Amitabh Bachchan Biography

Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, India. In 1969, he debuted in Saat Hindustani. His role in 1972's Zanjeer made him an action movie star. In the 1980s, Bachchan held a seat in the Indian Parliament. In the '90s, he started his own production company. He returned to acting in 1997, with Mrityudaata. In 2000, he began hosting the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan, best known as Amitabh Bachchan, was born in Allahabad, India on October 11, 1942. India was still a British colony at the time, and would not achieve independence until five years later. Bachchan's father was renowned Hindi poet Dr. Harivansh Rai. His mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh socialite. Amitabh Bachchan was his parents' firstborn. He has one younger brother, named Ajitabh.

Bachchan went to Sherwood College boarding school before enrolling in Delhi University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Once he graduated, he became a freight broker in Calcutta. After a few years in Calcutta, Bachchan was ready for a change. He decided to move to Bombay and take a stab at Bollywood show business. By this time, India had been independent for nearly two decades, and Hindi cinema was thriving.
In 1969, Bachchan made his film debut in Saat Hindustani. Although the movie tanked at the box office, Bachchan still managed to capture the attention of directors. Soon enough, the offers started rolling in.

By the early 1970s, Bachchan had garnered popularity with audiences as the "angry young man" in a series of successful Hindi feature films. His starring role in Zanjeer was particularly instrumental in launching him to stardom as an action-movie hero. Bachchan's performances in films like Laawaris, Coolie, Naseeb, Silsila, Shaarabi and Jaadugar continued to enamor fans of the tall and handsome action hero, and also landed him multiple Fanfare Awards. From the 1970s through the early '80s, the swashbuckling Bachchan appeared in more than 100 films. He seized opportunities to work with India's most acclaimed directors, such as Prakash Mehra, and dominated the silver screen with films like Trishul, Sholay and Chashme Buddoor. In addition to acting, Bachchan's roles often required him to sing.

In 1982, Bachchan had a serious accident while filming. Fans prayed for his recovery. Bachchan survived the accident, but it prompted him to change career paths. In 1984, he traded his Bollywood stardom for a seat in the Indian Parliament. His political aspirations proved to be short-lived; in 1987, he left his seat due to unexpected controversy.

By the 1990s, the limelight surrounding Bachchan had begun to fade. But his decision to start his own entertainment production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, and make himself CEO, put him back in the headlines.

Bachchan followed his true calling and returned to the silver screen in 1997 with the film Mrityudaata, produced by ABCL. In 2000, he also started hosting the Indian version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Despite a few box-office failures in the 1990s, in the 2000s, Bachchan climbed his way back up to stardom as a film actor, earning additional Filmfare and International Film Award nominations for his work on films like Baghban (2003), Khakee (2004) and Paa (2009).

Bachchan married movie actress Jaya Bhaduri in 1973. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son. Their daughter, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, is married to industrialist Nikhil Nanda, whose grandfather was the film director Raj Kapoor. Bachchan and Bhaduri’s son, Abhishek Bachchan, is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai.

In addition to being a father and an actor, Amitabh Bachchan devotes his time to charitable causes. In 2003 he was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Initially he was named "Inquilab Shrivastava", later he was named "Amitabh" then his father adopted pen-name "Bachchan" as he was strictly against the surname & cast trend in India.

Married to Jaya Bhaduri; one son, Abhishek Bachchan, and one daughter, Shweta Nanda.

Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour from the Government of India. 3 National Film Awards For Best Actor; 1 National Film Award For Best Newcomer. 5 Filmfare Best Actor Awards; 3 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Awards; 2 Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance; Filmfare Superstar of the Millennium

 Amitabh Bachchan was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.

He suffered from a rare muscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis.
He is the first Asian actor to have a wax model of his likeness displayed at Madame Tussaud’s in London, UK.
He is one of the few actors to have played a triple role – Mahaan (1983)

Amitabh Bachchan’s trademark deep baritone voice, tall, brooding persona and intense eyes, made him the ideal “Angry Young Man”, setting him apart from the cluster of Bollywood’s lover boys. However, his unconventional looks did work against him at the beginning of his Bollywood career, but he stayed around long enough to be become the icon of the Indian film industry.

Amitabh Bachchan was born in Allahabad in 1942, to Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, “the light that would never go off.” Though his surname was Shrivastava, he replaced it with ‘Bachchan’, which was his father’s pen name. Amitabh Bachchan studied in Allahabad at Jnana Pramodhini and Boys High School. He completed his education at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College in Delhi. His first job was in Shaw Wallace. Amitabh later worked as a freight broker for a shipping firm called Bird and Co., in Kolkata, a job he quit to pursue a career in acting.

In 1969, Amitabh made his debut with Saat Hindustani, which won him the National Film Award for Best Newcomer. After this came movies like Reshma Aur Shera, Parwana, and Anand in 1971. He made a huge impact with his performance in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand alongside Rajesh Khanna, winning him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. His breakthrough as a lead was in the film Zanjeer (1973) which established his persona of the “angry young man” of Bollywood. Amitabh reworked the image of the Hindi film hero with major hits like Deewar, Sholay, Trishul and Don. He popularised the violent melodrama genre but had an equal flair for tragedies (Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Shakti) and comedies (Chupke Chupke, Amar Akbar Anthony) as well. His status as a demi-god was evident when the entire nation prayed for his recovery when he met with a fatal injury during the making of Coolie in July, 1982.

In 1984, Amitabh entered politics in support of long time friend Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad’s Lok Sabha seat and won by a huge margin. Accusations of him being involved in the Bofors Scandal made him quit politics, although, later on, he was proved innocent. Amitabh returned to films with blockbusters like Shahenshah, Agneepath, Hum and Khuda Gawah. A series of flops in mid 90’s and the collapse of his company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. landed him in immense debts. He returned back to movies but with no success.

In the year 2000, he stepped up to host the television show Kaun Banega Crorepati and later was seen in Mohabbatein along with Shah Rukh Khan. Both these ventures proved extremely successful. Since then Amitabh has been on a roll. At sixty plus, with all the endorsements and accolades, he is a greater icon than he was at the height of his popularity three decades ago.

In recent past we have seen Amitabh doing vastly different roles in fims like Sarkar Raj, The Last Lear, Paa, Teen Patti and Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap.

He ​starred in Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan in 2011, ​but ​the film failed to do well at the box​ ​office​ though​ ​Big B​’s role was widely appreciated. ​His other releases – Ram Gopal Varma’s ​Department and Zamaanat also failed to do well at the box office.

He did an item song in the Bol Bachchan and a guest appearance in English Vinglish. He was seen in the Hollywood drama film The Great Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel which released on May 10, 2013. It is ​Big B’s ​first Hollywood film​.​

He play​ed​ the role of a firm believer in Satyagraha- a political drama film directed by Prakash Jha. Later, he ​gave a voice over to Bhishma​’s character​ in the animated movie Mahabharat​ and also starred in Bhoothnath Returns.​​

The Shah​e​ns​h​a​h​ of Bollywood will be seen in Shamitabh, Piku that are scheduled to release in 2015.


Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian Actor born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.


He was born to a well know poet of India, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. He also have a Brother named Ajitabh. He studied at Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School, and then he went to Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree.

After completing his studies at Uttar Pradesh he moved to Bombay to find work as a Film star. In film industry the producers didnt wanted to take Amitabh as they preferred a fairer skin, which he was not. But they used his voice for narrating and background commentary. He was cast in Saat Hindustani. He got a break in Bollywood after a letter of introduction from Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as he was a friend of her son Rajiv Gandhi. This is how he made his entry in Bollywood. He got married with Jaya . They have two childrens Shweta and Abhishek.


He made his first debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in film Bhuvan Shome. Then after he got his first acting role as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani. This film did not went well but gave him his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer. Then on year 1971 he was starred as supporting role in film Anand, with Rajesh Khanna which again gave him a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Then later that year he played his first negetive role in Parwaana. Then he made serveral films that year later. He narrated a part of film Bawarchi. He also made guest appearance in movie Guddi starring Jaya Bhaduri.

In year 1973 he played as a Inspector in film Zanjeer. He was nominated for Best Actor for this movie. Later that year he married with Jaya and made many films together. Then he starred in film Namak Haraam for which he won his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.In year 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playing a supporting role in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. Then on December 1974 for the film Majboor he played a leading role. It went average on box office.

Then in 1975, he made a comedy film Chupke Chupke. Then soon after he made films like Faraar, Mili. Then he came in film Deewar for which he was Nominated for Best Actor. It was a hit film of the year 1975, which was been ranked 4 in Indiatimes Movies. Later that year he played in film Sholay which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning INR 2,36,45,00,000. It was decared as the "Film of the Millennium" by BBC India. Then he made some comedy films like Amar Akbar Anthony on year 1977 and in films such as Kabhie Kabhie on year 1976. For film Kabhie Kabhie again he was nominated for Best Actor Award. Then for Amar Akbar Anthony he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. Then he appeared in double role in films such as Kasme Vaade and Don for which he again won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also performed in Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikander which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations.

Then in 1979 he turned into singer and sung a song for film Mr. Natwarlal. He again got nominated for Filmfare Best Actor Award and also for Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards.In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar and then nominated again in 1980 for the film Dostana. Dostana declared the top grossing film of 1980.

In year 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film Silsila, and some other movies like Ram Balram on year 1980, Shaan on year 1980, Lawaaris on year 1981, and Shakti on year 1982.

On 26 July 1982, while filming Coolie in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. He was performing his own stunts in the film where he have to fall on a table and then ground. While jumping on table, the cornor of that table stuck in his abdomen, He bleeded and lost some amount of blood, soon after he went under an emergency splenectomy and remained in critical situation for months, close to death. The public prayed for his soon recovery. Then he finished the movie after a long rest.

Then he decided to take a break from Bachchan and entered in the field of Politics to support his long time friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's sear of 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by the one of the highest victory margins in general election history. Then after 3 years he resigned. However resignation was followed by the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.

Again on 1988 he made a returned in bollywood and made a film Shahenshah, which went in huge success. then on 1991 he made another film Hum which went hit and he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award. After release of Khuda Gawah in 1992 he made a semi retirement for around 5 years.

He now turned into Producer during his Temporary retirement period and set up a company named Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Soonafter the company was launched, they produced a film Tere Mere Sapne which failed on box office but launched the career of actor, Arshad Warsi.


In year 1997, Bachchan cameback in movie Mrityudaata, which was produced by ABCL which was again a flop. Then Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had a average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan on year 1998, and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham in year 1999 but other films such as Lal Baadshah in year 1999 and Hindustan Ki Kasam in year 1999 were box office failures.

In year 2000, Bachchan came into small screen hosting a game show "kaun banega crorepati". Amitabh Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005. In year 2000 he starred in film Mohobbatein which gave him his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. After that he gave some good hit movie like Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love in year 2001, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in year 2001 and Baghban in year 2003.

In year 2005 he acted in film Black which won his second National Film Award for Best Actor and fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award.In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films Bunty Aur Babli in year 2005, Sarkar in year 2005 and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in year 2006. All of them were successful at the box office. Then later in 2006 and 2007 he starred Baabul, Eklavya and Nishabd which failed to do well at the box office.

In May 2007 he worked in multi starrer film Shootout at Lokhandwala which was a hit on box office. Later he worked with Ram Gopal Varma in film Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag which was declared a major flop on box office. Then he acted in film Bhoothnath as a ghost. In the same year he also worked with the sequel of film Sarkar named Sarkar Raj and got a positive responce at box office.

Then in year 2009, a movie called Paa released playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award.

Legendary Bollywood mega star Amitabh Bachchan has turned 70. We bring to you 70 things which you perhaps do not know about him.
1 He has a double Master of Arts degree.

2 He wanted to become an engineer and was keen to join the Indian Air Force. Photos: 70 reasons to love Amitabh Bachchan

3 He worked in Calcutta for the shipping firm Shaw & Wallace as executive and as a freight broker for Bird and Co.

4 His first salary was Rs 500.

5 It was in Calcutta that he bought a second-hand Fiat as his first car.

6 Though his surname was Shrivastava, his father had adopted the pen name Bachchan. Amitabh has stuck to this name only.

7 His actual height is 74 inches or 1.88 m, the tallest-ever top star in Hindi cinema.Wish Big B on his 70th birthday

8 His father considered naming him Inquilab (Revolution) before deciding on Amitabh (unending brilliance).

9 He made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome.Amitabh Bachchan: 70 Glorious Years

10 Sunil Dutt signed him for a mute's role in Reshma Aur Shera because of a letter of introduction from then PM Indira Gandhi to friend Nargis.

11 Kalyanji-Anandji helped him in his struggling days and even introduced him to Prakash Mehra.

12 During his struggling days, Amitabh Bachchan had spent a few nights on a bench at Marine Drive, Mumbai. He loves to point out to the bench every time he drives past it.

13 Director Satyajit Ray also used Bachchan's voice in his 1977 Shatranj Ke Khiladi.

14 Yet his baritone voice saw two rejections from the All India Radio. Ameen Sayani, radio ace, turned him down too in Mumbai.

15 He debuted in Saat Hindustani.

16 Mr Bachchan was paid Rs. 1,000 for his debut film where he struck a lifelong friendship with Tinnu Anand.

17 Comedian Mehmood was also a mentor to Mr Bachchan in his days of struggle and offered him place to stay in his own home.

18 The superstar has given 12 consecutive flops before his first big hit Zanjeer.

19 His favourite screen name is Vijay as seen in over 20 movies. Another common name has been Amit.

20 Big B met his future wife Jaya at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and later on the sets of Guddi.

21 Mr Bachchan married Jaya Bhaduri in 1973 after a long courtship. Eyewitnesses of their romance include actress Nadira and common mentor Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

22 Amitabh-Jaya are the only real-life couple to have starred on-screen for 30 years from Ek Nazar to Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham - 28 years after their marriage.

23 He is the only actor to have had a minimum one jubilee a year from 1971 (Anand) to 1988 (Shahenshah). He had no release in 1987 except for a cameo in Jalwa.

24 He has played more double roles than any other actor. In Mahaan, he had a triple role.

25 He holds the record for most number of best actor nominations for popular film awards.

26 Mr Bachchan was the first choice for Shashi Kapoor's role in Utsav and Jackie's in King Uncle.

27 His last film which cast actress Nirupa Roy as his mother was Lal Baadshah in 1999.

28 He started being called Big B in late '90s after his second comeback with Mrityudaata.

29 During the shooting of Khuda Gawah, Afghani president provided Amitabh with his country's air force for protection. It was the most watched Indian film in the history of Afghanistan.

30 Big B always maintains that no Hindi actress is more beautiful than Waheeda Rahman.

31 Salim-Javed had originally written Mr India with Amitabh Bachchan in mind.

32 The song Rang barse from Silsila and some lyrics from Alaap were penned by his father, Dr. Harvanshrai Bachchan. So is the poetry in Agneepath.

33 He is the only actor to star in a remake of his own film as hero as well as villain.

34 He is a vegetarian and a teetotaler.

35 Amitabh Bachchan is ambidextrous.

36 The Indian comic character Supremo is based on him.

37 Jaya is often heard saying, "Amitji is a loner!"

38 The first Asian actor to have a wax model of his likeness displayed at Madame Tussauds' in London. Another statue was installed in New York and Hong Kong in 2009.

39 In 2001, Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the 'Actor of the Century' award at an Alexandria Film Festival in Egypt.

40 Was named Actor of the Millennium in a BBC News Poll ahead of such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, and Marlon Brando.

41 In 2003, he was conferred with the honorary citizenship of the French town of Deauville.

42 Bruce Willis once commented, at the opening of Planet Hollywood, that Mr Bachchan was 'bigger than any Hollywood star.'

43 Was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001.

44 When he was out of work at the turn of the millennium, he called and asked Yash Chopra for a project. Mohabattein happened.

45 Has been known to suffer from asthma.

46 Also a rare muscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis.

47 Despite his near-fatal accident and subsequent myasthenia gravis (a muscular disorder), Mr Bachchan performed a stunt from a height of 30 feet for a scene in Aks.

48 On October 31, 2006, he shocked the unit of Shootout at Lokhandwala by recording 23 scenes in 5 hours!

49 His daughter, Shweta, is married to Nikhil Nanda, whose mother is the late Raj Kapoor's daughter.

50 Mr Bachchan loves comfort. The flooring at his home is Italian marble, the bath fittings are from France and Germany.

51 It is said both his bungalows, Pratiksha and Jalsa, put together would be worth R 160 crore!

52 Interestingly, Jalsa was gifted to the actor.

53 Amitabh Bachchan is very fond of suits. His favourite is Gabbana. They have been designing his suits for the past 30 years.

54 The fabric is especially imported from Italy, the thread from France and buttons from England.

55 His other favourite brand is Fratelli Rossetti, with prices starting from Rs 35,000.

56 The Big B owns 11 cars, including one Lexus, two BMWs and three Mercedes.

57 His favourite is the Lexus. The car is bulletproof.

58 The car has radial tyres that are normally used for Formula 1 races. The cost of each tyre is Rs 2.5 lakh.

59 When they were young, his kids Shweta and Abhishek asked him to not come to school because it caused too much commotion.

60 The Big B has a passion for collecting watches. It is said he never repeats his watches. His favourite brand is Longines, which costs about Rs 2 lakh.

61 His other interest is collecting pens. The actor has a collection of of over thousand pens. Mont Blanc gifts him a special pen every year on his birthday.

62 Mr Bachchan loves to visit London and Switzerland.

63 In London, he prefers to stay at St James Court, five minutes from Buckingham Palace.

64 According to ad pundits, a company once paid him Rs 10 crore for 10 days. That works out to Rs 7,000 per minute!

65 He hates the word Bollywood, the word that most use to describe the Hindi film industry.

66 He also dislikes the word Beti B, coined for his granddaughter Aaradhya. He preferred to call her bitiya. Jaya, his wife, calls Aaradhya Strawberry.

67 On the 27th of July, 2012, Amitabh Bachchan was given the due honour to carry the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London's Southwark.

68 Saat Hindustani is his only black-and-white film.

69 Was one of the judges for the 1995 Miss World beauty pageant.

70 When Puneet Issar punched him on the sets of Coolie, the actor first bowed to the entire crew for a perfect shot before crumpling in pain outside minutes later.

Amitabh Bachchan was born to Harivansh Rai Bachchan, a well known Hindi poet and Teji Bachchan in the year 1942. He got married to actress Jaya Bhaduri on June 3, 1973 and has two children, actor Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Nanda.

He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades. Amitabh Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.

Big B has won numerous major awards in his career, including four National Film Awards, three of which are in the Best Actor category, and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 37 nominations overall.

In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s. He has received both the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan civilian awards from the Indian government.

The actor has a double MA from Allahabad’s Prabodhini and Nainital’s Sherwood College. He also has a science degree from Kirori Mal College. In 1969, he made his debut with the film Saat Hindustani. He won the National Award for this film as Best Newcomer.

In 2000 and 2005, he hosted the famous game show Kaun Banega crorepati.Bachchan has been nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor award, twenty-eight times (a record) and as Filmfare Best Supporting Actor nine times, (also a record).

He has been nominated three times as Filmfare best playback singer.In 2007, Amitabh Bachchan received the Forever Indian award by the Diamond Trading Company. He is the first Indian to receive this award.He has also recently been honoured with Wold Economic Forum's Crystal Award for his contribution to world cinema.


On 26 July 1982, while filming Coolie in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. 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.

The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating.Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation.

The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.

The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end.

It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.



In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra. 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), Khakee (2004) and Dev (2004). One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black (2005).

His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor and fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award. 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 hit films Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the Godfather tribute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office.

His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),Ekalavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in Shatranj Ke Khilari since he could not find a suitable role for him.

In 2005, Bachchan has lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.


Severals books have been written about Bachchan. 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.

Bachchan himself also wrote a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life.

Amitabh Bachchan,  (born October 11, 1942, Allahabad, India), Indian film actor, perhaps the most popular star in the history of India’s cinema, known primarily for his roles in action films.

Bachchan, the son of the renowned Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, attended Sherwood College in Nainital and the University of Delhi. He worked as a business executive in Calcutta (Kolkata) and performed in theatre before embarking on a film career. Bachchan made his big-screen debut in Saat Hindustani (1969; “Seven Indians”) and achieved his first success with Zanjeer (1973; “Chain”). A string of action films followed, including Deewar (1975; “Wall”), Sholay (1975; “Embers”), and Don (1978). Nicknamed “Big B,” Bachchan personified a new type of action star in Indian films, that of the “angry young man,” rather than the romantic hero. He was often compared to Clint Eastwood—although, unlike Eastwood and other American action stars, Bachchan was renowned for his versatility, and many of his roles showcased his talents at singing, dancing, and comedy.

By the end of the 1970s, Bachchan had appeared in more than 35 films and was regarded as India’s top film star. His popularity was such that he became something of a cultural phenomenon, drawing large crowds of screaming fans wherever he went. A near-fatal accident on the set of his film Coolie in 1982 touched off a national prayer vigil for his recovery. His subsequent films, however, did poorly at the box office, and Bachchan entered politics at the encouragement of his friend Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In 1984 he was elected to India’s parliament by an overwhelming majority, but he resigned his seat in 1989 after being implicated in a bribery scandal that toppled Gandhi’s government.

Bachchan returned to film and won the National Award for his portrayal of a mafia don in Agneepath (1990; “Path of Fire”). He later headed Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd., an entertainment venture that specialized in film production and event management. The business was plagued by financial difficulties, however, and Bachchan eventually returned to performing. His later movies include the crime drama Hum (1991); Mohabbatein (2000; Love Stories), a musical that was a major box-office success; and Black (2005), which was inspired by Helen Keller’s life story. In the drama Paa (2009), he played a boy who suffers from an aging disease similar to progeria. By the early 21st century, Bachchan had appeared in more than 175 Bollywood films, and at age 70 he made his Hollywood debut as a minor character in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013).

In addition, from 2000 to 2006 he hosted the television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of the American and British hit Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? His easygoing nature and charisma helped make the show one of India’s top television programs.

Amitabh Bachchan - Such is the charisma of Amitabh Bachchan that he strikes gold at the Box Office even at the age of 60! Amitabh Bachchan, popularly known as the angry young man or the Big B of Indian cinema (Bollywood), was born in Allahabad to Teji Bachchan and Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the acclaimed Hindi poet. Amitabh did his schooling from the Sherwood College, Nainital and thereafter moved to the Delhi University to pursue graduation. Before getting into the glittering world of movies, Amitabh tried his luck as stage actor, radio announcer and Freight Company executive. It is interesting to note that many of the producers and directors, whom Amitabh approached initially, rejected his voice quality (a voice that has provided narrations for several films).


Though Amitabh's first film "Saat Hindustani" sank at the Box Office, "Zanjeer" catapulted him to the status of "angry young man" of Hindi cinema. There was no looking back after the success of Zanjeer as people saw in Amitabh Bachchan their own self- the angry young man that was fighting against the corrupt system and the power brokers, one film after another. Amitabh's emergence coincided with the typical situation prevailing in the 70's- unemployment, frustration and poor quality of life. Amitabh Bachchan emerged as a different kind of action hero, a Messiah, a Superhero, who appeared like an answer to all people's problems. Amitabh, on his part churned out one hit after another including Zanjeer, Deewar Namak Haram, Sharaabi, Shakti, Lawaaris, Kaalia, Shaan, Kaala Patthar, Trishul, Don, Amar Akbar Anthony, Sholay, Deewaar etc.

Amitabh Bachchan's popularity can be gauged by the fact that while shooting for Coolie (1983) he received a near fatal injury and the whole country was praying for his quick recovery and the Indian press issued daily bulletins on his health. During the peak of his career Amitabh married one of the talented actresses of Indian cinema- Jaya Bhaduri. After his return from politics, Amitabh tried his hands in the movies but almost all of them proved flops. This was accompanied by the mounting loss being borne by his company- ABCL. As the old saying goes,"Fortune favors the brave" Amitabh decided to take the last plunge and this move was none other than his decision to work in the "Kaun Banega Karorepati", the super successful TV program. The KBC created history and Amitabh's magic was back. Things changed so fast for Amitabh that even after crossing the age of 60, he is one of the busiest actors of Indian cinema. Today special characters and scripts are being written to suit the persona and the age of Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh is not one of those to disappoint- his power packed performance in "Baghban" and the most recent "Black" is a testimony to his undying and unfading charisma as an actor. In addition to this Amitabh is endorsing more than 50 products at present!


Amitabh Bachchan’s life’s journey is an unlikely one of an awkard looking youngster who had unconventional looks and yet managed to make a mark for himself and stand out in the good looking and glamour world of Bollywood, just on the basis of his immense talent and the need he fulfilled in the changing society of his times. Amitabh has kept in constant touch with his new and old fans and reached out to them with the help of social networks, especially twitter. His comments on his twitter page are eagerly read and discussed by millions of his fans.

Amitabh is married to renowned actress Jaya Bhaduri and their marriage was a media sensation of the 70s. He has two children; daughter, Shweta is married to Rahul Nanda, scion of the Nanda family and has two children Agastya and  Navya Naveli  . His son, Abhishek is an actor too, who is married to the beautiful actress Aishwarya Rai. The couple have recently had a baby daughter, Aaradhya who is already at the receiving end of media curiosity as to her looks.

In 1971, he was given the chance to act opposite the then reigning superstar, Rajesh Khanna in the Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed film Anand. His underplayed role of a doctor got him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. He had the guts to take the risk of playing the role of a murderer so early in his career in the film Parwana which was also released in 1971. This year also saw him act in Sunil Dutt’s film Reshma Aur Shera, in a minor role. He also made a couple of guest appearances in movies like Guddi, and Bawarchi. He played the role of a lover boy in the ensemble cast comedy film Bombay to Goa.

It was in 1973 that Prakash Mehra, after being rejected by the top actors of that time, went to Amitabh Bachchan and offered him the role of Inspector Vijay for the film Zanjeer. This revenge saga written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, came like a blast of fresh air in the midst of  the popular love centric films and established Amitabh as the ‘Angry Young Man’. This movie fetched him a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. His romance with Bollywood’s sweetheart Jaya Bhaduri culminated in a hastily arranged marriage in 1973. He starred in more films with Jaya but, Abhimaan that was released after their marriage, remains a landmark film in their filmography for many reasons including the excellent music, exemplary performances of all the actors in the film and of the movie story’s relevance to their own lives because Jaya slowly withdrew from films to focus on family and children while Amitabh went on ahead to blaze a successful path to superstardom. The Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed film Namak Haraam was released this year and his role earned him his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

n 1978, Amitabh was a part of all the four highest grossing films of that year. He essayed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade and Don, which garnered him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He was also appreciated in the super hit films Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. He was now, being termed as a ‘one-man industry’; a term coined by Francois Truffaut, a renowned French director; he made the role of a comedian who was previously an important character in Hindi films, defunct. He was it all: lover, hero who could take on twenty goons and comedian.

Amitabh Bachchan is a famous Indian actor, who started out by starring in Hindi movies, and gradually moved on to act in Malayalam and English movies. With stellar performances in movies like 'Deewar' and 'Zanjeer', he came to be known as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema. He gained so much popularity during his career that famous French director, François Truffaut, named him a "one-man industry". Not only has he acted in serious action movies, but has also essayed a variety of roles, in comedies and dramas. The actor has displayed immense versatility and a glowing example of the same is his portrayal of a spurned lover, in the movie 'Parwana'. Though he did go through struggling times in his career, the talented actor managed to come back with solid performances in more recent times, with several hit films. He shares the honour of having received three 'National Film Awards', with Tamil and Hindi film actor Kamal Hassan, and Malayalam actor Mammootty. The Government of India has conferred upon him awards like the 'Padma Shri', 'Padma Bhushan' and 'Padma Vibhushan', for his exceptional contribution to world cinema. He is best known for his movies like ‘Sholay’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Agneepath’, 'Kabhie Kabhie', ‘Silsilay’, ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’, ‘Lawaris’, and ‘Satte Pe Satta’. More recently, he has received accolades for films like ‘Black’, Baghban’, ‘Sarkar’, and ‘Paa’

Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan was born to Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachhan and his wife Teji, on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad, India. Amitabh is the eldest of two brothers, his younger sibling being Ajitabh. EDIT
He pursued his primary and secondary education from 'Sherwood College, Nainital'. He graduated from the 'Kirori Mal College', affiliated to the 'University of Delhi', and has two master's degrees. EDIT
Though their family name was Shrivastav, the young boy’s father used the pseudonym ‘Bachchan’, which was later used by the next generations as their surname.

In 1969, after being urged by his mother, the young man debuted in Hindi cinema, by lending his baritone voice in famous director Mrinal Sen's project 'Bhuvan Shome'. The movie, starring acting stalwart Utpal Dutt won the prestigious ‘National Award’. EDIT
The same year, he acted alongside Utpal Dutt, Jalal Agha, Anwar Ali, and Madhu, in the movie 'Saat Hindustani'. EDIT
In 1971, the talented actor played a supporting role to the more popular Rajesh Khanna, in the movie 'Anand'. His portrayal of a pessimistic doctor was critically well-received, and he went on to act in movies like 'Reshma aur Shera', 'Parwaana', and a cameo in the Jaya Bhaduri starrer 'Guddi'. EDIT
S. Ramanathan's film 'Bombay to Goa', released in 1972, saw Bachchan acting in a comic role for a change. EDIT
In 1973, 'Zanjeer', directed by Prakash Mehra was released, where the budding actor played the protagonist's role, as Inspector Vijay Khanna. He was paired opposite Jaya Bhaduri, and was well-supported by Pran. The movie was a big hit and established Amitabh as Bollywood's "angry young man". EDIT
His portrayal as the friend of Rajesh Khanna's character, in 'Namak Haraam', directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, once again won him many accolades. EDIT
During the next two years, the brilliant actor starred in box-office hits like 'Majboor', which was a take on the Hollywood movie 'Zig Zag', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Mili', and 'Faraar'. Acting in movies of all genres, he proved to the world of cinema that he had arrived to stay. EDIT
The year 1975 proved to be an important one in his career, with the release of two cult movies, 'Deewar' and 'Sholay'. 'Deewar' co-starred Shashi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and Nirupa Roy, while 'Sholay' had an ensemble cast including Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan. 'Sholay' grossed box-office earnings of INR 2,364,500,000. EDIT
In 1976, he acted in the Yash Chopra's movie 'Kabhie Kabhie', where for a change he played a romantic character, which falls in love with a woman who eventually marries another man. This love-triangle also starred Rakhee and Shashi Kapoor, both great actors of the time. EDIT
The following year, his portrayal of Anthony Gonzalvez in 'Amar Akbar Anthony', alongside Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna, sealed the movie's fate as the highest earning movie. EDIT
A baritone voice, considered to be Bachchan's most important asset, caught the attention of 'Academy Award' winning Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Ray used the former as a narrator for his movie 'Shatranj Ke Khiladi', released in 1977. EDIT
During the next few years he played lead roles in successful movies including 'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar', 'Trishul', 'Kasme Vaade', and 'Don'. 'Don' and 'Kasme Vaade' saw the exceptional actor playing double roles, where the former had been the biggest hit. He also acted in 'Suhaag', 'Kaala Patthar', 'Mr. Natwarlal', and 'The Great Gambler'. EDIT
During 1980-82, Amitabh delivered impressive performances in films like 'Dostana', 'Silsila', 'Lawaaris', 'Desh Premee', 'Naseeb' and 'Satte Pe Satta'. EDIT
On July 26, 1982, during the shooting of an action sequence in 'Coolie', Bachchan got badly hurt, and lost a lot of blood after rupturing a spleen in the abdomen. After taking a break, he shot the rest of the film, and it released the following year. 'Coolie' was well-received and became the most popular movie of the same period. EDIT
In 1983, he started suffering from Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, which hampered his work as an actor. During this time, he took a break from acting and dabbled in politics for the next few years. EDIT
In 1984, the actor ventured into politics, as a supporter of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He won the eighth Lok Sabha elections from the Allahabad constituency, but retired from the political scene three years later. EDIT
Amitabh returned to movies with the leading role in 'Shahenshah' in 1988. Though the movie was a hit, it was followed by a string of flops like 'Toofan', 'Jaadugar', and 'Main Azaad Hoon'. EDIT
From 1990-92, he acted in movies like 'Agneepath', 'Khuda Gawah' and 'Hum', but quit acting for a second time thereafter. He became a producer with his company called 'Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd.' ('ABCL'). The company produced a few box-office failures, including Arshad Warsi and Simran starrer, 'Tere Mere Sapne', and suffered heavy losses. EDIT
The period 2000-2005 saw Bachchan's comeback in Bollywood cinema, with blockbusters like 'Mohabbatein', 'Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love', 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...', 'Baghban', 'Khakee', 'Bunty Aur Babli', and 'Black'. EDIT
'Black' depicted the complex relationship between a deaf-mute-blind girl and her teacher, portrayed by the Amitabh. EDIT
During the same period, the gifted actor presented a TV show called 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' ('KBC'), which proved to be one of the most-viewed television programmes in India. The show was adapted from the English game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' hosted by TV broadcaster Chris Tarrant. EDIT
In 2005, he gave the voice-over for 'Academy Award' winning French documentary titled 'March of the Penguins', by Luc Jacquet. EDIT
The next few years, the exceptional performer acted in movies like 'Sarkar', 'Baabul', 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna', 'Nishabd', 'Cheeni Kum', and 'Shootout at Lokhandwala'. 'Sarkar' was loosely based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel, 'The Godfather'. EDIT
In 2007, the celebrated actor was cast in Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh's English movie 'The Last Lear'. The movie, as well as his performance was critically acclaimed at the 'Toronto International Film Festival'. EDIT
The popular actor was cast alongside Johnny Depp, in Mira Nair's 'Shantaram', due for filming in 2008. The movie however, has not seen the light of the day yet. The same year, he appeared in 'Bhootnath', portraying the role of a ghost. He was also cast in the sequel to 'Sarkar', titled 'Sarkar Raj', co-starring son Abhishek. EDIT
The following year, the film star presented 'Bigg Boss', a national television reality show. He also starred in a successful movie, 'Paa', where the 67-year old actor played the role of a 12-year old kid suffering from a rare degenerative disorder called ‘Progeria’. EDIT
In 2010, he starred in his first Malayalam movie, 'Kandahar', along with famous actor Mohanlal. EDIT
Three years later, in 2013, he portrayed the character of Meyer Wolfsheim, supporting Toby Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio in the Hollywood movie 'The Great Gatsby'. The next year, he acted in a Hindi TV serial, 'Yudh', essaying the character of a businessman. EDIT
Throughout his career, this actor has provided voice-over for movies like 'Balika Badhu', 'Lagaan', 'Parineeta', 'Jodhaa Akbar', 'Kahaani', and 'Krrish 3'. EDIT


PUBLISH
Major Works
‘Sholay’, directed by Ramesh Sippy, where Amitabh played the role of ‘Jai’, became a benchmark of popularity in Hindi cinema. The movie, released in 1975 is loved and watched repeatedly, even by the new generations, mainly for the unconditional friendship between Jai and Veeru. The character of Veeru was portrayed by Dharmendra. EDIT
The movie star is also known for his recent role in ‘Paa’, directed by R. Balakrishnan. The actor plays the role of a young school boy, and the movie stars his son Abhishek as his father and Vidya Balan as the mother. EDIT
PUBLISH
Awards & Achievements
The Government of India has felicitated him with prestigious honours like the 'Padma Shri', the 'Padma Bhushan', and the 'Padma Vibhushan'. EDIT
The actor has received the 'National Film Award' for movies like 'Agneepath', 'Black', and 'Paa'. He has also won Filmfare Awards for several movies including 'Anand', 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Aks', and 'Don'. EDIT
In 2001, he was named the 'Actor of the Century' at Egypt's 'Alexandria International Film Festival'. EDIT
In 2007, the government of France has awarded him the 'Knight of the Legion of Honour', which is the country's most prestigious title. EDIT
The famous actor has also received honorary doctorates from esteemed universities like the 'University of Delhi', India, 'Academy of Arts', Egypt, 'Leeds Metropolitan University' and 'De Montfort University', UK, and 'Queensland University of Technology' Australia. EDIT
PUBLISH
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1973, the “angry young man” of Bollywood got married to Jaya Bhaduri, a famous actress in her own right, who was popular even before her husband shot to fame. The couple have a son, Abhishek, and a daughter Shweta. EDIT
Shweta is married to business magnate Nikhil Nanda, while Abhishek is married to former Miss World and actress Aishwarya Rai. Abhishek and Aishwarya have a daughter, Aradhya. EDIT
In 2000, Madame Tussaud sculpted Bachchan's wax statue at her museum, making him the first Asian to have the honour. Other regions like New York, Hong Kong and 'Washington D.C. too house his statues. EDIT
In 2003, the French city, Deauville, presented the Indian celebrity an Honorary Citizenship. EDIT
This actor is known for his philanthropic activities, including his monetary help of 11 and 30 lakhs to farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively. EDIT
The UNICEF chose him as the ambassador in their crusade for polio eradication in India, in 2002. Even today, he appears in all their TV campaigns, urging young mothers to vaccinate their infants with the life-saving polio drops. Recently, India was declared a polio-free nation by the 'World Health Organization'. EDIT
Recently, in 2013 he established the 'HRB Memorial Trust', named after his father. The actor also advocates the 'Save Our Tigers' movement, and is a regular supporter of 'People for Ethical Treatment of Animals' ('PETA').

Arguably the most important Bollywood megastar of all time, Amitabh Bachchan has had an illustrative career that began in 1969 and continues to this very day. Having appeared in over 180 films as well as being the host of India’s most popular game show, Bachchan is both a literal and figurative giant in the industry.

The son of a well-known Hindi poet, Bachchan was born in 1942 but it wasn’t until after graduating college that he decided to pursue a career as an entertainer.

Amitabh’s rise to fame came during a period of growing disillusionment with and distrust of authority, due, in part, to political corruption that was becoming more and more commonplace as well as a breakdown of the legal system. With his intensely brooding appearance, his role in Zanjeer as a police officer who takes the law into his own hands to avenge the murder of his parents positioned him as Bollywood’s angry young man, and he became the face of this

He continued to make a name for himself, mostly by playing working-class heroes hell-bent on fighting against an unjust society, or a state that exploits its citizens. His roles in the hits Deewar and Sholay served to solidify this image, playing characters who have been described as “inward-looking yet outwardly searching,” torn between a dark past and the hopes for a better future.

Beyond the social, political and economic factors that led to the success of such films, one must also not forget Bachchan’s presence and performance, both of which are key factors to his becoming a symbol of the changing times. There’s a restraint to his delivery and sense of timing, and his anger relies more on physical gestures than on exaggerated histrionics. Much has been written on his use body language, and he’s considered one of the first Bollywood actors to incorporate Western acting styles into his performances, which obviously set him apart from his peers. The struggles of his characters are internalized as much as they are externalized, and he mastered the subtlety required to express loss, anger, and the desire for revenge.

Bachchan’s streak continued until the early ‘90s, when he retired from films after a series of critical and financial flops. In 2000 he became the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati, India’s version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, which (as in other countries) was a phenomenal success. This led him back to the cinema, but with his white beard and dark hair he began playing age-appropriate roles, often appearing as the loving patriarch. He has been immortalized in wax at Madame Tussaud’s museum in London, and was voted “Star of the Millennium” on a BBC online poll in 2000.

The trademark deep baritone voice, the tall, brooding persona, and intense eyes, made Amitabh Bachchan the ideal "Angry Young Man" in the 1970s, thereby changing the face of Hindi cinema. The son of the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan was born in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. After completing his education from Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, he moved to Calcutta to work for shipping firm Shaw and Wallace. Later, Amitabh Bachchan moved to Bombay and struggled for a while to get his foot in the door of the Hindi film industry. The lanky, dark, and intensely brooding persona did not go down well with directors who were looking for wise-cracking, fair, loverboys - the trademark of the Indian hero in the 1960s.

Starting with the low key Saat Hindustani, Amitabh Bachchan struggled through many roles and was relegated at times to doing voice-overs and in one instance playing a deaf-mute (his deep baritone voice might have overshadowed the other actors!). Amitabh Bachchan broke through with Zanjeer (the Chain) in 1973 playing opposite his real-life love interest and future wife Jaya Bhaduri. His persona seemed apt for the 1970s, capturing the resentment of underemployed youth and the increasing cult of violence. Amitabh Bachchan reworked the image of the Hindi film hero with major hits like Deewar, Sholay, Trishul, Don, Kala Patthar, and Shakti. Adapting former screen idol Dilip Kumar's mannerisms and adding his own flamboyance, he popularized the violent melodrama. Amitabh Bachchan proved that he had an equal flair for tragedies (Deewar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Shakti) and comedies (Chupke Chupke, Don, Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony) as well. His most memorable performance was as the renegade against a harsh society in Deewar. After Amar Akbar Anthony in which he reveled in the role of the Cathlolic bootlegger - he played similar "masala" roles, movies that required action, comedy, tragedy, and romance in one character. This had disastrous consequences later with movies disintegrating into Amitabh Bachchan variety shows rather than plot-driven stories. Bachchan was dubbed the Superstar, taking over that title from Rajesh Khanna, something he hung on to until the mid 1980s when the floor widened after his temporary departure. At the height of his popularity he was injured in an accident while shooting for the film Coolie - long lines of people prayed for his recovery at the Breah Candy hospital, underscoring his megastar status.

BAmitabh Bachchan left_inner films in 1985 to become a Member of Parliament from Allahabad constituency as a Congress party candidate, as a favor to his family friend Rajiv Gandhi - the new Prime MInister of India. A report of involvement in financial irregularities (of which he was completely cleared later) made him decide to step down as MP. His return in 1987 was lukewarm as the Hindi film industry had moved on and newer, younger heroes essayed the part of Angry Young Man with more conviction. Amitabh Bachchan seemed to have lost his heart in making films as his later roles did not show the flicker of passion that had marked earlier efforts in the 1970s. In 1989, for the first time since 1976, three of his films were flops i.e. they could not recover their money (in the Hindi film industry a flop is a film that does not recover a distributor's price, not the producer's cost). A series of lackluster films in the 1990s pointed to a long overdue exit, common to many other stars. A seemingly well-thought out venture to start a production company ABCL landed him in immense debts. Astonishingly, Amitabh Bachchan burst back with a double act: one, playing the stern patriarch (the kind against which he had rebelled in the 1970s but which role was suited to his gravelly voice), and two, reinventing himself as a brand that in turn, could market anything. He began the latter by hosting the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Kaun Banegaa Crorepati) and is now back in demand for endorsements, advertisements as well as many movie roles. At sixty plus, Amitabh Bachchan is a greater icon than he was at the height of his popularity three decades ago. His son, Abhishek is considered a talented actor who has not yet broken out as a star.

Amitabh Bachchan was born Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Big B, as he is fondly called, is the son of well known poet late Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. After completing his education from Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mai College, Delhi University, he moved to Calcutta to work for shipping firm Shaw and Wallace.

Later, he moved to Bombay and struggled for a while to get his foot in the door of the Hindi film industry. Amitabh made an entry in Bollywood, starting with Zanjeer, co-starred with his future wife-to-be Jaya Bhaduri, and since then there has been no looking back. His daughter Shweta is married and has a child. His son Abhishek and his daughter-in-law Aishwariya Rai are also into films.

The trademark deep baritone voice, the tall (6 ft 2 inches), brooding persona, and intense eyes, made Amitabh Bachchan the ideal "Angry Young Man" in the 1970s, which changed the face of Hindi cinema. His persona seemed apt for the 1970s, capturing the resentment of underemployed youth and the increasing cult of violence. Bachchan reworked the image of the Hindi film hero with major hits like Deewar, Sholay, Trishul, Don, Kala Patthar, and Shakti. Adapting former screen idol Dilip Kumar's mannerisms and adding his own flamboyance, he popularized the violent melodrama.

He proved that he had an equal flair for tragedies (Deewar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Shakti) and comedies (Chupke Chupke, Don, Naseeb, Amar Akbar Anthony) as well. His most memorable performance was as the renegade against a harsh society in Deewar. After Amar Akbar Anthony, in which he revelled in the role of a Catholic bootlegger, he played similar 'masala' roles that required action, comedy, tragedy, and romance in one character.

At the height of his popularity, Bachchan was injured in an accident while shooting for the film Coolie. Long lines of people prayed for his recovery at the Breach Candy hospital, underscoring his megastar status. He left films in 1985 to become a Member of Parliament from Allahabad constituency as a Congress party candidate. A report of involvement in financial irregularities, of which he was completely cleared later, made him decide to step down as MP.

Later, he landed in immense debt when he started his own production company ABCL. Astonishingly, he burst back by hosting Kaun Banegaa Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

While Amitabh's role in Zanjeer was of an 'angry young man', he played the role of a poet (Kabhi Kabhi), a professor (Kasme Vaade), a comedian (Chupke Chupke, Amar Akbar Anthony, Don), a dying lover (Mukaddar Ka Sikander), etc. He has performed almost all kinds of roles. Even today, when he is nearing 70, roles are being written for him. He was declared as Star of the Millenium by BBC poll and by Stardust.

Arguably India's greatest ever superstar is a vegetarian. He was also the first Asian actor to have his wax model displayed at Madame Tussaud's in London, UK. He has reaffirmed his reputation as the living legend of Indian cinema with a new series of high profile films such as Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), etc.

Amitabh has sung in many movies such as Laawaris, Toofan and Silsila. His favourite screen name is 'Vijay', which he had as his character name in over 20 movies. Actress Nirupa Roy is mostly cast as his mother and last time she featured was in Lai Baadshah (1999). The facial caricature of the Indian comic book character 'Supremo' is based upon him.

The Bollywood Shahenshah works with the Indian government's media campaign to publicize the National Immunization Days and encourage people to take their children to be vaccinated against polio and other deadly diseases. He also champions for the cause of encouraging more people to donate blood. In 1984, the Indian government honored him with the Padma Shri Award for his outstanding contribution to the Hindi film industry.

Amitabh is the only actor to achieve at least one hit every year for 15 consecutive years—from 1972 (Bombay to Goa) to 1986 (Aakhree Raasta). He has played double and triple roles in a number of films. His double role starrers include Adalat (1976), Don (1978), Kasme Vaade (1978), The Great Gambler (1979), Bemisaal (1982), Desh

Premee (1982), Satte Pe Satta (1982), Aakhree Raasta (1986), Toofan (1989), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Lai Baadshah (1999) and Sooryavansham (1999). The film Mahaan (1983) had the superstar in a triple role. At the age of 58, he jumped from a height of 30 feet, along with co-star Manoj Bajpai, for his 2001 movie Aks (2001). On 31 October 2006, he shocked the unit of a forthcoming movie Shootout at Lokhandwala in Mumbai by recording 23 scenes in 5 hours a feat unheard of before.

Amitabh excelled in all types of scenes be it action, drama, song and dance or comedy and consequently his films began to be a one man variety entertainment show. He won the National Award for his portrayal of an underworld kingpin in Agneepath (1990). In 2001, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian Cinema.

After that there was no looking back and today he is one of the busiest actors in Hindi cinema. In films like Baghban (2003), Khakhee (2004), Dev (2004), Bunty aur Babli (2005), Nishabd (2007), Cheeni Kum and The Last Lear (2008) he shows how easily he can rise above any script and breathe life into each and every role he plays.

Just when people thought his National Award winning performance in Black (2005) was the greatest performance of his career, he astounded everybody by his performance in Paa (2009). Even today, he is not only busy as ever, but also shows the same energy and enthusiasm for his work which is commendable. There are no two ways about it Legends like Amitabh Bachchan come but once in a lifetime. At sixty plus, Amitabh Bachchan is a greater icon than he was at the height of his popularity three decades ago.
Amitabh went to Sherwood College, a boarding school in Nainital, and then to Kirori Mal College in Delhi University where he earned a double MA.
The elder son of Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a former stage actor, radio announcer and freight company executive in Shaw Wallace in Calcutta, before coming to the land of dreams, Bombay (now Mumbai). He had to struggle a lot in Bollywood because of his unconventional looks and his height. At 6’3”, he was considered far too tall by the filmmakers. Surprisingly, despite having a rich baritone voice, Bachchan failed in an audition at the All India Radio!

Ultimately, it was K A Abbas who gave Amitabh his first break in ‘Saat Hindustani’ (1969). But the film failed miserably, with Bachchan going almost unnoticed.

Amitabh played the lead role, for the first time in his career, in ‘Pyar Ki Kahani’ (1971), directed by Ravikant Nagaich.

It was on the sets of B R Ishara’s ‘Ek Nazar’ (1972) that Amitabh and Jaya Bhaduri realized that they were in love with each other. They married soon after.

Though Amitabh got an award for the best supporting actor for ‘Anand’ (1972), he was eclipsed by a stellar performance from Rajesh Khanna.

It was his 13th film 'Zanjeer’, directed by Prakash Mehra, which catapulted Amitabh to fame. In the film, he played a strict police officer. The role, which fetched him the title ‘The Angry Young Man’, came to him by default. A host of actors like Dharmendra, Dev Anand and Raj Kumar refused to do the role on account of some apprehension.

Then began a remarkable journey to fame and success. In no time the Indian film industry was declared a ‘One Man Industry’, and Bachchan its undisputed king.

Amitabh had his ‘sweet revenge’ against Rajesh Khanna by outshining him in ‘Namak Haraam’ (1974). The film secured him another award for Best Supporting Actor.

The year 1975 saw the release of Amitabh’s two biggest hits till date. Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Sholay’ and Yash Chopra’s ‘Deewaar’. Amitabh got his first Best Actor Award for Manmohan Desai’s ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ (1977), next year for ‘Don’ and then for ‘Hum’ (1991).

He also bagged the National Award for Best Actor for ‘Agneepath’, which was made by the late Mukul Anand.

Amitabh worked with a host of directors in the 70s and the 80s ranging from Prakash Mehra to Yash Chopra and from Hrishikesh Mukherjee to Manmohan Desai.

After ‘Zanjeer’ Amitabh again joined hands with Prakash Mehra to give hits like ‘Hera Pheri’ (1975), ‘Muqaddar Ka Siqander’ (1979), ‘Lawaaris’ (1981), ‘Namak Halaal’ (1982) and ‘Sharaabi’ (1984).

Yash Chopra exploited the romantic side of Bachchan to the hilt in ‘Kabhi Kabhie’ (1976) and ‘Silsila’ (1981). Bachchan also did the ‘angry’ roles with Yash Chopra in ‘Trishul’ (1978) and ‘Kaala Patthar’ (1979).

Bachchan essayed a fantastic range of ‘off-beat’ roles under the direction of veteran Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Apart from ‘Anand’ and ‘Namak Haraam’, he gave standout performances in ‘Abhimaan’ (1973) ‘Mili’ (1975), ‘Chupke Chupke’ (1975), ‘Jurmana’ (1979) and ‘Bemisaal’ (1982).

With the late Manmohan Desai, the director with the Midas touch, Amitabh did nine films, which included blockbusters like ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Suhaag’ (1979) and ‘Coolie’ (1983).

The adulation for Amitabh became clear when he was gravely injured during the filming of ‘Coolie’ in 1983. While he was battling for life in the hospital, the whole nation offered prayers at temples and mosques for his recovery. His other hits with ‘Man’ were ‘Parvarish’ (1977), ‘Naseeb’ (1981), ‘Desh Premee’ (1982) and ‘Mard’ (1985).

Amitabh’s sizzling on-screen chemistry with Rekha worked wonders at the box office. No wonder, the delectable duo was considered one of the most successful Bollywood pairs. They worked together for the first time in Dulal Guha’s ‘Do Anjaane’ (1976).

Amitabh matched the acting skills of another great actor in Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Shakti’ (1982). The son of a strict police officer (Dilip Kumar), he takes to the life of high crime and smuggling. It was a big challenge for Amitabh the actor, and he came out with flying colors.

In the wake of the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, on the advice of his close friend Rajiv Gandhi, he contested the general elections for the first time from his hometown Allahabad. His electoral debut proved the Waterloo of stalwart H N Bahuguna.

His stint in politics, however, proved short-loved. As ill luck would have it, Amitabh got embroiled in some scandals. Having realized that politics was not his cup of tea, Amitabh resigned his seat in Parliament, vowing never to dabble in politics again.

In 1988 came Tinu Anand’s ‘Shahenshah’. It blazed a new trail, with Amitabh becoming the first major film star to take his film’s distribution rights for Mumbai in lieu of his salary.

The post-‘Shahenshah’ period marked a lull in the career of Amitabh. A host of mediocre films like ‘Ganga Jamuna Saraswati’, ‘Toofan’, ‘Jaadugar’ littered this phase of Bachchan’s career.

But then, the Big B bounced back – in brilliant fashion-- when the industry started to write him off. The comeback film was ‘Hum’ (1991) which was a smashing hit, thanks to Big B’s stellar performance.

A few years later, Amitabh started his own production company, the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL). ABCL ventured into film distribution with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Bombay’. It also was the principal sponsor of the Miss Universe Contest, held in Bangalore in 1996.

Unfortunately, ABCL fell on evil days, buried neck deep in debt. The company’s cup of woe ran over when his films flopped miserably at the box-office. And he was again ‘written off’ by the industry.

This time, too, Bachchan bounced back in style. Only, it was his performance on the small screen that revived the Bachchan magic. The host of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ once again rode the roller coaster of fame. A mellowed Bachchan found himself firmly ‘locked’ in the hearts of millions of his adoring fans. The show represented a paradigm shift in the history of Indian television. It is still luxuriating in the lap of success.

Then came the international accolades. Amitabh was chosen Superstar of the Millennium, easing out giants like Sir Lawrence Olivier and Charlie Chaplin on a BBC online poll. National recognition followed soon. On January 26, 2001 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his outstanding contributions to Indian Cinema.

Amitabh is a relieved man now, having paid off all his debts. What is more, he is once again a force to reckon with in the Indian film industry and has some very interesting films coming up.

Undoubtedly, Amitabh is still the Shahenshah of the Indian film industry. The Big B is an icon who has survived three decades of competition, even trends. And emerged a winner.


Amitabh's parents were Harivansh Rai 'Bachchan' and Teji. Harivansh Rai was a well known Hindi poet. Amitabh attended Boys' High School in Allahabad followed by Sherwood College in Nainital and went on to Delhi University to earn a degree in science.

In 1982, Amitabh was injured while filming on the set of Coolie. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. His condition was major news, as millions of avid fans waited for hospital bulletins and prayed for his recovery.




Amitabh recovered and resumed making films. Popular interest in his injury had been so high that when Coolie was released, it featured a freeze-frame and caption, isolating the exact instant during a fight scene when Amitabh was hurt.

Amitabh Bachchan married actress Jaya Bhaduri in 1973. He has co-starred with Jaya in many films: Zanjeer, Abhimaan, Sholay, Silsila and, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. They have two children: Shweta Bachchan Nanda (b. 1974) and Abhishek Bachchan (b. 1976). Abhishek Bachchan has already followed his father's footsteps, having starred in a number of recent movies.

His first film was Saat Hindustani (1969). He became well known as a movie star in 1973, with the films Abhimaan and Zanjeer.

Amitabh's most loved films and characters date from this period. Fans remember him from box office hits like Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony, Trishul, Don and Deewar . Amitabh often played an angry young man fighting a corrupt establishment -- a theme that had immense appeal in the India of that period. Moreover, he had great on-screen presence and a real flair for comedy. However, even his most ardent fans will admit that many of his films would be forgettable if not for his presence; they were run-of-the-mill masala movies with creaking plots and sub-par production values. While he was a star, none of that mattered, but lack of selectivity may have had something to do with his later career doldrums.

He had been making films all through the 1980s and 1990s, but few had succeeded. Mrityudata (1997), failed at the box office. Lal Badshah and Major Saab did little better. Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan and Mohabbatein were hits, but critics credited his co-stars Govinda and Shahrukh Khan, not Amitabh. Industry gossip said that the Big B was finished as an actor.

But Bachchan still had charisma. In 1999, in a BBC Online Poll, he was named the Superstar of the Millennium ahead of the likes of Alec Guinness and Marlon Brando. In June, 2000 he became the first living Asian to have a wax statue erected in his honour at Madame Tussaud's.

In 2000, he was chosen as the host for a new Indian game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Amitabh was a suave, assured host and the show became an enormous hit. When the show was on, the street traffic dropped dramatically; restaurants and movie theaters complained of diminishing clientele. Critics finally admitted that Amitabh still had box-office magic. (The show has recently started airing again, to much the same interest.)

Since his game show success, he has appeared in several hit movies. Amitabh has also appeared in many ads, both for commercial products and for various non-profits. He has supported campaigns for eye donations and against polio and AIDS.

An Amitabh film retrospective was held between April 8 and April 19, 2005 at the Lincoln Center in New York. The retrospective featured films starring Bachchan including Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand and Abhimaan and Sanjay Bhansali's Black. Amitabh was there for the plaudits; he also took this opportunity to appear on a number of television talk shows.

In 1984, Bachchan briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's parliament seat against H. N. Bahuguna, a well-known politician and won. However, his political career was short-lived; he resigned after three years before finishing his term. At the time of his resignation, Gandhi's Congress Party was being accused of corruption. Bachchan was never implicated in the corruption and has since distanced himself from the Gandhi family. Bachchan denies that the these events were connected, commenting that he found politics unpleasant and resigned for personal reasons.

In 1995, Amitabh went into business, starting the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, or ABCL. ABCL was to be a media conglomerate, a Hollywood-style entertainment company. Amitabh may have been ahead of his time, or just unsuited to be a business mogul, as the company did not succeed. He did not file for bankruptcy, but has used his acting income to pay his business debts, which are rumored to have been completely cleared in 2005. Some observers speculate that he will try to revive his company

Awards
Bachchan is a recipient of the Padma Shri (1983) and the Padma Bhushan (2005), civilian honours from the indian government. In 1999, he was named BBC Superstar of the Millenium. He has also won many Filmfare Awards.

Amitabh attended the prestigious Sherwood School, Nainital, and graduated from Kirorimal College, Delhi.
His first ever job was in a company called Shaw Wallace. He also worked as a freight broker for a shipping firm, which went by the name of Bird and Co, drawing a four-figure salary and languishing in the club lands of Calcutta.
His favourite screen name is Vijay (Deewar, Zanjeer, Shakti) and favourite screen profession was to play a cop (Zanjeer, Ram Balram, Bade Miya Chote Miya, Aks)
While shooting for a fight sequence in Manmohan Desai's Coolie, Amitabh was knocked down by the film's villain Puneet Issar, due to bad timing, seriously injuring him. August 2 is regarded as the day when he got a new lease of life.
He is a vegetarian, who loves to gorge on simple food, like aloo puri, pakodas, dhoklas and parathas.
Besides making a hit jodi with the likes of Jaya Bhadhuri, Rekha, Zeenat Aman, Raakhee, Parveen Babi and Sridevi, Big B made a smashing pair with Dharmendra (Ram Balram, Sholay, Chupke Chupke), Vinod Khanna (Muqqadar Ka Sikander, Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish) and Shashi Kapoor (Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Deewar, Shaan, Trishul).
It was during the making of Sholay that Amitabh discovered he was going to be the proud father of his first-born, Shweta.
Son Abhishek may be similar in looks, but daughter Shweta is temperamentally similar to her father, according to Jaya.
For someone who is not a professional singer, Amitabh has sung quite a few hit songs. Witness: Mere Angne Mein (Laawaris), Rang Barse (Silsila), Mere Paas Aao (Mr Natwarlal) and Tu Maike Mat Jaiyo (Pukar) , to name a few.
Amitabh has been diagnosed with a nerve-related disease, Myasthenia Gravis, which has now been prognocised as Gullain Barre Syndrome.
He has a replica of himself sculpted and displayed at Madame Tussad's wax museum in London, placing him among the historical and entertainment Hall of Fame.
Amitabh was one of the first to come up with a music album AB Baby for his music company Big B music. He even appeared in an imaginatively shot video by Rakesh Mehra called Eir Bir Phatte, which was an instant hit.
BBC Online voted him Star of the Millennium, above Hollywood greats.
A trendsetter, Amitabh Bachchan made a path breaking entry in the world of television with the Indian remake of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- Kaun Banega Crorepati. Going by the astounding success of the show, a good move by the savvy Bachchan.
Amitabh tried his hand at politics in 1984. He won the Allahabad Parliamentary seat on a Congress ticket by a whooping number of votes.
AB loves gorging on gulab jamuns, especially from Jhama's in Chembur, Bombay.


Taking the Date of Birth as October 11, 1942 at 14.00 hrs in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), the horoscope has an exalted Jupiter with Rahu in Leo, Sun, Mars, Venus and Mercury in Virgo, Moon and Libra, Ketu and Aquarius and a retrograde Saturn in Taurus.

In my critical inquiry and examination with respect to the Bhrigu Technique and publications based on the collected information, my method of procedure or classification of prediction is based on the rotation of Jupiter coupled with an integrated approach of the Cuspal Lords/Sub Lords and their impact which blends the Prashar System along with it. For a detailed understanding of the system, my books written can be used for connecting and relating.

Separation of the whole into a part and examining the horoscope in the current circumstance the horoscopes’ reading of Shri Amitabh Bachan is based on my limited knowledge of the science which I pursued for two decades as a passion and the calls.

In the native’s horoscope, if Jupiter is rotated then from the period 60 to 72 it would be in Sagittarius. The depositor Jupiter, though exalted is placed in 8th, which signifies tensions, problems with Rahu in front of it in the house next to it. Rahu also signifies a situation where you are faced with a dead-end. To clarify these indications are more with respect to health and other live things. The exalted Jupiter with Rahu ahead of it also signifies gains and honor.

Coming to the present situation, the 64th year. As per my research of the Bhrigu System, Jupiter will be in Sagittarius for 12 years, if rotated, the 64th year would be that of Jupiter in Pisces for 2005-06. As said earlier, the period of 12 years is signified with the negativity of its depositor being placed in the 8th with Rahu ahead of it. But the current age of 64 has Ketu behind it and aspected by Sun, Mars, Venus and Mercury. The positive side of this is that KETU in 12th from it. Ketu represents medicine/cure shows no extreme negativity and the native will respond to the herbs/medicines.

On the other hand, the aspect of the four planets mentioned above where we can group Sun & Mars in one category and Venus & Mercury in other category could lead to the multiplicity in health problems. My view is that there could be blood pressure/heart related problems coupled with issues with respect to the nervous systems. Health would remain of matter of concern for the next four years. He will respond to treatment.

My conclusion is that the native would have to be careful of his health and more from a perspective of their multiplying in the areas of breath (asthma like situation) and issues related with respect to heart, lung and nervous system. By April 2006, he should be in a position to be back at work. He will see 2006 as a year of change and move towards completely to a new direction. Health will be a delicate issue in the area of concern but the year 2010-11 will be again a critical period.