Amitabh Bachchan of Bollywood in India

Amitabh Bachchan

Dr. Amitabh Bachchan (/əmitɑːbʱ bətʃtʃən/; Devanagari: अमिताभ बच्चन), (also known as Amitabh and Big B)was born October 11, 1942 is a highly successful Hindi film actor. His career started in 1969 and has spanned four decades.
Amitabh Bachchan was also a member of Indian Parliament (MP), being elected in 1984 from Allahabad. He resigned from this post after serving three years.
Contents[hide]
1 Personal life
2 Early career
3 Later career
4 Trivia
5 Awards, Honors and Recognitions
5.1 National Film Awards
5.2 Popular Film Awards
5.3 National honors and recognitions
5.4 International honors and recognitions


Personal life

Amitabh Bachchan was born in the city of Allahabad, India. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a well-known poet of Urdu and Hindi. The original last name of the family is "Srivastava"; "Bachchan" was in fact a pen name used by his father. However, when Bachchan entered films he did so under his father's pen name. Now he is never known as anything but Amitabh Bachchan. His immediate family has also adopted the Bachchan surname. His mother is Teji Bachchan, who is a Sikh born in Punjab, India. His father is a Hindu Kayastha from Uttar Pradesh, hence popularly known as a UPite.

Bachchan attended Allahabad's Boys' High School, followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he gained a degree in art. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College in Delhi University earning a degree in science. When he was in his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.
He is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri (now Bachchan). The couple have two children: daughter Shweta and son Abhishek. Abhishek Bachchan has also entered the Bollywood film industry.
Bachchan is said to have met Jaya Bhaduri at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Pune[1], [2], though there is no evidence to confirm that he was ever enrolled there as a student.
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 by a large margin (68.2% of the vote).[1] His political career, however, was short-lived: he resigned after only three years, not finishing his term.

Early career
Bachchan made his film debut in Saat Hindustani which was released in 1969. The film was not a success and his debut was largely unnoticed. However for his second film Anand he won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance. He went on to appear in films such as Reshma Aur Shera (1971) where he played a mute man and Parwaana (1971), where he played a psychopath, but neither of these films established him as a celebrity.

Bachchan's first box office success came in 1973 when director Prakash Mehra cast Bachchan in the film Zanjeer. The film helped establish Amitabh's persona as an "angry young man" and was the first major hit of his career. Bachchan then had at least one major hit every year for the next decade. Some of his hit films included Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Trishul (1978), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979) and Shakti (1982) which further cemented his image as an "angry young man."
In addition to being an "angry young man", he also become known for his comedy roles in hit films such as Chupke Chupke (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Namak Halaal (1982) and romantic roles in films such as Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Silsila (1981).
While filming Coolie in 1982, Bachchan was seriously injured during the filming of a fight scene with co-star Puneet Issar.[3]. He was in the hospital with a ruptured intestine for months, and at times was close to death. A remarkable outpouring of support and concern by his fans and the nation in general followed. After recovery Bachchan resumed the shooting for Coolie, and it finally released and was a huge success owing to its pre-release over-rated publicity.[4]
The director, Manmohan Desai altered the ending for 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 as well. Also, remarkably, 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 to encash the pre-release over-rated publicity of the accident episode.[5]

Later career

During the late 1980s, after his brief stint in politics, Bachchan's films became less successful. Many films failed at the box office such as Jaadugar and Toofan, both from 1989. His 1991 film Hum did well, but later films also suffered at the box office. Starting in 1992, after the release of Khuda Gawah, he took a break from the film industry.
He returned to films in 1997, but for a year or so, hits still eluded him. His first comeback vehicle, Mrityudaata produced by his own production company ABCL, was a box-office disaster.[6]Subsequent films, such as Sooryavansham (1999), and Lal Baadshah (1999) also failed at the box office.
The first two of his comeback films to succeed were the 1998 comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan[7] in which he starred with Govinda, and 2000's Mohabbatein[8], which co-starred Shah Rukh Khan but the success of these films was credited to his co-stars.
Bachchan's first box office success came in 1973 when director Prakash Mehra cast Bachchan in the film Zanjeer. The film helped establish Amitabh's persona as an "angry young man" and was the first major hit of his career. Bachchan then had at least one major hit every year for the next decade. Some of his hit films included Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Trishul (1978), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979) and Shakti (1982) which further cemented his image as an "angry young man."
In addition to being an "angry young man", he also become known for his comedy roles in hit films such as Chupke Chupke (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Namak Halaal (1982) and romantic roles in films such as Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Silsila (1981).
While filming Coolie in 1982, Bachchan was seriously injured during the filming of a fight scene with co-star Puneet Issar.[3]. He was in the hospital with a ruptured intestine for months, and at times was close to death. A remarkable outpouring of support and concern by his fans and the nation in general followed. After recovery Bachchan resumed the shooting for Coolie, and it finally released and was a huge success owing to its pre-release over-rated publicity.[4]
The director, Manmohan Desai altered the ending for 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 as well. Also, remarkably, 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 to encash the pre-release over-rated publicity of the accident episode.[5]

Later career

During the late 1980s, after his brief stint in politics, Bachchan's films became less successful. Many films failed at the box office such as Jaadugar and Toofan, both from 1989. His 1991 film Hum did well, but later films also suffered at the box office. Starting in 1992, after the release of Khuda Gawah, he took a break from the film industry.
He returned to films in 1997, but for a year or so, hits still eluded him. His first comeback vehicle, Mrityudaata produced by his own production company ABCL, was a box-office disaster.[6]Subsequent films, such as Sooryavansham (1999), and Lal Baadshah (1999) also failed at the box office.
The first two of his comeback films to succeed were the 1998 comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan[7] in which he starred with Govinda, and 2000's Mohabbatein[8], which co-starred Shah Rukh Khan but the success of these films was credited to his co-stars

Bachchan then accepted an offer to host an Indian version of the popular British game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, or Kaun Banega Crorepati?. The show was a hit, to the point that the Theatre Owner's Association president requested it be aired in the morning, as it was seriously cutting into theatre attendance on the four nights per week it was aired.[2]
Two films that followed, in which he appeared as a stern patriarch, Ek Rishta (2001) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), were both box office hits and Bachchan regained his old fame.
He has since appeared in a number of films each year, sometimes in unconventional or supporting roles. Although not all of the films have been successful at the box office he has been praised for his performances in films such as Aks (2001)[9], Aankhen (2002)[10]Baghban(2003)[11], Khakee (2004)[12] and Dev [13]
As his son Abhishek's film career has prospered, Amitabh has appeared with his son in several successful films: 2005's Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar and 2006's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.

Trivia

*Amitabh is still in Bollywood top 5.Source
*Amitabh Bachchan married Jaya Bhaduri after the success of the movie Abhimaan (directed by Hrikhesh Mukerjee). In this movie Amitabh and Jaya play a successful singing couple. In addition to Abhimaan, Amitabh and Jaya acted together in Zanjeer, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Sholay and later in Silsila and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.
*He has not made a public appearance without his goatee since Mohabbatein, although in Khakee and Lakshya the goatee was reduced to a moustache; he grew it back as soon as the films finished post-production.
*His parents initially planned to name him "Inquilaab", which means "Revolution".[14]
*Amitabh Bachchan is 6' 0.5" (not 6' 2") as measured by the regular check-up doctors at the Lilavati hospital[15]
*He is ambidextrous, though on-screen he is most often seen using his left hand.[16]
*He once burned his hand badly while lighting a firecracker. For this reason, he kept the hand concealed throughout much of the filming of Sharaabi. Most viewers took this to be an artistic "statement".[citation needed]
*Before entering the film industry, Bachchan applied for a job with All India Radio. He was turned down because of his unusual voice.[17]
*Famous TV and Film actor Rajeev Verma of Maine Pyar Kiya fame is the brother-in-law of Amitabh (married to sister of Jaya Bachchan )
*He learned sign language for his 2005 film, Black.[citation needed]
*He has played a dual role in many films such as Don, Desh Premee, Satte Pe Satta, Aakhree Raasta, Toofan, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Sooryavansham, and Lal Baadshah. He also played a triple role in Mahaan.
*While filming the movie Aks, he did much of his own stunt work even though he was 58 years old at the time. During one fight scene, he jumped 30 feet down a waterfall.[18]
*In November 2005, Bachchan was admitted to India's Lilavati Hospital,[19] in order to undergo surgery on his intestine. The procedure came after Bachchan complained of pain in his abdomen. After the operation, Bachchan took several months off from work, unable to leave his home even to shoot the recently-launched television program, Kaun Banega Crorepati 2.
*At the age of 64, Amitabh Bachchan creates cinematic world record. He shocked the entire unit of Apoorva Lakhia's Shootout at Lokhandwala by completing 23 scenes in 5 hours....an unheard-of feat in any part of the world. [20]

Awards, Honors and Recognitions

National Film Awards

Amitabh Bachchan has won the National Film Awards (the Indian version of the Oscar) thrice.
*1970 - Best Newcomer for Saat Hindustani
*1991 - Best Actor for Agneepath
*2005 - Best Actor for Black [21]

Popular Film Awards

*Amitabh Bachchan has won fourteen Filmfare Awards in various categories. The most recent award was the 2005 Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role in the film Black.
*Amitabh Bachchan has been nominated as Filmfare Best Actor twenty-eight times (a record) and as Filmfare Best Supporting Actor eight times (also a record). [22]
*Apart from National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards, Amitabh Bachchan has won many IIFA Awards, Zee Cine Awards, Star Screen Awards, Stardust Awards, Sansui Awards, Aashirwaad Awards, Apsara Awards and other awards.

National honors and recognitions
*In 1982, Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India. [23]
*In 1994, Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the Yash Bharati Samman, UP state's highest award from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. [24]
*In February of 2000, Amitabh Bachchan was crowned Filmfare Superstar of the Millennium for his sterling performances over the years, [25]
*On January 8, 2001, Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with Best Artist of the Millennium award by Hero Honda and file magazine "Stardust". [26]
*On January 26, 2001, Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award from the Government of India. [27]
*Amitabh Bachchan was voted the hottest male vegetarian by 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) for two years running.[28]
*In December of 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was voted as NDTV’s Urban Indian of the Year through a nationwide poll. [29]
*After receiving accolades and encomiums for putting the Indian movie industry on the world map, Amitabh Bachchan was conferred an honorary doctorate degree on November 4, 2006 by his Alma Mater Delhi University. [30]
*In December of 2006, Amitabh Bachchan has been voted the Indian of the Year in a leading newspaper.[31]

International honors and recognitions

In July of 1999, Amitabh Bachchan was named the Greatest Star of the Millennium by BBC Online poll where he defeated many Hollywood legends such as Alec Guinness, Marlon Brando, Sir Laurence Olivier and Charlie Chaplin. [32]


*In June of 2000, Amitabh Bachchan became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's prestigious Madame Tussauds Wax museum. [33]
*In March of 2001, Amitabh Bachchan was ranked as the most powerful actor in Bollywood, by Forbes.com .[34]
*On September 10, 2001 Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the Star of the Century award, the closing day of the Alexandria International Film Festival. Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni presented Bachchan with the award in recognition of his contribution to international cinema. [35]
*In 2002, Amitabh Bachchan was voted as the "Most Popular Screen and Stage icon of All Time" on a BBC online survey. [36]
*In a poll conducted by Britain's Channel 4 television in May of 2003, Amitabh Bachchan has been voted as "One of the Greatest 100 Film Stars of All time". Amitabh Bachchan is the only Indian actor on the list, which is dominated by American actors. [37]
*In October of 2003, Amitabh Bachchan was honoured at the Marrakech International Film Festival.[38]
*In April of 2005, The Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center in New York honors Amitabh Bachchan with a special tribute, retrospective--titled "Amitabh Bachchan: The Biggest Film Star in the World"-- [39] The tribute also included "An Evening with Amitabh Bachchan", a live appearance by Bachchan hosted at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.
*British newspaper The Sunday Times has described Amitabh Bachchan as "Tom Cruise, Sean Connery and Clint Eastwood rolled into one.” "Certainly there is no British actor alive who shares his fame," the British newspaper said on December 4, 2006. [40]
*Amitabh Bachchan is the only Asian to feature on BBC's Wogan Show. [41]
*UNICEF has signed Amitabh Bachchan, as a goodwill ambassador.[42]
*Amitabh Bachchan was given an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts by De Montfort University in Leicester, UK on July 19, 2006 in recognition of his distinguished career in films. He is the first Indian star to be feted by a foreign university. [43]
*On Amitabh Bachchan's 64th birthday, the French Government announced that it would honour him with its highest civilian award, the Legion of Honour. [44]
*Amitabh Bachchan will be honoured along with actors and directors from Hollywood at an International Film Festival in Rabat, Morocco. [45]
* Amitabh Bachchan has become the first Indian celebrity and the sixth in the world to be presented with a special certificate for his support to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFI) in London. [46]