Amitabh Bachchan, commonly known as ‘Big B’ is one of the most celebrated and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema, who has acted in over 200 films in a career spanning over five decades.
Amitabh Bachchan is also known for his humanitarian and social works, including support for various causes like polio eradication, tuberculosis awareness, education, and women’s empowerment
The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, also known as the Star of the Millennium, is celebrating his 82nd birthday on the 11th of October. The superstar has a huge fan following across the world, who admire him for his versatile acting, powerful screen presence, and charismatic personality. On this special occasion, let us share some of the interesting facts about the megastar that you may or may not know.
In the initial stages of his film career, he was not a welcome there as he is now. The things for which he was discredited, for example, his lengthy light black body frame; hoarse-husky sound; un-heroic appearance, etcetera all got converted into his illustrious merits, with time, due to his sheer devotion, dedication, discipline, and determination towards his profession.
Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan. His parents had initially named him Inquilaab (revolution), inspired by the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” which was popular during those days of the Indian independence struggle. However, later it was changed to Amitabh, which means “the one with boundless splendor”.
Before becoming a successful actor, Amitabh had tried his luck as a radio announcer at All India Radio. He was rejected because of his deep voice. Ironically, his voice later became one of his most distinctive features and he went on to lend his voice to many films, documentaries, and commercials.
He worked as a freight broker in Kolkata for Bird and Co., a shipping firm. Here, he also developed an interest in theatre. Later, he moved to Mumbai to pursue his acting career. Here, he faced 12 consecutive flops. He made his acting debut in 1969 with the film ‘Saat Hindustani’, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Newcomer. However, his first film on the screen was ‘Reshma and Shera’, where he was a dumb character. He got his breakthrough role in Zanjeer (1973). The film established him as the “angry young man” of Bollywood and made him a superstar. Known for his versatility, he has played different roles in his career. He has also played more double roles than any other actor in Bollywood.
His most common character name is Vijay. He has played characters named Vijay over 20 times. The name Vijay became synonymous with his angry young man image.
Apart from being a brilliant actor, he is also gifted with being “ambidextrous”. He can write with both hands equally well. He lives in a lavish bungalow called Jalsa in Juhu, Mumbai. Here, he meets his fans every Sunday. It is said that it was gifted to him by producer NC Sippy in 1982 after the success of their film, ‘Satte Pe Satta’. He has also won many National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards. He has also won 15 Filmfare Awards, including five for Best Actor, three for Best Supporting Actor, one for Lifetime Achievement, and one for Superstar of the Millennium. He is also a playback singer and has sung over 30 songs. He is also a producer and owns his own production company- Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. (ABCL).
He is also a popular television personality and has hosted the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ called as “Kaun Banega Crorepati” since 2000. The show is one of the most-watched shows on Indian television and has made many contestants rich and famous. Bachchan’s charisma, wit, and warmth have made him a favorite among the viewers.
Very less known fact about him is that he is a former politician and was a member of Parliament from 1984 to 1987. He ventured into politics in 1984 and joined the Indian National Congress party. He was close to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. However, he soon became disillusioned with politics and resigned from his seat in 1987.
He is the first Asian actor to have a wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum in London in 2020. He is not only famous in India but also internationally. Since then, his wax statues have been installed in other branches, including New York, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore.
He is a recipient of several prestigious awards and honors including the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015- the highest civilian awards in India. He also received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019- the highest honor in Indian cinema. He has also been conferred with honorary doctorates from several universities, such as Jhansi University, De Montfort University, Queensland University of Technology, and Delhi University.
Once Amitabh Bachchan had to sell his home and work 18 hours a day to pay off his heavy debts. But he is a true struggler and achiever. He never accepted defeat and kept on trying to reach the highest pedestal. Those who get easily frustrated may learn a lot from him to stay on the positive lines. He indeed has a great journey of resilience.
He will soon be seen sharing the screen with Rajni Kant after a gap of 33 years in the Tamil action thriller “Vettaiyan”. They first worked together in the movie ‘Hum’ in 1991. At Vettaiyan’s recent audio launch, Rajinikanth showered Big B with praises. He recalled how once Amitabh accumulated a lot of debt and endured sickening 18-hour workdays to pay it off.
That’s Amitabh Bachchan! He is 82 now and still works for 10 hours a day. On the professional front, Amitabh recently starred in the blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD, which grossed Rs 1,042 crore worldwide. He is also currently hosting the Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) show on Sony TV.
Amitabh Bachchan is known to stay extremely connected to his roots, culture and literature. His father Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a renowned Hindi poet. He had a dream, which made him believe when his wife Teji Bachchan was pregnant, that his father Pratap Narayan Shrivastav was coming again as his son, Amitabh.
Amitabh Bachchan was born to Harivanshrai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan on October 11, 1942. He has a sibling, Ajitabh Bachchan. Big B, who later became the biggest actor in the country, married Jaya Bachchan in 1973 and has two children—Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Shweta is an author and entrepreneur, while Abhishek followed his father’s footsteps into Bollywood. He is married to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan.
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