Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * Referred to as the '' Shahenshah of

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" ...

'' (in reference to his 1988 film '' Shahenshah''), ''Sadi ka Mahanayak'' (

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

for, "Greatest actor of the century"), ''Star of the Millennium'', or ''Big B''.* * * During the 1970s1980s, he was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene; the French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry." Bachchan was born in 1942 in Allahabad to the Hindi poet

Harivansh Rai Bachchan Harivansh Rai Bachchan (; 27 November 1907 19 December 2002) was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is be ...

and his wife, the social activist Teji Bachchan. He was educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and

Kirori Mal College Kirori Mal College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi. Established in 1954, it is located in the North Campus of the university in New Delhi, India. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the sciences, humani ...

University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE ...

. His film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film ''

Bhuvan Shome ''Bhuvan Shome'' is a 1969 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen based on the story of Balai Chand Mukhopadhyay. The cast includes Utpal Dutt (Mr. Bhuvan Shome) and Suhasini Mulay (Gauri, a village belle). Sen based his fil ...

''. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as '' Zanjeer'', '' Deewaar'' and '' Sholay'', and achieved greater stardom in later years, he was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in

films. He has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades, He has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as

Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...

, Dadasaheb Phalke Award as lifetime achievement award 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 42 nominations overall. 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. The

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

honoured him with the

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to

the arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the

Legion of honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, Baz Luhrmann's '' The Great Gatsby'' (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim. Beyond the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...

, he acquired a large overseas following of the South Asian diaspora, as well as others, in markets including Africa (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

, Eastern Africa and

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

), the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

(especially UAE and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

), the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

, the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

( Guyana,

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the nor ...

, and

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

(

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consis ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

.* * * *

Early life and family

Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad to the Hindi poet

, and social activist Teji Bachchan. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an

Awadhi Awadhi (; ), also known as Audhi (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern India and Nepal. It is primarily spoken in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. The name ''Awadh'' is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city ...

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Kayastha, who was fluent in

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Harivansh's ancestors came from a village called

Babupatti Babupatti is a village in the Raniganj tehsil of Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh state, India. Babu Patti is a variant spelling. Notable people * Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Hindi peot and writer, father of actor Amitabh Bachchan. Noted act ...

, in the Raniganj tehsil, in the Pratapgarh district, in the present-day state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...

, in India. Teji Bachchan was a

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

Sikh Khatri from

Lyallpur Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(present-day Faisalabad,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

). Bachchan has a younger brother, Ajitabh. He is 5 years younger than him Bachchan's parents were initially going to name him ''Inquilaab'' ( Hindustani for "Revolution"), inspired by the phrase ''

Inquilab Zindabad Inquilab Zindabad ( ur, ; hi, इंक़लाब ज़िन्दाबाद) is a Hindustani phrase, which translates to "Long live the revolution". It is a slogan used by revolutionary Indians before independence. History This slogan ...

'' (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. Although his surname was Shrivastava, Amitabh's father, who opposed the

caste system Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural ...

, had adopted the pen name Bachchan ("child-like" in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all of his works. 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. 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. Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007. Bachchan's secondary education was at Boys' High School & College in Allahabad and Sherwood College in Nainital. He attended

at the

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

. He graduated with

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree from Kirori Mal College in 1962. When Bachchan finished his studies his father approached Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder of

Prithvi Theatre Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It was built by Shashi Kapoor and his wife Jennifer Kapoor in memory of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi's father, who had dreamt of having a "home" for his repertory theatre company, Prithvi ...

and patriarch of the Kapoor acting family, to see if there was an opening for him, but Kapoor offered no encouragement. 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 marriage. Indira Gandhi wanted his future daughter-in-law to learn Hindu customs, way from Bachchan family and she did not think its appropriate to keep daughter-in-law in house before marriage. She trusted Bachchans and decided to keep Sonia at their house. Bachchan applied for a role as a newsreader for

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

, Delhi but "failed the audition". He became a business executive for ''Bird & Company'' in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

(Calcutta), and worked in the theatre before starting his film career. 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".

Acting career

Early career (1969–1972)

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award-winning film ''

''. His first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the film ''

Saat Hindustani ''Saat Hindustani'' () is a 1969 Indian action film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Madhu, Utpa ...

'', directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali (brother of comedian

Mehmood Mahmud is a transliteration of the male Arabic given name (), common in most parts of the Islamic world. It comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D, meaning ''praise'', along with ''Muhammad''. Siam Mahmud *Mahmood (singer) (born 19 ...

), Madhu and Jalal Agha. '' 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 The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the awards star ...

. 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 ''Bawarchi'' (translation: ''The Chef'') is a 1972 Indian Hindi musical comedy-drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri with Asrani, A.K. Hangal, Usha Kiran and Durga Khote in supporting roles. Thi ...

''. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy '' Bombay to Goa'' directed by S. Ramanathan which was moderately successful. Many of Bachchan's films during this early period did not do well. His only film with Mala Sinha, '' Sanjog'' (1972) was also a box office failure.

Rise to stardom (1973–1974)

Bachchan was struggling, seen as a "failed newcomer" who, by the age of 30, had twelve flops and only two hits (as a lead in ''Bombay to Goa'' and supporting role in ''Anand''). He was offered with 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 double role. Bachchan was soon discovered by screenwriter duo

Salim–Javed Salim–Javed were an Indian screenwriting duo, composed of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, working in Bollywood. They are noted for being the first Indian screenwriters to achieve star status, becoming the most successful Indian screenwriters ...

, consisting of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. 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, 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 a number of actors, owing to it going against the "romantic hero" image dominant in the industry at the time. 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." According to Salim Khan, they "strongly felt that Amitabh was the ideal casting for ''Zanjeer''". Salim Khan introduced Bachchan to Prakash Mehra, and Salim-Javed insisted that Bachchan be cast for the role. ''Zanjeer'' was a crime film with violent action, 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. He earned his first

Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

nomination for

, with '' Filmfare'' later considering this one of the most iconic performances of Bollywood history. 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. 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). Salim Khan also introduced Bachchan to director

Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmaker of the 70s and 80s. Desai is now considered one of most influential film director of Bollywood and a pionee ...

with whom he formed a long and successful association, alongside Prakash Mehra and

Yash Chopra Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the recipient of ...

. Eventually, Bachchan became one of the most successful leading men of the film industry. Bachchan's portrayal of the wronged hero fighting a crooked system and circumstances of deprivation in films like ''Zanjeer'', ''Deewaar'', ''Trishul'', '' Kaala Patthar'' and ''

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...

'' 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 Social inequality occurs when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, that engender specific patterns along lines of socially defined categories of persons. It posses and creates gender c ...

and the brutal excesses of The Emergency. This led to Bachchan being dubbed as the "angry young man", a journalistic catchphrase which became a metaphor for the dormant rage, frustration, restlessness, sense of rebellion and

anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...

disposition of an entire generation, prevalent in 1970s India. The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together: not only ''Zanjeer'' but also subsequent films such as '' Abhimaan'', which was released only a month after their marriage and was also successful at the box office. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram, once again along with Rajesh Khanna, in the film '' Namak Haraam'', a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second

. In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as '' Kunwara Baap'' and '' Dost'', before playing a supporting role in '' Roti Kapda Aur Makaan''. The film, directed and written by

Manoj Kumar Harikrishan Goswami (born 24 July 1937), better known by his screen name Manoj Kumar, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for acting and making films with patriotic theme ...

, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship and was the top-earning film of 1974. Bachchan then played the leading role in the film '' Majboor''. The film was a success at the box office.

Superstardom (1975–1988)

In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres, from the comedy '' Chupke Chupke'' and the crime drama ''

Faraar ''Faraar'' () is a 1975 Bollywood crime film drama. The film is produced by Alankar Chitra and directed by Shanker Mukherjee. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjeev Kumar, Sulochna, Sajjan, Agha and Bhagwan Dada. The ...

'' to the romantic drama '' Mili''. This was also the year in which Bachchan starred in two films regarded as important in Hindi cinema history, both written by Salim-Javed, who again insisted on casting Bachchan. The first was ''Deewaar'', directed by Yash Chopra, where he worked with Shashi Kapoor,

Nirupa Roy Nirupa Roy (born Kokila Kishorechandra Bulsara; 4 January 1931 – 13 October 2004) was an Indian actress who had appeared in Hindi films. Noted for her portrayals of tragedy and sorrow, Roy was known for her acting ability, and was uncharitab ...

, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Singh, and earned another Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number four. ''Indiatimes Movies'' ranks ''Deewaar'' amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. The other, released on 15 August 1975, was '' Sholay'', which became the highest-grossing film ever in India at the time, in which Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. ''Deewaar'' and ''Sholay'' are often credited with exalting Bachchan to the heights of superstardom, two years after he became a star with ''Zanjeer'', and consolidating his domination of the industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1999, BBC India declared ''Sholay'' the "Film of the Millennium" and, like ''Deewaar'', it has been cited by ''Indiatimes Movies'' as amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. 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. In 1976, he was cast by

in the romantic family drama '' Kabhie Kabhie''. 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 like ''Zanjeer'' and ''Deewaar''. The film evoked a favourable response from critics and audiences alike. 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 the hit '' Adalat'' as father and son. In 1977, he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in '' Amar Akbar Anthony'', in which he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films. He was the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award. Born into th ...

as Anthony Gonsalves. The film was the highest-grossing film of that year. His other successes that year include '' Parvarish'' and '' Khoon Pasina''. He once again resumed double roles in films such as '' Kasme Vaade'' (1978) as Amit and Shankar and '' Don'' (1978) playing the characters of Don, 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's '' Muqaddar 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 the same year, namely '' Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'', '' Trishul'', '' Don'', '' Kasme Vaade'', '' Ganga Ki Saugandh'' and '' Besharam'' were massive successes, the former three being the consecutive highest-grossing films of the year, remarkably releasing within a month of each other, a rare feat in Indian cinema. In 1979, Bachchan starred in '' Suhaag'' which was the highest earning film of that year. In the same year he also enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success with films like ''

Mr. Natwarlal ''Mr. Natwarlal'' is a 1979 Indian Hindi action comedy film produced by Tony Glaad (as "Tony") and directed by Rakesh Kumar. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Ajit, Kader Khan, Amjad Khan and the music is by Rajesh Roshan, the songs are ...

'', '' Kaala Patthar'', '' The Great Gambler'' and '' Manzil''. Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the first time in a song from the film ''Mr. Natwarlal'' in which he starred with Rekha. Bachchan's performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the '' Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer''. He also received Best Actor nomination for ''Kaala Patthar'' and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the

Raj Khosla Raj Khosla (31 May 1925 – 9 June 1991) was one of the top director, producer and screenwriter in Hindi film industry from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in "neo-noir" and style in Indian cinema, and also as a "women's dir ...

directed film '' Dostana'', in which he starred opposite

Shatrughan Sinha Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliam ...

and Zeenat Aman. ''Dostana'' proved to be the top-grossing film of 1980. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film '' Silsila'', where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and also Rekha. Other successful films of this period include '' Shaan'' (1980), '' Ram Balram'' (1980), '' Naseeb'' (1981), '' Lawaaris'' (1981), ''

Kaalia ''Kaalia'' is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film, written and directed by Tinnu Anand, and produced by Iqbal Singh. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan (in the title role), Parveen Babi, Asha Parekh, Kader Khan, Pran, Amjad Khan, ...

'' (1981), '' Yaarana'' (1981), '' Barsaat Ki Ek Raat'' (1981) and ''

'' (1982), also starring

Dilip Kumar Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from ...

. In 1982, he played double roles in the musical '' Satte Pe Satta'' and action

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

Desh Premee Desh Premee () is a 1982 Hindi action film directed by Manmohan Desai, starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role alongside an ensemble cast including Hema Malini, Navin Nischol, Parveen Babi, Uttam Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Premnath, Parikshit Sahni, ...

'' which succeeded at the box office along with mega hits like action

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

'' Namak Halaal'', action

Khud-Daar ''Khud-Daar'' () is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Ravi Tandon. The music is by Rajesh Roshan and the lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Parveen Babi, Vinod Mehra, Prem Chopra, M ...

'' and the critically acclaimed

'' Bemisal''. In 1983, he played a triple role in '' Mahaan'' which was not as successful as his previous films. Other releases during that year included '' Nastik'' and '' Pukar'' which were hits and ''

Andha Kanoon ''Andhaa Kaanoon'' () is a 1983 Hindi-language action film directed by T. Rama Rao, starring Rajinikanth, Hema Malini, Reena Roy in leading roles and featuring an ensemble cast of villains in supporting roles including Prem Chopra, Danny Denzong ...

'' (in which he had an extended guest appearance) was an average grosser. During a stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, his completed films ''Mard'' (1985) and '' Aakhree Raasta'' (1986) were released and were major hits. Bachchan had played a role in a special appearance for the movie '' Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara'' in the year 1987 and he sang a playback song with Kishore Kumar in this movie. On 26 July 1982, while filming a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar for '' Coolie'', Bachchan had near-fatal intestinal injury. Bachchan was performing his own 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 a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in 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 temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him. Nevertheless, he resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The director,

, altered the ending of ''Coolie'': 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. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success and the top-grossing film of that year. Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. 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").

Career fluctuations and sabbatical (1988–1992)

After a three-year stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, Bachchan returned to films in 1988, playing the title role in '' Shahenshah'', which was a box office success. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films like '' Jaadugar'', '' Toofan'' and ''

Main Azaad Hoon ''Main Azaad Hoon'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language vigilante film adapted from the 1941 Frank Capra film, ''Meet John Doe'', by Javed Akhtar, about an opportunistic journalist who concocts a fictitious man in a fictitious article to boost ...

'' (all released in 1989) failed at the box office. He gained success during this period with the

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

Aaj Ka Arjun ''Aaj Ka Arjun'' is a 1990 Hindi-language crime drama film, directed and produced by K.C. Bokadia and starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Prada. The film follows the crux of the epic Mahabharata, but with its modified storyline through the persp ...

'' (1990) and action

'' Hum'' (1991), for which he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, but this momentum was short-lived and his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this era that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 cult film '' Agneepath''. These years would see his last on-screen appearances for some time. After the release of the critically acclaimed epic '' Khuda Gawah'' in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. With the exception of the delayed release of '' Insaniyat'' (1994), which was also a box office failure, Bachchan did not appear in any new releases for five years.

Business ventures and acting comeback (1996–1999)

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh 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. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film it produced was '' Tere Mere Sapne'', which was a moderate success and launched the careers of actors like Arshad Warsi and southern film star Simran. In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film ''

Mrityudata ''Mrityudaata'' () is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Mehul Kumar with music by Anand Milind. The film is considered to be a comeback role for Amitabh Bachchan, who temporarily left the industry in 1992. This film was p ...

'', produced by ABCL. Though ''Mrityudaata'' attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the '' 1996 Miss World beauty pageant'',

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, 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. 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 Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats until the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to raise funds for his company. Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career, and eventually had commercial success with ''

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan ''Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by David Dhawan. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani's Pooja Entertainment, the film stars an ensemble cast with Govinda and Amitabh Bachchan playing dual roles as ...

'' (1998) and ''

Major Saab ''Major Saab'' is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language action film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Naveen Nischol, Ajay Devgn, Sonali Bendre, Nafisa Ali and Ashish Vidhyarthi. Plot The plot concerns playboy Virendra Pratap Singh aka Vir. A clause in the ...

'' (1998), and received positive reviews for '' Sooryavansham'' (1999), but other films such as ''

Lal Baadshah ''Lal Baadshah'' is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed by K. C. Bokadia, starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role, Raghuvaran, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri. Nirupa Roy also appears in her last film playin ...

'' (1999) and '' Hindustan Ki Kasam'' (1999) were box office failures.

Return to prominence (2000–present)

In 2000, Bachchan appeared in

's box-office hit, '' Mohabbatein'', directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, elder figure who rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. His role won him his third

. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in '' Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love'' (2001), '' Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001) and '' Baghban'' (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in '' Aks'' (2001), '' Aankhen'' (2002), ''

Kaante ''Kaante'' () is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language action-thriller film directed by Sanjay Gupta, written by Milap Zaveri, and starring an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Kumar Gaurav, Sunil Shetty, Lucky Ali, Mahesh Manjrek ...

'' (2002), ''

Khakee ''Khakee'' (English translation: The Uniform) is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language neo-noir action thriller film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and written by Santoshi and Sridhar Raghavan. The story revolves around an Indian police team on a missi ...

'' (2004) and ''

Dev Dev, sometimes capitalized as DEV, can be referred as: People Single names * Dev (born 1982), Indian actor * Dev (born 1984), British radio presenter, DJ and actor * Dev (born 1989), American singer * Dev, Indian actor First names * Dev Anand (19 ...

'' (2004). His performance in ''Aks'' won him his first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

'' (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 fourth Filmfare 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 films ''

Bunty Aur Babli ''Bunty Aur Babli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and written by Jaideep Sahni, based on a story by Aditya Chopra, who serves as producer under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Abhishek Bac ...

'' (2005), the '' Godfather'' tribute '' Sarkar'' (2005), and '' Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006). All of them were successful at the box office. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were '' Baabul'' (2006), ''

Ekalavya Ekalavya (Sanskrit: एकलव्य, ''ékalavya'') is a character from the Indian epic Mahābhārata. He was a young prince of the Nishadas, a confederation of forest and hill tribes in ancient India. Ekalavya is called as one of the fore ...

'' and '' Nishabd'' (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics. In May 2007, two of his films: the romantic comedy '' Cheeni Kum'' and the multi-starrer action drama ''

Shootout at Lokhandwala ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed and co-written by Apoorva Lakhia and co-written and co-produced by Sanjay Gupta, with Ekta Kapoor serving as producer and Suresh Nair serving as writer. ...

'' were released. ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' did well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while ''Cheeni Kum'' picked up after a slow start and was a success. A remake of his biggest hit, ''Sholay'' (1975), entitled ''

Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag ''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'' (), or simply, ''Aag'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language action drama film produced and directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film features Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, Prashant Raj Sachdev, Sushmita Sen, J. D. ...

'', released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception. The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film, Rituparno Ghosh's ''

The Last Lear ''The Last Lear'' is a 2007 Indian drama film directed by Rituparno Ghosh. The film won the National Award of India for Best Feature Film in English in 2007. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah ...

'', co-starring

Arjun Rampal Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film '' Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on t ...

and Preity Zinta. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since ''Black''. Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film, '' Shantaram'', directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny 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. The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely.

Vivek Sharma Vivek Sharma is an Indian filmmaker. He became recognised for his work when Amitabh Bachchan himself agreed to work with his directorial debut ''Bhoothnath''. Early life Vivek Sharma was born in a Brahmin family in Jabalpur , Madhya Pradesh. ...

's ''

Bhoothnath ''Bhoothnath'' () is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language supernatural comedy film written and directed by Vivek Sharma, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Aman Siddiqui, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Rajpal Yadav and features Shah Rukh Khan in a ca ...

'', in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008. ''

Sarkar Raj ''Sarkar Raj'' () is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language political crime thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a sequel to the 2005 film '' Sarkar'' and the second installment of ''Sarkar'' film series. The film was premiered at the 20 ...

'', the sequel of the 2005 film ''Sarkar'', released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box office. '' Paa'', which released at the end of 2009 was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-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. It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through ''

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

'', directed by Major Ravi and co-starring Mohanlal. The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814. Bachchan declined any remuneration for this film. In 2011 he played an aged retired former gangster in Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap who protects his son Sonu Sood who is an honest daring police officer from a notorious gangster Prakash Raj who unknowingly hired the latter to perform a contract killing not knowing that the police officer is the gangster's son. Directed By Puri Jagannadh the film won positive reviews and was a commercial success. Vijay receiving award from amitabh 2011

In 2013 he made his Hollywood debut in '' The Great Gatsby'' making a special appearance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. In 2014, he played the role of the friendly ghost in the sequel ''

Bhoothnath Returns ''Bhoothnath Returns'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language supernatural comedy film directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Bhushan Kumar. A sequel to 2008 film ''Bhoothnath'', the film revolves around Bhoothnath (Amitabh Bachchan) who is mocke ...

''. The next year, he played the role of a grumpy father experiencing chronic constipation in the critically acclaimed ''

Piku ''Piku'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by N. P. Singh, Ronnie Lahiri and Sneha Rajani. It stars Deepika Padukone as the titular protagonist, Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, with ...

'' which was also one of the biggest hits of 2015. A review in ''

Daily News and Analysis Publications established in 2005 Newspapers published in Mumbai English-language newspapers published in India Daily newspapers published in India Essel Group 2005 establishments in Maharashtra ...

'' (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." Rachel Saltz wrote for

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, "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." 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 that Piku 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 many idiosyncrasies, never once slipping into caricature while all along delivering big laughs thanks to his spot-on comic timing." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' 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." 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 film ''

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

'' 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. 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. Like we know from Prakash Mehra movies, into 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." Writing for

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...

, noted film critic and author Anupama 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. Meena Iyer of

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest s ...

wrote, "The performances are pitch-perfect with Bachchan leading the way. Writing for NDTV, Troy Ribeiro of Indo-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.' Mike McCahill of

remarked, "Among an electric ensemble, Tapsee 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. In 2017, he appeared in the third instalment of the Sarkar film series: Ram Gopal Varma's '' Sarkar 3''. That year, he started filming for the swashbuckling action adventure film ''

Thugs Of Hindostan ''Thugs of Hindostan'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language period action-adventure film written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, and produced by Aditya Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Fati ...

'' with Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh which released in November 2018. He co-starred with Rishi Kapoor in ''

102 Not Out ''102 Not Out'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Umesh Shukla and written by Saumya Joshi. The film has the two legends Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor in lead roles who play father-son duo for the first time. I ...

'', a comedy drama film directed by Umesh Shukla based on a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

play of the same name written by

Saumya Joshi Saumya Joshi is an Indian poet, writer, playwright, director and actor associated with Gujarati language literature, theatre and films. He is known in Gujarati theatre for his plays ''Welcome Zindagi'' and ''102 Not Out''. ''Greenroomma'' (2008 ...

. This film released in May 2018 and reunited him with Kapoor onscreen after a gap of twenty-seven years. In October 2017, it was announced that Bachchan will appear in

Ayan Mukerji Ayan Mukerji (born 15 August 1983) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Hindi films. Mukerji made his directorial debut at the age of 26 with the coming-of-age comedy '' Wake Up Sid'' (2009). The film opened to stro ...

's '' Brahmastra'', alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Mouni Roy and Alia Bhatt. He is set to make his debut in Telugu cinema in '' Project K'' directed by

Nag Ashwin Nag Ashwin Reddy is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Telugu cinema. He made his directorial debut in 2015 with the coming-of-age philosophical drama film '' Yevade Subramanyam''. In 2018, he directed the biographi ...

alongside

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most p ...

and Prabhas.

Other work

Television appearances

In 2000, Bachchan hosted the first season of '' Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (''KBC''), the Indian adaptation of the British television game show, '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''. The show was well received. A second season followed in 2005 but its run was cut short by Star Plus when Bachchan fell ill in 2006. In 2009, Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show ''

Bigg Boss ''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian reality television game show franchise based on the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother''. It is produced by Endemol Shine India through Viacom18 and Disney Star. Subsequently, the various versions of the show are made ...

''. In 2010, Bachchan hosted the fourth season of ''KBC''. 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. Bachchan continued to host KBC until 2022. The sixth season was also hosted by Bachchan, commencing on 7 September 2012, broadcast on

Sony TV Sony Television, Sony TV, or Sony HD may refer to any of the following television-related products from Japanese conglomerate Sony: * Television sets designed and manufactured by Sony Corporation in Japan ** Trinitron, television hardware brand (19 ...

and received the highest number of viewers thus far. In 2014, he debuted in the fictional

Sony Entertainment Television Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel, that was launched on 30 September 1995, and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese Sony. SET India's ...

TV series titled ''

Yudh Yodh (also spelled jodh, yod, or jod) is the tenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician Yōd /𐤉, Hebrew Yōd , Aramaic Yod , Syriac Yōḏ ܝ, and Arabic . Its sound value is in all languages for which it is used; in many la ...

'' playing the lead role of a businessman battling both his personal and professional life.

Voice-acting

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer, and presenter for numerous programmes. Some prominent films featuring his narration are Satyajit Ray's 1977 film '' Shatranj Ke Khiladi''. and Ashutosh Gowarikar's 2001 film '' Lagaan''. He also has done voice-over work for the following movies: * ''Bhuvan Shome'' (1969) * ''

'' (1972) * '' Balika Badhu'' (1975) * '' Tere Mere Sapne'' (1996) * '' Hello Brother'' (1999) * '' Lagaan'' (2001) * '' Fun2shh... Dudes in the 10th Century'' (2003) * '' Parineeta'' (2005) * '' March of the Penguins'' (2005), Indian version * ''

Jodhaa Akbar ''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...

'' (2008) * '' Swami'' (2007) * '' Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya!'' (2009) * '' Ra.One'' (2011) * '' Kahaani'' (2012) * '' Krrish 3'' (2013) * '' Mahabharat'' (2013) * '' Kochadaiiyaan (Hindi Version)'' (2014) * CBI documentary (2014) – sanctioned by Central Bureau of Investigation * '' The Ghazi Attack'' (2017) * '' Firangi'' (2017)

Business investments

Around 1994, Bachchan started Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), an event management, production and distribution company. But the company led into debt with fiasco and gone into bankruptcy, subsequently Bachchan became nearly bankrupt. Reasons of this debacle was flop films such as

(produced by this organisation),

Miss World 1996 Miss World 1996, the 46th edition of the Miss World pageant, took place on 23 November 1996 in the city of Bangalore, India. Preliminaries were shot in India and in Seychelles. 88 contestants from all over the world took part in the presti ...

which was organised-managed by ABCL. Due to this he began work for TV, asked for work to

. Once he told that, 'it was darkest time for him'. 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 U.S. Recently they made their first overseas investment in Ziddu.com, a cloud based content distribution platform. Bachchan was named in the Panama Papers and

Paradise Papers The Paradise Papers are a set of over 13.4 million confidential electronic documents relating to offshore investments that were leaked to the German reporters Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer, from the newspaper'' Süddeutsche ...

, leaked confidential documents relating to offshore investment.

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 Allahabad's seat for the 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. With 68.2% of the votes in his favour, he won by one of the highest victory margins ever in

Indian elections India has a parliamentary system as defined by its constitution, with power distributed between the central government and the states. The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of the country and supreme commander-in-chief for a ...

. In 1987,

Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...

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. Bachchan resigned from his seat in July 1987. Ajitabh Bachchan sued Swedish newspaper '' Dagens Nyheter'' for linking him to Bofors payments in 1990 and won damages in the United Kingdom. Sten Lindstrom, the Swedish police chief who had investigated the case, said in 2012 that "Indian investigators planted the Bachchan angle on" ''Dagens Nyheter''. Bachchan's old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during the financial crisis caused by the failure of his company, ABCL. Thereafter Bachchan started supporting the Samajwadi Party, the political party to which Amar Singh belonged. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and represented the party as an MP in the Rajya Sabha. Bachchan appeared in advertisements and political campaigns for the party. His claim that he too was a farmer in the advertisements were questioned in courts. Bachchan has claimed to have been banned by film press during the emergency years for his family's friendship with Indira Gandhi. Bachchan has been accused of using the slogan "blood for blood" in the context of the

1984 anti-Sikh riots The 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh Massacre, was a series of organised pogroms against Sikhs in India following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Government estimates project that about 2,800 Sikhs ...

. Bachchan has denied the allegation. In October 2014, Bachchan was summoned by a court in Los Angeles for "allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh community". Bachchan in an interview with journalist Arnab Goswami offered to fight the case in court and asked the accusers to file the same as also present proof. He was also one of the trustees of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

Humanitarian and social causes

Amitabh Bachchan - TeachAIDS Recording Session (19284544383)

Bachchan has been involved with many social causes. For example, he donated to clear the debts of nearly 40 beleaguered farmers in Andhra Pradesh and to clear the debts of some 100 Vidarbha farmers. In 2010, he donated to Resul Pookutty's foundation for a medical centre at Kochi, and he has given () to the family of Delhi policeman Subhash Chand Tomar who died after succumbing to injuries during a protest against gang-rape after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. 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. In June 2019 he cleared debts of 2100 farmers from Bihar. Bachchan was made a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for the

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Eradication Campaign in India in 2002. In 2013, he and his family donated () to a charitable trust, Plan India, that works for the betterment of young girls in India. He also donated () to the Maharashtra Police Welfare Fund in 2013. Bachchan was the face of the 'Save Our Tigers' campaign that promoted the importance of tiger conservation in India. He supported the campaign by PETA in India to free Sunder, a 14-year-old elephant who was chained and tortured in a temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. In 2014, it was announced that he had recorded his voice and lent his image to the Hindi and English language versions of the

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software, an international

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prevention education tool developed at

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. He has been a vocal "brand ambassador" of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and featured in a few advertisements to promote the campaign. In 2020, Bachchan was helping the Government of India promote its public health message concerning

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

before he and some members of his family themselves became infected. He was hospitalised with reported mild symptoms of the disease on 11 July. He was discharged from hospital on 2 August. During the pandemic he lent his support by donating Oxygen concentrators and 25 cr rupees in various forms.

Personal life

Bachchan has been married to veteran actress and politician Jaya Bhaduri since 1973 and together they have two children; Abhishek, an actor, and

Shweta __NOTOC__ Shweta ( Deva, श्वेता) is an Indian Hindu feminine given name. The Sanskrit word ' literally means "white". The Hindu goddess of knowledge Saraswati is also known as "Shwetambara". Notable people Shweta * Shweta Bhardwaj ...

, an author, journalist and former model. Abhishek married actress Aishwarya Rai, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya. Shweta is married to businessman

Nikhil Nanda Nikhil Nanda is an Indian businessman. Part of the Nanda family, Kapoor family and Bachchan Family, he is the chairman and managing director of Escorts Limited, an engineering company founded in 1944 by his paternal grandfather, Har Prasad Na ...

who is a part of the Kapoor family of actors. They have a daughter, Navya Naveli, and a son, Agastya. Amitabh's family lives in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

. His younger brother Ajitabh Bachchan is a businessman. He did business and lived in London for brief period of time. Presently he is living in India. He and his family choose to stay away from 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 Bachchan is married to actor Kunal Kapoor. Bachchan was famously rumoured to have had an

extramarital affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of ...

with actress Rekha in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s after they first acted together in ''

Do Anjaane ''Do Anjaane'' () is a 1976 Hindi-language drama film, produced by Tito, it is directed by Dulal Guha and based on the story ''Rater gari'' of Nihar Ranjan Gupta. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Prem Chopra, Pradeep Kumar, Utpal Dutt, ...

'', and later in '' Silsila'', though they have both denied it.

Filmography

Legacy

Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. He earned respect among critics for his memorable performances and charismatic screen presence, is also considered one of the most respected public figure of India. Referred to as the " Shahenshah of Bollywood", "Star of the Millennium" or "Big B", He inspired many great and successful Indian cinema actors for many generations including Rajinikanth,

Chiranjeevi Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu, as well as some film ...

Kamal Hassan Mohd. Kamal bin Hassan (born 27 October 1942 in Pasir Mas, Kelantan) is a Muslim academic and Islamic scholar, specializing in contemporary Islamic thought, particularly pertaining to the Southeast Asia region. He was the Rector of the Internatio ...

, Shah Rukh Khan,

Akshay Kumar Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...

, Manoj Bajpayee,

Ajay Devgn Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema. Devgn has appeared in over a hundred films and has won numerous accolades, including four ...

, Mohanlal, Ranveer Singh, Allu Arjun and Yash. Referred to as the " Shahenshah of Bollywood", "Star of the Millennium" or "Big B", French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry." In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in a BBC ''Your Millennium'' online poll. The organisation noted that "Many people in the western world will not have heard of imnbsp;... ut itis a reflection of the huge popularity of Indian films." In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been modelled in wax at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed in New York in 2009, Hong Kong in 2011, Bangkok in 2011, Washington, DC in 2012 and Delhi in 2017. In the early 80s, Bachchan authorised the use of his likeness for the comic book character Supremo in a series titled ''The Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan''. In May 2014,

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria a ...

in Australia named a Scholarship after Bachchan. In October 2003,

TIME Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

magazine dubbed Bachchan as "the Undisputed Godfather of

". In April 2005, The Walter Reade Theater of

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

in New York honored Bachchan with a special tribute, retrospective—titled "Amitabh Bachchan: The Biggest Film Star in the World". In March 2010, Bachchan has been named the list of CNN's "top 25 Asian actors of all time". He was named "Hottest Vegetarian male" by PETA India in 2012. He also won the title of "Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian male" in a contest poll run by PETA Asia in 2008. In Allahabad, the Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex and Amitabh Bachchan Road are named after him. A government senior secondary school in Saifai,

Etawah Etawah also known as Ishtikapuri is a city on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Western Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawah District. Etawah's population of 256,838 (as per 2011 population census) ...

is called Amitabh Bachchan Government Inter College. There is a waterfall in Sikkim known as Amitabh Bachchan Falls. In 2022, on the occasion of Bachchan's 80th birthday, not-for-profit organisation

Film Heritage Foundation Film Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization, based in Mumbai, India, dedicated to film preservation, restoration and archiving of India’s film heritage. History The Film Heritage Foundation was founded in 2014 by Shivendra Singh Dun ...

announced a film festival as a part of his 11 films collection had screened in 17 cities across the country shown in limited movies theatres.

Autobiography

Bachchan himself wrote a book in 2002: ''Soul Curry for You and Me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life''.

Biographies

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, *''To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan'' in 2004, *''AB: The Legend (A Photographer's Tribute)'' in 2006, *''Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti'' in 2006, *''Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar'' in 2006, *''Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me'' in 2007 and *''Bachchanalia'' in 2009.

Awards and honours

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 the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at the

Alexandria International Film Festival Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries is a film festival in Egypt. Organized by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics (EAFWC). The AIFF aims to broaden film culture and strengthen the relationship betw ...

in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema. Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards. In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville. The Government of India awarded him with the

in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019. The then-President of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

awarded him the Order of Afghanistan in 1991 following the shooting of '' Khuda Gawah'' there. The Government of Madhya Pradesh honoured him with Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman for 2002–2003. France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the

, was conferred upon him by the

French Government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

in 2007 for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond". On 27 July 2012, Bachchan carried the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London's Southwark.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bachchan, Amitabh 1942 births Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors from Mumbai Indian actor-politicians Indian amateur radio operators Indian male film actors Hindi film producers Indian male singers Bollywood playback singers Indian television presenters Indian male voice actors Living people Best Actor National Film Award winners Male actors from Allahabad Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? India MPs 1984–1989 Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts Indian male playback singers People named in the Panama Papers Film producers from Mumbai 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Male actors in Hindi television Indian male television actors Politicians from Allahabad Film producers from Uttar Pradesh People from New Alipore Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners Screen Awards winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners Indian Hindus Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Actors from Mumbai People named in the Paradise Papers