Amitabh Bachchan[a] (néSrivastava;[1] born 11 October 1942)[7] is an Indian actor who works inHindi cinema. He is considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in thehistory of Indian cinema.[8] With a cinematic career spanning over five decades, he has played in over200 films. Initially known as "the angry young man," he has been called as theShahenshah ofBollywood, Sadi ke Mahanayak (translated as superstar of the century in Hindi), Bollywood's Star of the Millennium, or simply Big B.[9] His dominance in the Indian film industry during the 1970s–80s led the French directorFrançois Truffaut to describe it as a "one-man industry".[10] He is a recipient of several accolades including sixNational Film Awards and sixteenFilmfare Awards.
In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as aplayback singer, film producer, and television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the game showKaun 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 severalhumanitarian works and he is abrand endorser in India. Beyond theIndian subcontinent, he acquired a large overseas following of theSouth Asian diaspora, as well as others, in markets including Africa (South Africa, Eastern Africa, andMauritius), the Middle East (especiallyEgypt and theUAE), the United Kingdom, Russia, Central Asia, theCaribbean (Guyana,Suriname, andTrinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand), Canada and the United States.[18] Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in theBBCYour Millennium online users poll in 1999.[19] In October 2003,Time magazine said he is the undisputed godfather of Bollywood.[20]
In 2024,Amazon Prime Video released a three-part documentary series about theSalim–Javed screenwriting duo titledAngry Young Men. The series explores their creative partnership, their influence on the evolution of Indian cinema, and the role that Bachchan played in personifying the "angry young man" of their films.[21]
Bachchan's parents were initially going to name himInquilaab (Hindustani for "Revolution"), inspired by the phraseInquilab Zindabad ("Long live the revolution") popularly used during theIndian independence struggle; the nameAmitabh was suggested to his father by poetSumitranandan Pant.[29][1] Although his surname wasSrivastava, Amitabh's father, who opposed thecaste system, had adopted the pen name Bachchan ("child-like" in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all of his works.[30] 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.[31] 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.[32] Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.[33]
In the late 1960s, Bachchan applied to be a newsreader forAll India Radio in Delhi, but "failed the audition".[39][41] He became a business executive forBird & Company inKolkata (Calcutta),[39][when?] and worked intheatre before starting his film career.[42] It is thought that his mother might have had some influence on his choice of career, for she always insisted that he should "take centre stage".[43][according to whom?]
Bachchan was struggling, seen as a "failed newcomer" who, by the age of 30, had only two successes (as a lead inBombay to Goa and a supporting role inAnand).[52] Bachchan was then discovered by screenwriter duoSalim–Javed, consisting ofSalim Khan andJaved Akhtar.[53] Salim Khan wrote the story, screenplay and script ofZanjeer (1973), and conceived the "angry young man" persona of the lead role. Javed Akhtar came on board as co-writer,[54] andPrakash 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.[53] Salim-Javed "saw his talent, which most makers didn't. He was exceptional, a genius actor who was in films that weren't good."[55] According to Salim Khan, they "strongly felt that Amitabh was the ideal casting forZanjeer".[53] Salim Khan introduced Bachchan to Prakash Mehra,[54] and Salim-Javed insisted that Bachchan be cast for the role.[53]
Zanjeer was acrime film with violent action,[53] in sharp contrast to theromantically themed films that had generally preceded it, and it established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" ofBollywood.[56] He earned his firstFilmfare Award nomination forBest Actor, withFilmfare later considering this one of the most iconic performances in Bollywood history.[50] The film was a blockbuster and one of thehighest-grossing films of that year, breaking Bachchan's dry spell at the box office and making him a star.[57][58] It was the first of many collaborations between Salim-Javed and Amitabh; the duo wrote many of their subsequent scripts with Bachchan in mind for the lead role, and insisted on him being cast for their later films.[55] Salim Khan also introduced Bachchan to directorManmohan Desai with whom he formed a long and successful association, alongside Prakash Mehra andYash Chopra.[54]
Eventually, Bachchan became one of the most successful leading men of the film industry. His portrayal of the wronged hero fighting a crooked system and circumstances of deprivation in films likeZanjeer,Deewaar,Trishul,Kaala Patthar andShakti resonated with the masses of the time, especially the youth who harboured a simmering discontent owing to social ills such as poverty,hunger, unemployment, corruption,social inequality and the brutal excesses ofThe Emergency. This led to Bachchan being dubbed as the "angry young man", a journalistic catchphrase that became a metaphor for the dormant rage, frustration, restlessness, sense ofrebellion andanti-establishment disposition of an entire generation, prevalent in the 1970s.[59][60][61]
The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together: not onlyZanjeer but also subsequent films such asAbhimaan, which was released around the same time after their wedding and was also successful at the box office.[62] Later, he played the role of Vikram, once again along withRajesh Khanna, in the filmNamak Haraam, a social drama directed byHrishikesh Mukherjee and addressing themes of friendship.[63] The film proved to be a superhit and Bachchan won his secondFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.[63][64] The flow of successes continued for Bachchan in 1974.[65] He began the year with a guest appearance inDulal Guha's blockbuster social drama filmDost.[66] After this, he starred in Aravind Sen's drama filmKasauti andNarendra Bedi'scrime thrillerBenaam, both of which ended up as moderate commercial successes. Bachchan's next release wasManoj Kumar's fourth directional ventureRoti Kapada Aur Makaan.[67] The film opened to excellent response all over the country, eventually taking top spot at the box office that year and emerging anAll Time Blockbuster as well as Bachchan's biggest up to that point of time.[68] Before the end of year, he delivered a hit inRavi Tandon's crime thrillerMajboor.[69] Written by Salim-Javed, it also hadPran andParveen Babi in the lead.[70]
Superstardom (1975–1988)
In 1975, Bachchan starred in a variety of film genres, from the comedyChupke Chupke and the crime dramaFaraar to the romantic dramaMili.[71] This was also the year in which he starred in two films regarded as important inHindi cinema history, both written by Salim-Javed, who again insisted on casting Bachchan.[55] The first wasDeewaar, directed by Yash Chopra, where he worked withShashi Kapoor,Nirupa Roy,Parveen Babi, andNeetu Singh. The film emerged a blockbuster at the box office and earned him another Filmfare nomination for Best Actor.[72] Indiatimes ranksDeewaar among theTop 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[73] The other, released on 15 August 1975, wasSholay, which became thehighest-grossing film ever in India at the time,[74] in which Bachchan played the role of Jaidev.Deewaar andSholay are often credited with exalting Bachchan to the heights of superstardom, two years after he became a star withZanjeer, and consolidating his domination of the industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s.[75][76] In 1999,BBC India declaredSholay the "Film of the Millennium" and, likeDeewaar, it has been cited byIndiatimes Movies as among theTop 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[73] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded it with the special distinction award called the Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.
Bachchan andDharmendra starrerSholay (1975) recorded an estimated₹15-18 crore footfalls, making it the highest grossing Indian film in terms of audience attendance to date.[77]
In 1976, he was cast byYash Chopra in theromantic musicalKabhi Kabhie.[78] Bachchan starred as a young poet, Amit Malhotra, who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja (Rakhee Gulzar) who ends up marrying someone else (Shashi Kapoor). The film was notable for portraying Bachchan as a romantic hero, a far cry from his "angry young man" roles likeZanjeer andDeewaar. Despite its heavy theme,Kabhi Kabhie went on to become a superhit.[79] Its soundtrack composed byKhayyam and lyrics written bySahir Ludhianvi dominated the year-end annual list ofBinaca Geetmala and was one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1970s.[80] Bachchan was again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role in the film. That same year, he played a double role in another hitAdalat as father and son. In 1977, he won his firstFilmfare Best Actor Award for his performance inAmar Akbar Anthony, in which he played the third lead oppositeVinod Khanna andRishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. The film was the highest-grossing film of that year. His other major hits that year includeParvarish andKhoon Pasina.[81]
He once again resumed double roles in films such asKasme Vaade (1978) as Amit and Shankar andDon (1978) playing the characters ofDon, a leader of an underworld gang and his look-alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also gave towering performances in Yash Chopra's Trishul and Prakash Mehra'sMuqaddar Ka Sikandar both of which earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. 1978 is arguably considered his most successful year at the box office since all of his six releases in the same year, namelyMuqaddar Ka Sikandar,Trishul,Don,Kasme Vaade,Ganga Ki Saugandh andBesharam were box office successes, with the former three being the consecutive highest-grossing films of the year, a rare feat inHindi cinema.[82][83]
In 1979, Bachchan starred inSuhaag which was the highest-earning film of that year.[68] In the same year, he also enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success with films likeJurmana,Mr. Natwarlal andKaala Patthar.[84] He was required to use his singing voice for the first time in a song from the filmMr. Natwarlal in which he starred withRekha. Bachchan's performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and theFilmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. He also received a Best Actor nomination forKaala Patthar and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for theRaj Khosla directed superhit filmDostana, in which he starred oppositeShatrughan Sinha andZeenat Aman.[85] His other releases of 1980,Do Aur Do Paanch andShaan underperformed with the latter ending its run with average numbers owing to huge costs, butVijay Anand'sRam Balram alongside Dharmendra was a box office hit.[86][87]This changed in 1981 with back-to-back huge blockbusters inNaseeb andLaawaris, both of which were among the top 5highest-grossing films of 1981.[88] Bachchan also had two hits,Yaarana andKaalia, and received praise for his performance in Yash Chopra'sromantic dramaSilsila, which attracted considerable attention from the media when it was in production due to its casting. Although the film did not do well commercially, it gained cult status in later years and is considered one of Chopra's best works ever.[89][90][91] The same year, he made his debut inBengali cinema withShakti Samanta's action thrillerAnusandhan. Simultaneously shot in Hindi asBarsaat Ki Ek Raat, the film was ablockbuster inWest Bengal, running for over 23 weeks.
In 1982, he played double roles in the musicalSatte Pe Satta and actiondramaDesh Premee which succeeded at the box office along with highly successful ventures like actioncomedyNamak Halaal, actiondramaKhud-Daar and the critically acclaimed filmsShakti andBemisal.[92][93] On 26 July 1982, while filming a fight scene with co-actorPuneet Issar forCoolie, Bachchan had a near-fatal intestinal injury.[94] Bachchan was performing his stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However, as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in asplenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergencysplenectomy and remained critically ill in the hospital for many months, at times close to death. There were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating; the public response included prayers in places of worship and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him.[95] Nevertheless, he resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The director,Manmohan Desai, altered the ending ofCoolie: Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off; but, after the change of script, the character lived in the end. Desai felt it would have been inappropriate for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. The footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking it as the instant of the actor's injury.[96] The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, it emerged anAll Time Blockbuster and top-grossing film of the year.[97] He then played a triple role inS. Ramanathan's action dramaMahaan, which proved to be a flop.[98] Other releases that year,Nastik andPukar were average fares, butAndhaa Kaanoon (in which he had a small role) was a blockbuster.[98][99] During a stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, five of his completed films were released, out of which four emerged major successes, these were - Manmohan Desai'saction filmMard (1985), which proved to be a massive blockbuster, followed by superhits,Sharaabi (1984) andGeraftaar (1985) and a hit filmAakhree Raasta (1986).[85][100][101] After his stint in politics ended, Bachchan returned to films in 1988, playing the title role inTinnu Anand'svigilante action filmShahenshah, which opened to bumper response all over the nation and emerged a huge hit as well as thesecond highest-grossing film of the year.[102][103]
Health issues
He was later diagnosed withMyasthenia gravis. The illness weakened him both mentally and physically. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received, and stating before every release, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").[104]
Career fluctuations, sabbatical, business ventures (1989–1999)
After the success of his comeback film however, Bachchan's star power began to wane as his subsequent releases likeGangaa Jamunaa Saraswati (1988),Jaadugar,Toofan andMain Azaad Hoon (all released in 1989) did not do well commercially.[105][106][107] He did gain success during this period with superhits inK.C. Bokadia'scrime drama filmAaj Ka Arjun (1990) andMukul Anand'smasala filmHum (1991), but this momentum was short-lived and his string of box office failures continued withAjooba,Indrajeet andAkayla.[108][109] Notably, despite a decline in number of hits, it was during this era that Bachchan won his firstNational Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as a Mafia don in thecult filmAgneepath (1990).[110] After the release of Mukul Anand's moderately successful, but critically acclaimed 1992 epic filmKhuda Gawah, Bachchan announced his semi retirement from the film industry. With the exception of the delayed releaseInsaniyat (1994), Bachchan did not act for five years.[108][111] He set up theAmitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (ABCL) in 1996. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering an entire cross-section of India's entertainment industry. ABCL's operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, and celebrity and event management.[112] Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film it produced wasTere Mere Sapne, which was a box office hit[113] and launched the careers of actors likeArshad Warsi and southern film starSimran.[114]
In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the filmMrityudata, produced by ABCL. ThoughMrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically.[115][116] ABCL was the main sponsor of the1996 Miss World Beauty Pageant, which was held inBangalore, but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top-level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997.[117][118] The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by the Indian Industries board. The Bombay High Court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombaybungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats until the pending loan recovery cases ofCanara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to raise funds for his company.[119] He appeared inBade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) andMajor Saab (1998), and received positive reviews forSooryavansham (1999). However, films such asLal Baadshah (1999) andKohram (1999) were box office failures.[120][121][122][123]
Return to success (2000–present)
In 2000, when he was deeply in debt after a period of financial failure, Bachchan went to visitYash Chopra (whom he had previously worked with on a number of films includingDeewaar,Trishul, andKaala Patthar) and said, "Look, I don't have a job, nobody is giving me work anymore, my movies aren't working, and I've come to ask you to please give me a film to work in." Chopra immediately offered him a role inAditya Chopra'sMohabbatein, a role which would reboot Bachchan's career,[124] and lead to his thirdFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[125] It also marked his first appearance withShahrukh Khan.[126] Bachchan then went on to then work in a number of films includingEk Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001),Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) andBaghban (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances inAks (2001),Aankhen (2002),Kaante (2002),Khakee (2004),Dev (2004) andVeer-Zaara (2004). His performance inAks won him his firstFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.[127]
One project that did particularly well for Bachchan wasSanjay Leela Bhansali'sBlack (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an ageing teacher of a deaf-blind girl and followed their relationship. His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor, his fourthFilmfare Best Actor Award, and his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the filmsBunty Aur Babli (2005), theGodfather adaptationSarkar (2005), andKabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office.[128][129][130] His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 wereBaabul (2006),[131]Ekalavya (2007) andNishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.[132]
In May 2007, two of his films, the romantic comedyCheeni Kum and the multi-starrer action dramaShootout at Lokhandwala, were released.Shootout at Lokhandwala did well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, whileCheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and was declared a semi-hit by the end of its theatrical run.[133][134][135][136] A remake of his biggest hit,Sholay (1975), entitledRam Gopal Varma Ki Aag, released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception.[136] The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film,Rituparno Ghosh'sThe Last Lear, co-starringArjun Rampal andPreity Zinta. The film premiered at the2007 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best sinceBlack.[137] Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film,Shantaram, directed byMira Nair and starring Hollywood actorJohnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008.[138] The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely.[139]
Vivek Sharma'sBhoothnath, in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008.Sarkar Raj, the sequel of the 2005 filmSarkar, released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box office.Paa, which was released at the end of 2009 was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek'sProgeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchan's performance and was one of the top-grossing films of 2009.[140] It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2010, he debuted inMalayalam film throughKandahar, directed byMajor Ravi and co-starringMohanlal.[141] The film was based on the hijacking incident of theIndian Airlines Flight 814.[142] Bachchan declined any remuneration for this film.[143] In 2011 he played an aged retired former gangster inBbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap who protects his sonSonu Sood who is an honest daring police officer from a notorious gangsterPrakash Raj who unknowingly hired the latter to perform a contract killing not knowing that the police officer is the gangster's son.[144] Despite significant expectations, it had poor returns at the box office.[145]
In 2013, he made his Hollywood debut inThe Great Gatsby making a special appearance oppositeLeonardo DiCaprio andTobey Maguire.[146] In 2014, he played the role of the friendly ghost in the sequelBhoothnath Returns. The next year, he played the role of a grumpy father experiencing chronic constipation in the critically acclaimedPiku which was also one of the biggest hits of 2015.[147][148][149] A review inDaily News and Analysis (DNA) summarised Bachchan's performance as "The heart and soul of Piku clearly belong to Amitabh Bachchan who is in his elements. His performance in Piku, without doubt, finds a place among the top 10 in his illustrious career."[150] Rachel Saltz wrote forThe New York Times, "Piku", an offbeat Hindi comedy, would have you contemplate the intestines and mortality of one Bhashkor Banerji and the actor who plays him, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor's life and conversation may revolve around his constipation and fussy hypochondria, but there's no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India's erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man."[151] Well known Indian critic Rajeev Masand wrote on his website, "Bachchan is pretty terrific as Bhashkor, who reminds you of that oddball uncle that you nevertheless have a soft spot for. He bickers with the maids, harrows his hapless helper, and expects Piku to stay unmarried so she can attend to him. At one point, to ward off a possible suitor, he casually mentions that his daughter isn't a virgin; that she's financially independent and sexually independent too. Bachchan embraces the character's manyidiosyncrasies, never once slipping into caricature while all along delivering big laughs thanks to his spot-on comic timing."[152]The Guardian summed up, "Bachchan seizes upon his cranky character part, making Bashkor as garrulously funny in his theories on caste and marriage as his system is backed-up."[153] The performance won Bachchan his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor and his third Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.
In 2016, he appeared in the women-centric courtroom drama filmPink which was highly praised by critics and with an increasingly good word of mouth, was a resounding success at the domestic and overseas box office.[154][155][156][157] Bachchan's performance in the film received acclaim. According to Raja Sen of Rediff.com, "Amitabh Bachchan, a retired lawyer with bipolar disorder, takes up cudgels on behalf of the girls, delivering courtroom blows with pugilistic grace. As we know from Prakash Mehra movies, in each life some Bachchan must fall. The girls hang on to him with incredulous desperation, and he bats for them with all he has. At one point Meenal hangs by Bachchan's elbow, words entirely unnecessary. Bachchan towers through Pink – the way he bellows "et cetera" is alone worth having the heavy-hitter at play—but there are softer moments like one where he appears to have dozed off in court, or where he lays his head by his convalescent wife's bedside and needs his hair ruffled and his conviction validated."[158] Writing forHindustan Times, noted film critic and authorAnupama Chopra said of Bachchan's performance, "A special salute to Amitabh Bachchan, who imbues his character with a tragic majesty. Bachchan towers in every sense, but without a hint of showboating.[155] Meena Iyer ofThe Times of India wrote, "The performances are pitch-perfect with Bachchan leading the way.[159] Writing forNDTV, Troy Ribeiro ofIndo-Asian News Service (IANS) stated, "Amitabh Bachchan as Deepak Sehgall, the aged defence lawyer, shines as always, in a restrained, but powerful performance. His histrionics come primarily in the form of his well-modulated baritone, conveying his emotions and of course, from the well-written lines."[160] Mike McCahill ofThe Guardian remarked, "Among an electric ensemble, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang give unwavering voice to the girls' struggles; Amitabh Bachchan brings his moral authority to bear as their sole legal ally.[161]
In 2000, Bachchan hosted the first season ofKaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the Indian adaptation of the British television game show,Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The show was well received.[177] A second season followed in 2005 but its run was cut short byStar Plus when Bachchan fell ill in 2006.[178] He then returned to host the fourth season, and has hosted the show since.[179]
In 2010, Bachchan hosted the fourth season ofKBC.[181] The fifth season started on 15 August 2011 and ended on 17 November 2011. The show became a massive hit with audiences and broke many TRP Records. CNN IBN awarded Indian of the Year- Entertainment to Team KBC and Bachchan. The show also grabbed all the major Awards for its category.[182]
The sixth season was also hosted by Bachchan, commencing on 7 September 2012, broadcast onSony TV and received the highest number of viewers thus far.[citation needed]
In 2014, he debuted in the fictionalSony Entertainment Television TV series titledYudh playing the lead role of a businessman battling in both his personal and professional lives.[183]
Around 1994, Bachchan startedAmitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), an event management, production and distribution company. But the company fell into debt with a fiasco and went into bankruptcy, subsequently Bachchan became nearly bankrupt. The reasons for this debacle were films that fared poorly at the box office such asMrityudata,Major Saab (produced by this organisation), andMiss World 1996 which was organised-managed by ABCL. Due to this he began work for TV, and asked for work toYash Chopra. Once he said that 'it was the darkest time for him'.[195][196]
He has invested in many upcoming business ventures. In 2013, he bought a 10% stake in Just Dial from which he made a gain of 4600 per cent. He holds a 3.4% equity in Stampede Capital, a financial technology firm specialising in cloud computing for financial markets. The Bachchan family also bought shares worth $252,000 in Meridian Tech, a consulting company in the US Recently they made their first overseas investment in Ziddu.com, a cloud-based content distribution platform.[197][198] Bachchan was named in thePanama Papers andParadise Papers,leaked confidential documents relating tooffshore investment.[199][200]
Political career
In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of a long-time family friend,Rajiv Gandhi. He contested theAllahabad's (presently Prayagraj Lok Sabha constituency) seat for the8th Lok Sabha againstH. N. Bahuguna, formerChief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. With 68.2% of the votes in his favour, he won by one of the highest victory margins ever inIndian elections.[201] In 1987,Indian Express said his brother Ajitabh Bachchan owned an apartment in Switzerland, giving rise to speculations about his involvement in the "Bofors scandal", revealed in the year before.[202] Bachchan resigned from his seat in July 1987.[why?][203] Ajitabh Bachchan sued Swedish newspaperDagens Nyheter for linking him to Bofors payments in 1990 and won damages in the United Kingdom.[204] Sten Lindstrom, the Swedish police chief who had investigated the case, said in 2012 that "Indian investigators planted the Bachchan angle on"Dagens Nyheter.[205][why?]
Bachchan's old friend,Amar Singh, helped him during the financial crisis caused by the failure of his company,ABCL. Thereafter Bachchan started supporting theSamajwadi Party, the political party to which Amar Singh belonged. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and is representing the party as an MP in theRajya Sabha since 2004.[206] Bachchan appeared in advertisements and political campaigns for the party. His claim that he too was a farmer in the advertisements was questioned in court.[207]
After theEmergency ended in 1977, many film magazines stopped covering Amitabh Bachchan because they believed he had helped censor the press by being too close to the government. Editors left out his name and photo from articles, sometimes replacing them with just a comma. In response, Bachchan refused interviews and kept the press away from his film sets for about fifteen years, and photographers often stopped taking his picture. This began to change in the late 1980s, after his serious accident on the set of Coolie and his brief spell in politics, when magazines started writing about him again.[208][209]
Kader Khan, who wrote and acted alongside Bachchan in many hits, later said their friendship broke down because he refused to call him “Sir ji.” He always called him “Amit,” and when a South Indian producer told him to use the formal title, he didn't adhere to it. As a result, he was left out of movies like Khuda Gawah (1992) and Ganga Jamuna Saraswati (1988), and they stopped working together.[210][211]
Bachchan has been accused of using the slogan "blood for blood" in the context of the1984 anti-Sikh riots. Bachchan has denied the allegation.[212] In October 2014, Bachchan was summoned by a court in Los Angeles for "allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh community".[213] Bachchan in an interview with journalistArnab Goswami offered to fight the case in court and asked the accusers to file the same as also present proof.[214] He was also one of the trustees of theRajiv Gandhi Foundation.[215][216]
Humanitarian and social causes
Bachchan has been involved with many social causes. For example, he donated₹1.1 million to clear the debts of nearly 40 beleaguered farmers in Andhra Pradesh[217] and₹3 million to clear the debts of some 100Vidarbha farmers.[218] In 2010, he donated₹1.1 million toResul Pookutty's foundation for a medical centre at Kochi,[219][220][221] and he has given₹250,000 ($4,678) to the family of Delhi policeman Subhash Chand Tomar who died after succumbing to injuries during a protest against gang-rape after the2012 Delhi gang rape case.[222] He founded the Harivansh Rai Bachchan Memorial Trust, named after his father, in 2013. This trust, in association with Urja Foundation, will be powering 3,000 homes in India with electricity through solar energy.[223][224] In June 2019 he cleared debts of 2100 farmers from Bihar.[225]
TeachAids character ofBachchan (left); Bachchan in a 2013 TeachAids recording session (right)
Bachchan was made aUNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for thepolio eradication campaign in India in 2002 and an international ambassador in 2005 and aWHO Goodwill Ambassador for awareness ofhepatitis in 2017.[226][227][228] In 2013, he and his family donated₹2.5 million ($42,664) to a charitable trust, Plan India, that works for the betterment of young girls in India.[229] He also donated₹1.1 million ($18,772) to the Maharashtra Police Welfare Fund in 2013.[230]
Bachchan was the face of the 'Save Our Tigers' campaign that promoted the importance of tiger conservation in India.[197] He supported the campaign byPETA in India to free Sunder, a 14-year-old elephant who was chained and tortured in a temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.[231]
In 2014, it was announced that he had recorded his voice and lent his image to the Hindi- and English-language versions of theTeachAids software, an internationalHIV/AIDS prevention education tool developed atStanford University.[232] He has been a vocal "brand ambassador" of theSwachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and featured in a few advertisements to promote the campaign.[233][234][235]
In 2020, Bachchan was helping the Government of India promote its public health message concerningCOVID-19 before he and some members of his family became infected. He was hospitalised with reported mild symptoms of the disease on 11 July.[236][237] He was discharged from hospital on 2 August.[238] During the pandemic he lent his support by donatingoxygen concentrators and 250 million rupees in various forms.[239]
Bachchan has been married to veteran actress and politicianJaya Bhaduri since 3 June 1973, and together they have two children;Shweta, an author, journalist and former model andAbhishek, an actor and producer. Abhishek married actressAishwarya Rai, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya.[240]
Shweta is married to businessmanNikhil Nanda, a grandson ofRaj Kapoor from theKapoor family of actors. They have a daughter, Navya Naveli, and a son, Agastya.[241]
Amitabh's family lives inMumbai in Maharashtra.[242][243] His younger brother Ajitabh Bachchan is a businessman. He did business and lived in London for a brief period before returning to live in India. He and his family choose to stay away from the limelight. His wife Ramola is a fashion designer and was active in business. Ajitabh has one son, Bhim, and three daughters Naina, Namrata, and Nilima. Naina is married to actorKunal Kapoor[244][245] and they have a son.[246]
Born to a Hindu father and a Sikh mother, Bachchan has stated that he does not adhere to any particular religion.[250][251]
In 2006, Bachchan stated that he is ateetotaler and a non-smoker.[252] During a 2022 KBC episode, in response to a contestant's question about his diet, he confirmed that he is a vegetarian.[253]
In November 2023, Bachchan gifted his bungalowPrateeksha, located inJuhu, to his daughter Shweta. The bungalow is worth₹500 million.[254]
One of the most successful actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Bachchan appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actors" list seventeen times from 1975 to 1991. He topped the list sixteen times (1976–1991).[58]
In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in aBBCYour Millennium online poll. The organisation noted that "Many people in the western world will not have heard of [him] ... [but it] is a reflection of the huge popularity of Indian films."[19] In October 2003,Time magazine dubbed Bachchan as "the Undisputed Godfather ofBollywood".[20] In April 2005, TheWalter Reade Theater ofLincoln Center in New York honoured Bachchan with a special tribute, retrospective—titled "Amitabh Bachchan: The Biggest Film Star in the World".[267][268]
In the early 80s, Bachchan authorised the use of his likeness for the comic book characterSupremo in a series titledThe Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan.[269] In May 2014,La Trobe University in Australia named a Scholarship after Bachchan.[270] In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been modelled in wax at London'sMadame Tussauds Wax Museum.[271] Another statue was installed in New York in 2009,[272] Hong Kong in 2011,[273] Bangkok in 2011,[274] Washington, DC in 2012[275] and Delhi in 2017.[276]
In March 2010, Bachchan was named onCNN's list of the "top 25 Asian actors of all time".[277] He was named "Hottest Vegetarian male" by PETA India in 2012.[278] He also won the title of "Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian male" in a contest poll run by PETA Asia in 2008.[279]
In 2022, on the occasion of Bachchan's 80th birthday, a not-for-profit organisationFilm Heritage Foundation announced a film festival as a part of his 11 films collection had been screened in 17 cities across the country shown in limited cinemas.[286][287]
Biographies
Bachchan in 2011
Several books have been written about Bachchan. The following is the listing of books focused on his life career:
Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999,[288]
To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004,[289]
AB: The Legend (A Photographer's Tribute) in 2006,[290]
Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006,[291]
The President,Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Best Film Actor Award for the year 2005 to Shri Amitabh Bachchan
Apart from industry awards won for his performances throughout the years, Bachchan has received several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry. In 1991, he became the first artist to receive theFilmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name ofRaj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned asSuperstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards.
In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at theAlexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema.[295] Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010Asian Film Awards.[296]
In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town ofDeauville.[297] The Government of India awarded him with thePadma Shri in 1984, thePadma Bhushan in 2001, thePadma Vibhushan in 2015 andDadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019. The then-President ofAfghanistan awarded him the Order of Afghanistan in 1991 following the shooting ofKhuda Gawah there.[298] The Government of Madhya Pradesh honoured him with Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman for 2002–2003.[299][300]
Bachchan with theOlympic flame in London on 27 July 2012
France's highest civilian honour, the Officer of theLegion of Honour, was conferred upon him by theFrench Government in 2007 for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond".[301] On 27 July 2012, at the age of 69, Bachchan carried theOlympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London's Southwark.[302]
Bibliography
Soul Curry for You and Me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life. (2002)[303]
^Dedhia, Sonil (7 October 2012)."Amitabh Bachchan: No resolutions for my birthday".Rediff.Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved9 October 2019.On October 2, the superstar took time out to give interviews to the media, as celebrations for his 70th birthday on October 11[, 2012,] started picking up
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