Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan

Bachchan in 2018

Born Amitabh Srivastava[1]

11 October 1942 (age 81)

Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (present-

day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India)

Nationality Indian

Alma mater Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi (BS)[2][3][4]

 Actor
Occupations
 producer

 television presenter

Years active 1969–present

Organization Amitabh Bachchan Corporation

Works Full list

Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Jaya Bhaduri
Spouse
 (m. 1973)

Children  Shweta

 Abhishek

Parents  Harivansh Rai Bachchan (father)

 Teji Bachchan (mother)

Relatives Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (daughter-in-law)

Family See Bachchan family

Awards Full list

Honours  Padma Shri (1984)

 Padma Bhushan (2001)

 Legion of Honour (2007)

 Padma Vibhushan (2015)

 Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2018)

Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

In office

31 December 1984 – July 1987

Preceded by Janeshwar Mishra

Succeeded by V. P. Singh

Constituency Allahabad

Personal details

Political party Indian National Congress (1984–1987)[5][6]

Website Official blog

Signature

Amitabh Bachchan (pronounced [əmɪˈt̪ ɑːbʱ ˈbətːʃən] ⓘ; born as Amitabh Srivastava;

[1]
11 October 1942[7]) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. With a cinematic
career spanning over five decades, he has played pivotal roles in over 200 films.
Widely recognised as one of the greatest actors of all time, he is considered to be
amongst the most accomplished and influential actors in the history of Indian
cinema.[8] Bachchan is often hailed as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi Ke
Mahanayak (translated as "Greatest actor of the century" in Hindi), Star of the
Millennium, or simply Big B.[9] His dominance in the Indian film industry during the
1970s–80s led the French director François Truffaut to describe it as a "one-man
industry".[10]
Bachchan was born in 1942 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to the Hindi
poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and his wife, the social activist Teji Bachchan. He was
educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi.
His film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film Bhuvan
Shome. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films, such
as Anand, Zanjeer, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, and achieved greater stardom in later
years, dubbed India's "angry young man" for several of his on-screen roles
in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top grossing Indian films with critical acclaim
since mid 1970s to 80s, such as Deewaar, Sholay, Kabhi Kabhie, Hera Pheri, Amar
Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Don, Muqaddar Ka
Sikandar, Suhaag, Dostana, Naseeb, Laawaris, Namak
Halaal, Coolie, Sharaabi and Mard,[11][12] as well as some of his most acclaimed
performances, include Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Majboor, Mili, Chupke
Chupke, Kaala Patthar, Shaan, Yaarana, Kaalia, Shakti, Aakhree
Raasta, Shahenshah and Agneepath.[13][14] After taking a break from acting in the
1990s, his resurgence was marked in 2000 with Mohabbatein.[15] Since then he
starred in several successful and acclaimed films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Gham, Aankhen, Baghban, Khakee, Black, Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Kabhi Alvida
Naa Kehna, Paa, Piku, Pink, Badla and Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva.[16] For Piku,
he won his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor, making him the only actor to
do so. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, The Great
Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character.[17]
He has won numerous accolades in his career, including record four National Film
Awards in Best Actor category and many awards at international film festivals and
award ceremonies. He has won sixteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated
performer in any major acting category at Filmfare with 34 nominations in Best
Actor and 42 nominations overall. The Government of India honoured him with
the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in
2015, and India's highest award in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke
Award in 2018 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured
him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of honour, in 2007 for his
exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond.
In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, and
television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the game show Kaun
Banega Crorepati, India's version of the game show franchise, Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s. Bachchan has also
been involved in several humanitarian works and he is a leading brand endorser in
India. Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he acquired a large overseas following of
the South Asian diaspora, as well as others, in markets including Africa (South
Africa, Eastern Africa, and Mauritius), the Middle East (especially UAE and Egypt),
the United Kingdom, Russia, Central Asia, the Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname,
and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand), Canada and
the United States.[18] Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen"
by BBC Your Millennium online poll in 1999.[19] In October 2003, TIME magazine
dubbed Bachchan the "Star of the Millennium".[20]
Early life and family
Further information: Bachchan family
Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to the Hindi
poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and social activist Teji Bachchan.[21] Harivansh Rai
Bachchan was an Awadhi Hindu Kayastha,[22] who was fluent in Awadhi,
[23]
Hindi and Urdu.[24] Harivansh's ancestors came from a village called Babupatti, in
the Raniganj tehsil, in the Pratapgarh district, in the present-day state of Uttar
Pradesh, in India.[25] Teji Bachchan was
a Punjabi Sikh Khatri from Lyallpur, Punjab, British India (present-
day Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan).[23][26] Bachchan has a younger brother, Ajitabh,
who is five years younger than him.[27]
Bachchan's parents were initially going to name him Inquilaab (Hindustani for
"Revolution"), inspired by the phrase Inquilab Zindabad (which translates into
English as "Long live the revolution") popularly used during the Indian
independence struggle; the name Amitabh was suggested to his father by
poet Sumitranandan Pant.[28][1] Although his surname was Shrivastava, Amitabh's
father, who opposed the caste system, had adopted the pen name Bachchan ("child-
like" in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all of his works.[29] When his father
was looking to get him admitted to a school, he and Bachchan's mother decided the
family's name should be Bachchan instead of Shrivastava.[30] It is with this last name
that Amitabh debuted in films and used for all other practical purposes, Bachchan
has become the surname for all of his immediate family.[31] Bachchan's father died in
2003, and his mother in 2007.[32]
Bachchan's secondary education was at Boys' High School &
College in Allahabad and Sherwood College in Nainital. He attended Kirori Mal
College at the University of Delhi in Delhi.[33][34] He graduated with a Bachelor of
Science degree from Kirori Mal College in 1962.[35][36][37] When Bachchan finished his
studies, his father approached Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder of Prithvi Theatre and
patriarch of the Kapoor acting family, to see if there was an opening for him, but
Kapoor offered no encouragement.[38] Bachchan was a friend of Rajiv
Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, before he became an actor. He used to spend time with
them when he was a resident in New Delhi. Bachchan's family were very close to
the Nehru-Gandhi family of politicians. When Sonia Gandhi first came to India from
Italy before her marriage, Bachchan had received her at the Palam International
Airport on 13 January 1968. She spent 48 days at Bachchan's house with his
parents before her marriage to Rajiv.[39]
In late 1960s, Bachchan applied for a role as a newsreader for All India Radio, Delhi
but "failed the audition".[38][40] He became a business executive for Bird &
Company in Kolkata (Calcutta),[38] [when?]and worked in the theatre before starting his film
career.[41] It is thought that his mother might have had some influence in Amitabh
Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should "take
centre stage".[42][according to whom?]
Acting career
Further information: Amitabh Bachchan filmography
Early career (1969–1972)
Bachchan made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National
Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome.[43] His first acting role was as one of the seven
protagonists in the film Saat Hindustani,[44] directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and
featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali (brother of comedian Mehmood), Madhu and Jalal
Agha.[45][46]
Anand (1971) followed, in which Bachchan starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. His
role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garnered Bachchan his first Filmfare Award
for Best Supporting Actor. He then played his first antagonist role as an infatuated
lover-turned-murderer in Parwana (1971). Following Parwana were several films,
including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance
in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the
film Bawarchi.[47] In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action
comedy Bombay to Goa directed by S. Ramanathan which was moderately
successful.[48] Many of Bachchan's films during this early period did not do well.[49] His
only film with Mala Sinha, Sanjog (1972) was also a box office failure.[50]
Rise to prominence (1973–1974)
Bachchan was struggling, seen as a "failed newcomer" who, by the age of 30, had
twelve flops and only two successes (as a lead in Bombay to Goa and a supporting
role in Anand). He was offered a dual role movie by the director O.P Goyle and
writer O.P Ralhan for the film Bandhe Hath in 1973. This was Bachchan's first movie
where he had played a double role.[51] Bachchan was soon discovered by
screenwriter duo Salim–Javed, consisting of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.[52] Salim
Khan wrote the story, screenplay and script of Zanjeer (1973), and conceived the
"angry young man" persona of the lead role. Javed Akhtar came on board as co-
writer,[53] and Prakash Mehra, who saw the script as potentially groundbreaking, as
the film's director. However, they were struggling to find an actor for the lead "angry
young man" role; it was turned down by several actors, owing to it going against the
"romantic hero" image dominant in the industry at the time.[52] Salim-Javed soon
discovered Bachchan and "saw his talent, which most makers didn't. He was
exceptional, a genius actor who was in films that weren't good."[54] According to Salim
Khan, they "strongly felt that Amitabh was the ideal casting for Zanjeer".[52] Salim
Khan introduced Bachchan to Prakash Mehra,[53] and Salim-Javed insisted that
Bachchan be cast for the role.[52]
Zanjeer was a crime film with violent action,[52] in sharp contrast to the romantically
themed films that had generally preceded it, and it established Amitabh in a new
persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema.[55] He earned his first Filmfare
Award nomination for Best Actor, with Filmfare later considering this one of the most
iconic performances of Bollywood history.[49] The film was a huge success and one of
the highest-grossing films of that year, breaking Bachchan's dry spell at the box
office and making him a star.[56] It was the first of many collaborations between Salim-
Javed and Amitabh Bachchan; Salim-Javed wrote many of their subsequent scripts
with Bachchan in mind for the lead role, and insisted on him being cast for their later
films, including blockbusters such as Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975).[54] Salim
Khan also introduced Bachchan to director Manmohan Desai with whom he formed a
long and successful association, alongside Prakash Mehra and Yash Chopra.[53]