and style that all the other so-called superstars seem like cheap thrills. He has faced the most dastardly and memorable villains in Bollywood history, from supervillains armed with bionic weapons and bent on ruling the world to the awe-inspring cold blooded murderers like Bulla and Lambu Atta and Kala Shetty. And all this while shaking a leg like none other… Disco Dancer anyone ?? From the dialogues to the songs to the characters, the sheer brilliance and unmatchable originality of all Prabhuji’s films, has made each one of them magnificent gems that have all achieved unimaginable cult status among all strata of the public. The death defying stunts pulled off by Mithunda film after film after film only made me an even bigger believer and an even bigger devotee of the great man and made me realize that there are no such things as boundaries and everything can be achieved, nothing is impossible as long as you believe you can overcome all obstacles, even gravity. Without Mithunda, I probably still would have felt that going back to the top of the building mid-way through a fall, or first dodging a bullet and then running after it and catching it were impossible… but now I know better.
Which brings me back to Gunmaster G9. Immortalised on the silver screen by Mithunda, Gunmaster G9 was our very own desi James Bond, tackling supervillains waaay ahead of the times and saving the world from large locust attacks all while doing a bit of womanizing on the side. So ok, he didn’t have shaken martinis or Aston Martins, or the impeccable suit but he still was THE MAN !! For those who haven’t seen the movies, Wardaat and Surakksha, it is my sincere request that you go and watch it NOW, if only to marvel at His Awesomeness, Prabhuji Mithunda as Gunmaster G9….
ALL HAIL MITHUNDA !!!!
