The Great Gambler

{{Infobox film

|name = The Great Gambler

|image = The Great Gambler.jpg

|caption = Film poster

|producer = C. V. K. Shastri

|screenplay = Shakti Samanta
Ranjan Bose

|writer = C. J. Pavri (adaptation)
Vrajendra Gaur (dialogues)

|story = Vikramaditya (Bengali novel){{cite tweet |last=Dhanagare |first=Shridhar |user=SDhanagare |number=1231001446369419266 |date=21 February 2020 |title=@AneetaRadoja Shalimar was based on the book by Manohar Malgaonkar adapted by Krishna Shah. The Great Gambler was also based on a Bengali novel by Vikramaditya. That's why they were scripted well. Both the roles Suited Zeenat Aman and she did them extremely well (both having a twist) https://t.co/8NkZRYenhg |language=en |access-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221234437/https://twitter.com/SDhanagare/status/1231001446369419266 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |url-status=live}}

|starring = Amitabh Bachchan
Zeenat Aman
Neetu Singh

|music = R. D. Burman

|cinematography = Aloke Dasgupta

|editing = R. P. Bapat
Pran Mehra

|distributor =

|released ={{film date|1979|04|06|df=y}}

|runtime = 163 minutes

|country = India

|language = Hindi

}}

The Great Gambler is a 1979 Indian crime action film directed by Shakti Samanta. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh. It was based on the Bengali novel Great Gambler by Vikramaditya.

The film's story is based on international gangsters, spies, and secret agents of different countries' intelligence agencies and their undercover operations. This film had high production costs with a significant portions of it being shot in international locations including Cairo, Lisbon, Venice and Rome, and in India, many scenes were shot in Goa. The film was a box office average on initial release due to high distribution price but has been widely appreciated for its action, direction, and cinematography. Later it became profitable on repeat releases and attained cult status.{{Cite web |title=39 Years of The Great Gambler; 06/04/1979 {{!}} by Bollywoodirect {{!}} Medium |date=6 April 2018|url=https://bollywoodirect.medium.com/39-years-of-the-great-gambler-06-04-1979-5b63458e77fe}}{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=January 2023}}

Plot

Jay is an expert gambler, has been for as long as he can remember and has never lost a game. These skills bring him to the attention of the underworld don Ratan Das, who is interested in hiring him to win large amounts of money from rich people and then influencing them into doing whatever he wants. Jay agrees to do so and plays successfully, though unknowingly to entrap Nath, who works for the government. After losing large amounts of money, he is blackmailed into revealing the blueprints of a top-secret military laser weapon that can hit any target within 50 miles and is wanted by an underworld don named Saxena. When the Indian police come to know of this, they assign the case to Inspector Vijay, who is a lookalike of Jay.

Jay and Vijay's paths are soon intertwined when they both travel to Rome with separate missions. Vijay is sent to retrieve the evidence against underworld don Saxena by one of his former henchman and Jay is onto a money-making scheme where he would marry Mala to inherit her money. Mala, however, meets Vijay at the Rome airport and Vijay decides to go along with this to find out who his lookalike is. Jai meets Shabnam, a club dancer who mistakes him for Vijay and was sent by Saxena to stop him on his mission to discover Saxena's plans. It is later revealed that Jay and Vijay are actually long-lost twin brothers and together they team up to stop Saxena from retrieving the laser weapon.

Cast

Amitabh Bachchan as Jay / CID Inspector Vijay (Double Role)
Zeenat Aman as Shabnam
Neetu Singh as Mala
Prem Chopra as Ramesh / Abbasi
Madan Puri as Ratan Das
Sujit Kumar as Macroni
Utpal Dutt as Mr. Saxena
Roopesh Kumar as Sethi
Helen as Monica
Iftekhar as Deepchand
Jagdish Raj as Nath
Om Shivpuri as CID Head Sen Verma

Production

Amjad Khan was initially cast as the character Saxena; due to a road accident, he was unable to continue, and was replaced by Utpal Dutt.{{Cite web |date=28 July 2021 |title=Amjad Khan named Amitabh Bachchan 'Shorty' during Sholay, Big B filled in for his family after life-threatening accident |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/amjad-khan-named-amitabh-bachchan-shorty-during-sholay-big-b-filled-in-for-his-family-after-life-threatening-accident-death-anniversary-7424189/ |access-date=5 March 2022 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

Music

All lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi. Music was composed by R. D. Burman.

{{Tracklist

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| title1 = O Deewanon, Dil Sambhalo

| extra1 =Asha Bhosle

| length1 =

| title2 = Tum Kitne Din Baad Mile

| extra2 = Asha Bhosle

| length2 =

| title3 = Raqqasa Mera Naam, Ae Sahib Sabko Salaam

| extra3 = Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi

| length3 =

| title4 = Pehle Pehle Pyar Ki Mulaqaten Yaad Hai

| extra4 = Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle

| length4 =

| title5 = Do Lafzon Ki Hai Dil Ki Kahani

| extra5 = Asha Bhosle, Sharad Kumar

| length5 =

}}

The song "Do Lafzon Ki Hai Dil Ki Kahani" was shot on a Gondola in Venice's Grand Canal.{{Cite web |last=Pandya |first=Sonal |title=40 years of an Italian romance with 'Do Lafzon Ki Hai Dil Ki Kahaani' |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2019/apr/6/19929 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830180147/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2019/apr/6/19929 |url-status=live |archive-date=30 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-30 |website=Cinestaan}} The mandolin in this song was played by Arvind Haldipur.https://www.instagram.com/arvindhaldipur/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZwTZkzsLMM