India: Every director has his muse. Farah Khan has Shah Rukh Khan, Ayan Mukerji has Ranbir Kapoor, and R Balki has Amitabh Bachchan. The one actor they admire so much that, at times, their films are nothing more than a simpering tribute to their favourite artist.

Balki’s ‘Shamitabh’ (a play on the names of the two main characters Daanish and Amitabh) is certainly more tribute than film, not just to Bachchan but to his baritone, an aspect of his personality that lends itself to much awe and imitation. Bachchan was famously denied employment in radio because his voice was deemed too deep for the medium, and Balki makes sure that this and many other real life incidents are referenced during the film.

‘Shamitabh” is as much about the industry that Bachchan inhabits as it is about the star himself.

At 152 minutes, ‘Shamitabh’ is too long and exhausting to watch. There are some good aspects of the film, most notably the three protagonists, but several others such as the climax and the specifics of Daanish’s illness are contrived and come across as gimmicky.

If only Balki had set out to make a film and not a meandering tribute to his favourite actor, this could have turned out to be a special film.