Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. 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. Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.
Bachchan has won numerous
major awards in his career, including four
National Film AwardsThe National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
, three of which are in the
Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
category, and fourteen
Filmfare AwardsThe Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 36 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a
playback singerA playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
,
film producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and television presenter, and was an elected member of the
Indian ParliamentThe Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
from 1984 to 1987.
Early life
Born in
AllahabadAllahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
,
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a
HinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
KayasthaKayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....
family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a well-known
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
poet, while his mother,
Teji Bachchan was a
SikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
-
PunjabiThe Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
from
FaisalabadFaisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
(now in
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
). Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired from the famous phrase
Inquilab ZindabadInqhilab Zindabad is a Urdu phrase which translates to "Long Live Revolution". It was a common phrase used by revolutionaries during the British rule over India...
, during the Indian independence struggle. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet
Sumitranandan PantSumitranandan Pant was one of the most famous modern Hindi poets. He is considered one of the major poets of the Chhayavaadi school of Hindi literature. Pant mostly wrote in Sanskritized Hindi. Pant authored twenty eight published works including poetry, verse plays and essays.Pant was born at...
, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was
ShrivastavaShrivastava is a common surname in northern India. The name is predominantly found in the Kayastha clan of Indo-Aryan peoples. Spelling variations include Shreevastava, Shrivastav, Shrivastava, Srivastav, Srivastava and Srivastwa....
, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan (meaning child-like in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his family. Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.
Amitabh is the eldest of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage. He attended
AllahabadAllahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
's
Jnana PrabodhiniJnana Prabodhini which means 'Awakener of Real Knowledge' in Sanskrit is a social organisation in India. Started with the motto of "Motivating Intelligence for Social Change", its work now has grown in to multiple directions of social work....
and
Boys' High SchoolBoys' High School & College, , is an independent school in Allahabad, India. It was founded in 1861 to provide a Christian education to the children of Europeans and Anglo-Indians, but has always accepted children from all backgrounds. Though originally co-educational, it now admits only boys.It...
(BHS), followed by
Nainital's
Sherwood CollegeSherwood College is a co-educational residential school in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India, serving grades 3 - 12.-History:Sherwood was founded in July, 1867. This project was the brain-child of a Dr. Condon, Mr. H.S. Reid and others and under the patronage of the Rt. Rev. Robert Milman, DD, the...
, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at
Kirori Mal CollegeKirori Mal College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, located in New Delhi, India that was established in 1954. It offers undergraduate and graduate courses in science, arts, liberal arts and commerce and is known for being one of the most politically active colleges in University...
of the
University of DelhiThe University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
and completed a
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree. In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta now known as Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.
Early work: 1969–1972
Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in
Mrinal SenMrinal Sen is a Bengali Indian filmmaker. He was born on 14 May 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh in a Hindu family. After finishing his high school there, he left home to come to Calcutta as a student and studied physics at the well-known Scottish Church College and at the...
's National Award winning film
Bhuvan ShomeBhuvan Shome is a 1969 Hindi film directed by Mrinal Sen. The cast includes Utpal Dutt and Suhasini Mulay...
. Thereafter he got his first acting role as one of the seven protagonists in
Saat HindustaniSaat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
, a film directed by
Khwaja Ahmad AbbasKhwaja Ahmad Abbas , popularly known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist, screenwriter, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages...
and featuring
Utpal DuttUtpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
,
MadhuMadhavan Nair , commonly known by his stage name Madhu is an actor in Malayalam cinema. He was a prominent lead actor during the 60s and 70s. He has also directed and produced films, and at one time he owned Uma film studio.-Early life:...
and
Jalal AghaJalal Agha was an Indian actor and director in Bollywood films. Son of the popular comedian Agha, Jalal studied acting at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.-Career:...
. Though the film was not a financial success, Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer.
Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongside
Rajesh KhannaRajesh Khanna is an Indian actor of from Hindi films, and has been Hindi film producer and an Indian politician....
. Bachchan's role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him his first
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
. He then played his first negative role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in
ParwaanaParwana is a 1971 Bollywood thriller film directed by Jyoti Swaroop. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Navin Nischol, Yogeeta Bali and Om Prakash. One of the best film Amitabh Bachchan did till date...
(1971). This was followed by several films including
Reshma Aur SheraReshma Aur Shera is a 1972 Hindi film starring Waheeda Rehman as Reshma and Sunil Dutt as Shera. Sunil Dutt had also produced and directed the film. The film also stars Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee and Amrish Puri...
(1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film
GuddiGuddi is a 1971 film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and written by Gulzar. It starred Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Utpal Dutt. It is Jaya Bachchan 's career making film in which she plays a school girl obsessed with the actor Dharmendra, who plays himself. She earned a Filmfare nomination as...
which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film
BawarchiBawarchi is a 1972 Indian film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri with Asrani, A.K...
. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy
Bombay to GoaBombay to Goa is a 1972 adventure-comedy Hindi movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Aruna Irani and Mehmood. The movie is known particularly for its catchy tunes.It is a remake of the hit Tamil film Madras to Pondicherry....
, directed by
S. RamanathanS. Ramanathan was a Carnatic music singer and musicologist.He learned music from Tiger Varadachariar, Sabesa Iyer, Ponniah Pillai, and Sathur Krishna Iyengar. He received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, where he also taught.He had disciples who have...
. Many of his films during this early period did not do well, but that was about to change.
Rise to stardom: 1973–1983
Director
Prakash Mehra-Career:Born on 13 July 1939 at Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, India, Mehra started in the late 1950s as a production controller. In 1968, he directed Shashi Kapoor who played a double role in Haseena Maan Jayegi. This was followed by the 1971 hit Mela starring the Khan brothers together. In 1973, he...
cast him in the leading role for the film
ZanjeerZanjeer , is a 1973 Hindi film directed and produced by Prakash Mehra; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit and Bindu. The movie changed the trend from romantic films to action films and pioneered Amitabh's new image of a brooding but explosive person who fights back when cornered...
(1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" of
BollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
cinema. He earned a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. Filmfare considers this one of the iconic performances of Bollywood history. The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together; not only in
Zanjeer but in films such as
Abhimaan which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film
Namak HaraamNamak Haraam , is a 1973 Indian Hindi film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The music is by R.D. Burman and the screenplay by Gulzar and lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. The film also stars Rekha, Asrani, Raza Murad, A.K. Hangal, Simi Garewal and Om Shivpuri...
, a social drama directed by
Hrishikesh MukherjeeHrishikesh Mukherjee ) was a famous Indian film director known for a number of films, including Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, and Namak Haraam.Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades,...
and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
.
In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as
Kunwara BaapKunwara Baap is a 1974 Hindi movie produced by Amarlal Chabria and directed by and starring Mehmood. The film also stars Bharathi , and Sanjeev Kumar. It's a film with a serious message about polio vaccination. However, Mehmood did some comedy scenes in the film to earn a Filmfare nomination as...
and
DostDost is a 1974 Hindi film. Produced by Premji it was directed by Dulal Guha. The film stars Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, Asit Sen and Rehman. The films music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal....
, before playing a supporting role in
Roti Kapda Aur MakaanRoti Kapda Aur Makaan is a 1974 Indian Bollywood Hindi-language film. It was written, produced, directed by and stars Manoj Kumar, alongside Shashi Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Amitabh Bachchan, Moushmi Chatterjee, Prem Nath and Madan Puri in pivotal roles...
. The film, directed and written by
Manoj KumarManoj Kumar is an award-winning Indian actor and director in the Bollywood film industry. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname "Mr Bharat"...
, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship. Bachchan then played the leading role in film
MajboorMajboor is a 1974 Indian Hindi film directed by Ravi Tandon. Music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The film was written by Salim-Javed. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parveen Babi, Pran, Madan Puri, Rehman and Farida Jalal....
, released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film
ZigzagZigZag is a 1970 film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring George Kennedy.Kennedy plays an insurance executive who finds out he is dying. His family will receive nothing under his current policies, but there is a huge reward for information leading to the arrest of the murderer of a businessman...
. The film was only a moderate success at the box office. In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy
Chupke ChupkeChupke Chupke is a 1975 Indian film comedy starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Om Prakash, Usha Kiran, David, Asrani and Keshto Mukherjee. The movie, a remake of the Bengali hit 'Chhaddobeshi', was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee with music composed by S.D....
, the crime drama
FaraarFaraar is a 1975 Bollywood crime film drama. The film is produced by Alankar Chitra and directed by Shanker Mukherjee. The film stars Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Sulochna, Sajjan, Agha and Bhagwan Dada. The music is by Kalyanji Anandji.-Plot:The film is based around a...
to the romantic drama
MiliMili is a 1975 Bollywood romantic drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Ashok Kumar. Jaya Bachchan received a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress, the only nomination for the film...
. 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the
Yash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
directed film
Deewar, opposite
Shashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
,
Nirupa Roy-Filmography:* Lal Baadshah * Mard * Mawali * Betab * Khoon aur Pani * Aatish * Kartavya .... Vijay's mother* Khandaan .... Savitri G. Srivastav...
, and
Neetu SinghNeetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4.
Indiatimes Movies ranks
Deewaar amongst the
Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. Released on 15 August 1975 was
SholaySholay is a 1975 Indian action-adventure film produced by G.P. Sippy and directed by his son Ramesh Sippy. It is considered among the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema. Released on 15 August 1975, it stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri and...
(meaning flames), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning
INRThe Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for
inflationIn economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
. Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. In 1999,
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like
Deewar, has been cited by
IndiatimesIndiatimes is the Internet subsidiary of The Times of India Group, under which, some of the largest websites in India - The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times and Maharashtra Times operate....
movies as amongst the
Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual
Filmfare awardsThe Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
awarded it with the special distinction award called
Filmfare Best Film of 50 YearsThe Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years was a rare award only given once to celebrate the 50th Filmfare Anniversary. If the award is repeated, the award will be given to a film at Filmfare's 100th anniversary....
.
Bachchan starred in comedies such as
Chupke ChupkeChupke Chupke is a 1975 Indian film comedy starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Om Prakash, Usha Kiran, David, Asrani and Keshto Mukherjee. The movie, a remake of the Bengali hit 'Chhaddobeshi', was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee with music composed by S.D....
(1975) and
Amar Akbar AnthonyAmar Akbar Anthony is a 1977 Bollywood film about three brothers separated during their childhood who grew up in three homes, adopting three religions...
(1977) and in films such as
Kabhie Kabhie (1976). In 1976, he was once again cast by director
Yash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
in his second film,
Kabhi Kabhie, a romantic tale in which Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actress Rakhee Gulzar. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 1977, he won his first
Filmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
for his performance in
Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the third lead opposite
Vinod Khanna-Early life:Khanna was born to Kamla and Kishanchand Khanna, a textiles, dyes and chemicals businessman of Hindu Punjabi Khatri origin, on 6 October 1946, in Peshawar, British India . He has three sisters and one brother...
and
Rishi KapoorRishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
as Anthony Gonsalves. In 1978 he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year. He once again resumed double roles in films such as
Kasme VaadeKasme Vaade is a 1978 Hindi film produced and directed by Ramesh Behl. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Neetu Singh, and Amjad Khan. Randhir Kapoor earned a Filmfare nomination as Best Supporting Actor, the only nomination for the film. Rekha makes a guest appearance as a dancer. The...
as Amit and Shankar and
DonDon is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him his second
Filmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
. He also performed in
TrishulTrishul is an Indian Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra and produced by Gulshan Rai in 1978. It is written by Salim-Javed, with music by Khayyam and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. The movie was a "blockbuster" Hit at the box-office and one of the top grossers of 1978, along with Muqaddar Ka Sikander...
and
Muqaddar Ka SikanderMuqaddar Ka Sikandar is a 1978 Indian Hindi film. Produced and directed by Prakash Mehra, it stars Amitabh Bachchan in his third out of six films with Prakash Mehra to date. The films also stars Vinod Khanna, Raakhee Gulzar, Rekha and Amjad Khan...
which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. He was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director
François TruffautFrançois Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
.
In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film
Mr. NatwarlalMr. Natwarlal is a 1979 Hindi action comedy movie. Produced by Tony Glaad it is directed by Rakesh Kumar. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Ajit and Amjad Khan. The music is by Rajesh Roshan, the songs are written by Anand Bakshi, and the highlight of the film was a children's song sung by...
in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the
Filmfare Best Male Playback AwardThe Filmfare Best Male Playback Award is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song....
s. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for
Kaala PattharKaala Patthar is a 1979 Indian Bollywood action/drama film. It was produced and directed by Yash Chopra. The story was written by Salim-Javed. This film is the fourth collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan and director Yash Chopra after the hugely successful Deewaar , Kabhie Kabhie and Trishul...
(1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the
Raj KhoslaRaj Khosla was one of the top directors, producer and screenwriter in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in ‘neo-noir’ and style in Indian cinema since black & white times, and also as a "women's director" because he showcased actresses at their best. He is often...
directed film
Dostana, in which he starred opposite
Shatrughan SinhaShatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...
and
Zeenat AmanZeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970...
.
Dostana proved to be the top grossing film of 1980. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film
SilsilaSilsila is a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha, with Shashi Kapoor in a special appearance.-Plot:...
, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include
Ram BalramRam Balram is a 1980 Hindi-language film directed by Vijay Anand. It starred Dharmendra as 'Ram' and Amitabh Bachchan as 'Balram'. The other cast included Zeenat Aman and Rekha. Ajit, Amjad Khan and Prem Chopra were the villains in the film...
(1980),
ShaanShaan is a 1980 Indian Hindi film. It is director Ramesh Sippy's 2nd film with Amitabh Bachchan after Sholay. The story was written by Salim-Javed....
(1980),
LawaarisLawaaris is a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Prakash Mehra. The film became known for its song "Mere Angene Mein, Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai" rendered twice: The first time by a young Alka Yagnik who earned her first Filmfare Nomination as best female playback singer, and the second time by Amitabh...
(1981), and
ShaktiShakti is a 1982 Bollywood film directed by Ramesh Sippy and starring Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri. It was written by the writing duo Salim-Javed...
(1982) which pitted him against legendary actor
Dilip KumarDilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
.
1982 injury while filming Coolie
On 26 July 1982, while filming
CoolieCoolie is a 1983 Indian Bollywood film directed by Manmohan Desai. The film starsAmitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Kader Khan, Suresh Oberoi and Puneet Issar...
in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor
Puneet IssarPuneet Issar is an Indian actor and director, most famous for his role as Duryodhana in the TV adaptation of the Mahabharata, and directing Garv: Pride and Honour starring Salman Khan. His other notable roles are in Border, 1997 war film, directed by J. P...
. Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency
splenectomyA splenectomy is a surgical procedure that partially or completely removes the spleen.-Indications:The spleen, similar in structure to a large lymph node, acts as a blood filter. Current knowledge of its purpose includes the removal of old red blood cells and platelets, and the detection and fight...
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 DesaiManmohan Desai was a producer and director of Indian movies.- Background :His father, Kikubhai Desai, was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios from 1931 to 1941. His productions, mainly stunt films, included Circus Queen, Golden Gang, and Sheikh Challi...
, 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.
Later, he was diagnosed with
Myasthenia gravisMyasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability...
. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received. Before every release he would negatively state, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").
Politics: 1984–87
In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend,
Rajiv GandhiRajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
. He contested Allahabad's seat of
8th Lok SabhaList of Members of the 8th Lok Sabha, elected December 1984. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.- Important members :* Speaker:...
against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by one of the highest victory margins in
general election historyThe general elections in India are the elections by which the Indian electorate chooses the various members of the Lok Sabha in the Parliament for the next term of five years...
(68.2% of the vote). His political career, however, was short-lived: he resigned after three years, calling politics a cesspool. The resignation followed the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "
Bofors scandalThe Bofors scandal was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s; the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and several others were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India's 155 mm field howitzer...
" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.
His old friend,
Amar SinghAmar Singh is an Indian politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh and one of the founding leaders of Samajwadi Party. Known for his chaste Hindi and political connections, Amar Singh polarises the public opinion on him...
, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the
Samajwadi PartySamajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
and became a
Rajya SabhaThe Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
member. Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.
A 15 year press ban against Bachchan was imposed during his peak acting years by
StardustStardust is an Indian monthly Bollywood news and gossip magazine published in English and Hindi. It also sponsors the Stardust Awards.-History:...
and some of the other film magazines. In his own defense, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets until late 1989.
Slump and retirement: 1988–1992
In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in
ShahenshahShahenshah is a 1988 Bollywood superhero film directed by Tinnu Anand and starring Amitabh Bachchan in the title role. The film was produced and directed by Tinnu Anand. The story of the film was written by Amitabh Bachchan's wife Jaya Bachan and the screenplay was written by veteran screenwriter...
, which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film,
HumHum is a 1991 Hindi Language film directed by Mukul S. Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Govinda, Kimi Katkar, Shilpa Shirodkar, Deepa Sahi and Danny Denzongpa. This was the last successful film for Bachchan in the early 90s before he announced his temporary retirement immediately...
, for which he won his third
Filmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
, looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his first
National Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film
AgneepathAgneepath is a 1990 Bollywood film directed by Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, and Rohini Hattangadi, with Danny Dengzongpa as the villain. It was produced by Yash Johar...
. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of
Khuda GawahKhuda Gawah is a 1992 Bollywood film directed by Mukul S. Anand and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sridevi , Shilpa Shirodkar and Danny Denzongpa.Amitabh plays the role of an Afghan , who travels between Afghanistan and India.Khuda Gawah had lavish...
in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films
InsaniyatInsaniyat is a 1994 Hindi language Indian film directed by Tony Juneja. The film's star cast includes Amitabh Bachchan and Sunny Deol along with Raveena Tandon, Chunky Pandey, Jayaprada, Sonam, Vinod Mehra, Nutan, Anupam Kher, Prem Chopra, Alok Nath and Aftab Shivdasani.The film was originally set...
was released but was also a box office failure.
Producer and acting comeback 1996–99
Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up
Amitabh Bachchan Corporation-Details:The company specialized in film production and event management.The business was plagued by financial difficulties. The main reason for the bad performance of ABCL was blamed on the gross mis-management of the company by the then CEO, Sanjiv Gupta , who went on to become the CEO of Coca...
, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company.
Tere Mere SapneTere Mere Sapne is a 1996 Hindi film produced by Amitabh Bachchan's production company A.B.C.L. and directed by Joy Augustine. The film had a cast of newcomer actors consisting of Chandrachur Singh, Arshad Warsi, Priya Gill and Simran.-Plot:...
failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as
Arshad WarsiArshad Warsi is an Indian actor who debuted in 1996 with the film Tere Mere Sapne which was a success but he is best known for his role as "Circuit" in the comedy films Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munnabhai and his role as Babban in Ishqiya which won him acclaim.-Early life and...
and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.
In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film
Mrityudaata, produced by ABCL. Though
Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the
1996 Miss World beauty pageantMiss World 1996, the 46th Miss World pageant took place on November 23, 1996 in the city of Bangalore, India. 88 contestants from all over the world took part in the prestigious pageant...
,
BangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay
bungalowA bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of
Canara BankCanara Bank is a state-owned financial services company in India. It was established in 1906, making it one of the oldest banks in the country. As on 2009 November, the bank had a network of 3057 branches, spread across India...
were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.
Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with
Bade Miyan Chote MiyanBade Miyan Chote Miyan is a 1998 Bollywood film starring Amitabh Bachchan in a double role, Govinda in a double role, Anupam Kher, Ramya Krishnan, and Raveena Tandon. Directed by David Dhawan, it was released in the Diwali of 1998 along with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai...
(1998), and received positive reviews for
SooryavanshamSooryavansham is a 1999 Bollywood movie starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role, Soundarya, Rachana Banerjee, Anupam Kher and Kader Khan. Although the film was a box office flop critics hailed Amitabh Bachchan's performance as his best ever since his comeback in 1997.However, this film has become...
(1999) but other films such as
Lal BaadshahLal Baadshah is a 1999 Bollywood film directed by K.C. Bokadia and starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role, Raghuvaran, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri. Nirupa Roy also appears in her last film playing Bachchan's foster mother...
(1999) and
Hindustan Ki KasamHindustan Ki Kasam is a 1999 Indian film directed by Veeru Devgan and starring his son Ajay Devgan , Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen.-Plot:...
(1999) were box office failures.
Return to prominence: 2000–present
In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in
Yash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
's box-office hit,
MohabbateinMohabbatein , is a 2000 Indian Bollywood film directed by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in pivotal roles, along with six young debutantes. Aishwarya Rai appeared in flashbacks as Khan's lover. The movie was filmed at Oxford, England and Longleat...
, directed by
Aditya ChopraAditya Chopra is an Indian film producer, screenwriter and director. He is most known for directing his only three films Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge , Mohabbatein , and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi...
. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of
Shahrukh KhanShahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
. His role won him his third
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in
Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of LoveEk Rishtaa: The Bond of Love is a 2001 Bollywood film directed by Suneel Darshan released on 18 May 2001. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee Gulzar, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Mohnish Bahl. It was the first film where Bachchan and Kumar worked together...
(2001),
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie GhamKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... is a Bollywood film released in India and countries with large NRI populations on 14 December 2001....
(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),
AankhenAankhen is a 2002 Bollywood film directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen...
(2002),
KhakeeKhakee is a 2004 Bollywood action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and written by Santoshi and Shridhar Raghavan about corruption and law and order in India. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rai, Tusshar Kapoor, Tanuja, and...
(2004) and
DevDev is a 2004 Hindi movie, directed by Govind Nihalani-Plot:Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the...
(2004). One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was
Sanjay Leela BhansaliSanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...
's
Black (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an aging teacher of a deaf-blind girl and followed their relationship. His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second
National Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
and fourth
Filmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
. 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 BabliBunty Aur Babli , released in 2005, is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Shaad Ali and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. It was the first film to feature both Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, and featured guest appearances by Aishwarya Rai and Tania...
(2005), the
GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
tribute
SarkarSarkar is a 2005 Indian dramatic thriller film set in the world of politics and crime, directed by Ram Gopal Varma...
(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),
Eklavya and
NishabdNishabd is a 2007 Bollywood movie directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan inspired from American Beauty and from the storyline of 1986 film Anokha Rishta starring Rajesh Khanna....
(2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.
In May 2007, two of his films
Cheeni KumCheeni Kum is an 2007 Bollywood romance film directed by R. Balki, starring Amitabh Bachchan as an 64 year-old man, opposite Tabu, who plays an 34-year old who falls in love with Bachchan. Produced by Sunil Manchanda, the film releasd on 25 May 2007.-Plot:Cheeni Kum focuses on Buddhadev Gupta...
and the multi-starrer
Shootout at LokhandwalaShootout at Lokhandwala is a 2007 Hindi feature film directed by Apoorva Lakhia. It is based upon the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, a real-life gun battle between gangsters and Mumbai Police....
were released.
Shootout at Lokhandwala did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while
Cheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and was declared an overall average hit. A remake of his biggest hit,
SholaySholay is a 1975 Indian action-adventure film produced by G.P. Sippy and directed by his son Ramesh Sippy. It is considered among the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema. Released on 15 August 1975, it stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri and...
(1975), entitled
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception. The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film,
Rituparno GhoshRituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 8 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad.- Early life and background :...
's
The Last LearThe Last Lear is an Indian film, in the English language, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. The film won the National Award of India for Best Feature Film in English in 2007. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah and Jisshu Sengupta. Shefali Shah won the...
. The film premiered at the
2007 Toronto International Film FestivalThe 2007 Toronto International Film Festival was a 32nd annual film festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It ran from September 6, 2007 to September 15, 2007. The lineup consisted of 349 films from 55 countries, selected from 4156 submissions...
on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since
Black.
Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film,
Shantaram, directed by
Mira NairMira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
and starring Hollywood actor
Johnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008. The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely.
Vivek SharmaVivek Sharma is an Indian filmmaker. He got recognized for his work, when Amitabh Bachchan himself agreed to work with his directorial debut Bhoothnath.-Career:...
's
BhoothnathBhoothnath is an Bollywood Ghost film directed by Vivek Sharma, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Shahrukh Khan, Aman Siddiqui, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Rajpal Yadav...
, in which he plays the title role as a
ghostIn traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
, was released on 9 May 2008.
Sarkar Raj, the sequel of the 2005 film
SarkarSarkar is a 2005 Indian dramatic thriller film set in the world of politics and crime, directed by Ram Gopal Varma...
, released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box-office. His latest movie was
PaaPaa is a 2009 Indian film directed by R. Balakrishnan starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan. The film is based on a rare genetic condition known as progeria and places emphasis on a father-son relationship...
, which released at the end of 2009.
Paa was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchan's performance. It won him his third
National Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
and fifth
Filmfare Best Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through
Kandahar, directed by
Major RaviMajor A.K. Ravindran, better known by his screen name Major Ravi is a former Indian Army Officer and a Malayali Indian filmmaker.He is a recipient of the President's medal, joined the Indian army as a jawan in 1975 and graduated from the Army Cadet College to become a commando in the year 1988...
and co-starring
MohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
. The film was based on the hijacking incident of the
Indian Airlines Flight 814Indian Airlines Flight 814 commonly known as IC 814 was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India on Friday, December 24, 1999, when it was hijacked...
. Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.
Television career
In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show,
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
entitled,
Kaun Banega CrorepatiKaun Banega Crorepati is an Indian reality/game show based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which offers a maximum cash prize of £1 million. The show first aired in 2000 and was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. This was the first appearance of Bachchan on Indian television...
. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. He has hosted all but one of the seasons of the show.
Canara BankCanara Bank is a state-owned financial services company in India. It was established in 1906, making it one of the oldest banks in the country. As on 2009 November, the bank had a network of 3057 branches, spread across India...
withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted
KBC till November 2005, when he fell ill. At that time he was admitted to
Lilavati HospitalLilavati Hospital and Research Centre is a private hospital located at Bandra in Mumbai, India, established by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust.-Departments:The hospital has the following departments:* Cardiology* Dermatology* Endocrinology...
's
ICUthumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
once more, to undergo surgery for
diverticulitisDiverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
of the
small intestineThe small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including
KBC. He has hosted all but one season of the show. Its success set the stage for his return to film popularity. In 2009 Oscar winning movie
Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
in the first question of
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
contest "Amitabh Bachchan" was the correct answer to the question "Who was the star of
ZanjeerZanjeer , is a 1973 Hindi film directed and produced by Prakash Mehra; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit and Bindu. The movie changed the trend from romantic films to action films and pioneered Amitabh's new image of a brooding but explosive person who fights back when cornered...
? Feroz Abbas Khan performed as Amitabh Bachchan in a scene in the movie while
Anil KapoorAnil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....
performed as the host of the contest. Bachchan hosted the
third seasonBigg Boss Season 3 in 2009 was the third season of the Indian reality TV programme Bigg Boss. It began airing on 4 October 2009 on Colors with Amitabh Bachchan as the host and aired for 84 days concluding on 26 December 2009. Vindu Dara Singh won the show while Pravesh Rana was declared the first...
of the reality show
Bigg Boss in 2009.
Voice
Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a
playback singerA playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director
Satyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in
Shatranj Ke KhiladiThe Chess Players is a genre painting of 1876 by American artist Thomas Eakins . It is a small oil on wood panel depicting Eakins' father Benjamin observing a chess match. The two players are Bertrand Gardel , an elderly French teacher, and the somewhat younger George Holmes, a painter...
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 PenguinsMarch of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica...
, directed by
Luc JacquetLuc Jacquet is a French film director from Paris. He wrote and directed the movie March of the Penguins, which won an Oscar for best documentary feature in 2005. His current film is called The Fox And the Child...
.
Barabanki land case
In the runup to the
Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007The Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007 were held in April–May 2007 to elect a government for the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.-Organisation of the election:...
, Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His
Samajwadi PartySamajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
was routed, and
MayawatiMayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...
came to power.
On 2 June 2007 a
FaizabadCity of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
court ruled that he had legally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless
DalitDalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
farmers. It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of
forgeryForgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer. On 19 July 2007, after the scandal broke out, Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and
PunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. He wrote to the chief minister of
MaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune. However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.
On 12 October 2007, Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in
Barabanki districtThe Barabanki district is one of four districts of Faizabad division, lies at the very heart of Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and forms as it were a centre from which no less than seven other districts radiate...
. On 11 December 2007, the
LucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
bench of the
Allahabad High CourtThe Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court having jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh since 1950...
gave a clean chit to Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".
After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.
Raj Thackeray's criticism
In January 2008 at political rallies,
Raj ThackerayRaj Shrikant Thackeray is the founder and president of the right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the state of Maharashtra, India...
, the chief of
Maharashtra Navnirman SenaThe Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is a political party based in Maharashtra operating on the motto of "Sons of the Soil". It was founded on the March 9, 2006 in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray after he left the Shiv Sena due to differences with Uddhav Thackeray and sidelining in major decisions like...
, targeted Amitabh Bachchan, asserting that the actor was "more inclined" towards his native state than Maharashtra. He expressed his disapproval of Amitabh's inaugurating a girls' school named after his daughter-in-law, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, rather than in Maharashtra. According to media reports, Raj's censure of Amitabh, whom he admires, stemmed out of his disappointment of not being invited to Amitabh's son
AbhishekAbhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
's marriage to Aishwarya, despite invitations to his estranged uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.
Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land to build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here." Raj responded to it saying, "Jaya bachchan claims she does not know me then how come she knows how much property I own?". Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue. However, he apologized to Raj for controversial remarks from Jaya in some other incidence. "
Bal ThackerayBal Keshav Thackeray , popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray, is an Indian politician, founder and chief of the Shiv Sena, a right-wing Hindu nationalist, and Marathi ethnocentric party active mainly in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.Born in Pune, Thackeray began his professional career...
refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."
On 23 March 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give." Later, on 28 March at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so. He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.
Awards, honours and recognitions
Apart from
National Film AwardsThe National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
,
Filmfare AwardsThe Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
and other competitive awards which Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry. In 1991, he became the first artist to receive the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement AwardThe Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films....
, which was established in the name of
Raj KapoorKnown as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. The
Government of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
awarded him with the
Padma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1984 and the
Padma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 2001. France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, was conferred upon him by the French Government in 2007 for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond".
In 1999, Bachchan was voted the Greatest Star of stage or screen of the Millennium by the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
online poll. In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema. Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010
Asian Film AwardsThe Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize excellence of film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema.-History:...
.
In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's
Madame TussaudsMadame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
Wax Museum. Another statue was installed in New York and Hong Kong in 2009.
In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of
DeauvilleDeauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
.
He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of
JhansiJhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
, India, in 2004, the University of Delhi in 2006, the
De Montfort UniversityDe Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
in
LeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, UK, in 2006, the University Brandan Foster by the
Leeds Metropolitan UniversityLeeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
in
YorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, UK, in 2007, and the
Queensland University of TechnologyQueensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
in Brisbane, Australia, in 2011.
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.
Personal life
Bachchan is married to actress
Jaya BhaduriJaya Bhaduri Bachchan is an Indian actress and politician. She is an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Bachchan is the wife of Amitabh Bachchan, and is the mother of Shweta Bachchan-Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan...
. They have two children, Shweta Nanda and
Abhishek BachchanAbhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress
Aishwarya RaiAishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
.
Latest films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2006 |
Family - Ties of Blood Family: Ties of Blood is a Hindi action film, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Bhoomika Chawla, introducing Aryeman Ramsay along with Akshay Kumar in an extended role. The film released on 12 January 2006.- Plot :...
|
Viren Sahi |
|
Darna Zaroori HaiDarna Zaroori Hai is a Bollywood Anthology film released on 28 April 2006. It was considered a prequel to Darna Mana Hai which was also produced by RGV...
|
Professor |
|
Kabhi Alvida Naa KehnaKabhi Alvida Naa Kehna commonly known as KANK is a 2006 Bollywood film directed by Karan Johar and produced under the Dharma Productions banner...
|
Samarjit Singh Talwar (aka. Sexy Sam) |
Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
|
| Baabul |
Balraj Kapoor |
|
| 2007 |
Eklavya: The Royal GuardEklavya: The Royal Guard is a Bollywood film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra which was released in India, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom on 16 February 2007....
|
Eklavya |
|
| Nishabd Nishabd is a 2007 Bollywood movie directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan inspired from American Beauty and from the storyline of 1986 film Anokha Rishta starring Rajesh Khanna....
|
Vijay |
|
| Cheeni Kum Cheeni Kum is an 2007 Bollywood romance film directed by R. Balki, starring Amitabh Bachchan as an 64 year-old man, opposite Tabu, who plays an 34-year old who falls in love with Bachchan. Produced by Sunil Manchanda, the film releasd on 25 May 2007.-Plot:Cheeni Kum focuses on Buddhadev Gupta...
|
Buddhadev Gupta/Ghaspus |
|
| Shootout at Lokhandwala Shootout at Lokhandwala is a 2007 Hindi feature film directed by Apoorva Lakhia. It is based upon the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, a real-life gun battle between gangsters and Mumbai Police....
|
Special appearance, Dingra |
|
Jhoom Barabar JhoomJhoom Barabar Jhoom is a 2007 Bollywood film starring Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. It is directed by Shaad Ali. The film is produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under Yash Raj Films...
|
Special appearance, Sutradhar |
|
| Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag |
Babban Singh |
|
Om Shanti OmOm Shanti Om is a 2007 Bollywood musical film directed and choreographed by Farah Khan. It stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles while Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, and Kirron Kher feature in supporting roles...
|
Special appearance, Himself |
|
| 2008 |
Jodhaa Akbar |
Narrator |
|
| Bhoothnath Bhoothnath is an Bollywood Ghost film directed by Vivek Sharma, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Shahrukh Khan, Aman Siddiqui, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Rajpal Yadav...
|
Bhoothnath (Kailash Nath) |
|
| Sarkar Raj |
Subhash Nagre aka Sarkar |
|
| God Tussi Great Ho God Tussi Great Ho is a 2008 Indian comedy film, written and directed by Rumi Jaffery and starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Sohail Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in a special appearance. It was released on August 15, 2008...
|
God Almighty |
|
The Last LearThe Last Lear is an Indian film, in the English language, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. The film won the National Award of India for Best Feature Film in English in 2007. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah and Jisshu Sengupta. Shefali Shah won the...
|
Harish 'Harry' Mishra |
|
| 2009 |
Delhi-6 Delhi-6 is a 2009 Hindi-language film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Om Puri, Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Deepak Dobriyal and Divya Dutta. The film is reportedly based on Mehra's growing up years in Chandni Chowk area of Old...
|
Special appearance, Dadaji |
|
| Aladin - Reception :Zoom TV has given Aladin 2.5/5 saying that "Aladin fails to enchant". They have also criticized that Jacqueline has been put in the cast for the sake of an actress and she hasn't got much to do. However according to the scale 2.5/5 is an average. They have praised Amitabh Bachchan for...
|
Genius the Gennie |
|
| Paa Paa is a 2009 Indian film directed by R. Balakrishnan starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan. The film is based on a rare genetic condition known as progeria and places emphasis on a father-son relationship...
|
Auro |
Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954....
Winner, National Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
|
| 2010 |
Rann Rann is a 2010 Hindi film that stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sudeep, Ritesh Deshmukh, and Gul Panag in the lead roles and Paresh Rawal in a negative role. The film, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, focuses on Indian media....
|
Vijay Harshvardhan Malik |
|
Teen PattiTeen Patti is a 2010 Bollywood film directed by Leena Yadav. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R. Madhavan, Raima Sen, Shraddha Kapoor and is produced by Ambika Hinduja under the banners Hinduja Ventures and Serendipity Films...
|
Venkat |
|
| Kandahar |
Lokanathan Sharma |
|
| 2011 |
Department Department is an upcoming Hindi-language film directed and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. The film was expected to go on floors by 20 June 2011.-Cast:* Amitabh Bachchan as Sarjerao Gaikwad , plays the role of a ex-criminal turned politician....
|
|
A Ram Gopal VarmaRam Gopal Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer...
production and direction |
| Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap is a 2011 Bollywood action film directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Charmy Kaur, Sonal Chauhan and Raveena Tandon...
|
|
Directed by Poori jagannath |
| Aarakshan Aarakshan is a 2011 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. Directed by Prakash Jha, the film is a socio-political drama based on the controversial policy of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions...
|
Prabhakar Anand |
|
| Shoebite Shoebite is the story of a man in his early 60's. Played by Amitabh Bachchan. It is directed by Shoojit Sirkar, and produced by UTV Motion Pictures.-Plot:...
|
John Periera |
Post-production |
| 2012 |
Taalismaan Taaalismaan is an upcoming Hindi romantic fantasy adventure film, directed by Ram Madhwani, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Ram Madhvani and Swanand Kirkire. Starring Amitabh Bachchan in the leading role...
|
|
Filming |
Producer
| Year | Film |
| 1996 |
Tere Mere Sapne Tere Mere Sapne is a 1996 Hindi film produced by Amitabh Bachchan's production company A.B.C.L. and directed by Joy Augustine. The film had a cast of newcomer actors consisting of Chandrachur Singh, Arshad Warsi, Priya Gill and Simran.-Plot:...
|
| 1997 |
Ullaasam |
| Mrityudaata |
| 1998 |
Major Saab Major Saab is a 1998 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Sonali Bendre and Ashish Vidhyarthi.-Plot:The plot concerns playboy Virendra Pratap Singh . A clause in the will of his wealthy father forces him to enter a military academy in order to inherit...
|
| 2001 |
Aks |
| 2005 |
Viruddh |
| 2006 |
Family - Ties of Blood Family: Ties of Blood is a Hindi action film, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Bhoomika Chawla, introducing Aryeman Ramsay along with Akshay Kumar in an extended role. The film released on 12 January 2006.- Plot :...
|
Playback singer
| Year | Film |
| 1979 |
The Great GamblerThe Great Gambler is a 1979 Bollywood film, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman. The film which is known in Hindi as Sabse Bada Zuari was directed by Shakti Samanta...
|
| Mr. Natwarlal Mr. Natwarlal is a 1979 Hindi action comedy movie. Produced by Tony Glaad it is directed by Rakesh Kumar. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Ajit and Amjad Khan. The music is by Rajesh Roshan, the songs are written by Anand Bakshi, and the highlight of the film was a children's song sung by...
|
| 1981 |
Lawaaris Lawaaris is a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Prakash Mehra. The film became known for its song "Mere Angene Mein, Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai" rendered twice: The first time by a young Alka Yagnik who earned her first Filmfare Nomination as best female playback singer, and the second time by Amitabh...
|
| Naseeb Naseeb is a 1981 Hindi film produced and directed by Manmohan Desai. The film is a typical Manmohan Desai film with his regular star Amitabh Bachchan and a large cast, lavish sets, memorable music and the lost and found theme...
|
SilsilaSilsila is a 1981 Bollywood film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha, with Shashi Kapoor in a special appearance.-Plot:...
|
| 1983 |
Mahaan Mahaan is a 1983 Hindi film produced by Satyanarayana and directed by S. Ramanathan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan in a triple role alongside Waheeda Rehman, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Ashok Kumar, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Aruna Irani, Sujit Kumar and Shakti Kapoor . The music is by R.D...
|
| Pukar Pukar is a 1983 Bollywood film, directed by Ramesh Behl, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Randhir Kapoor, and Zeenat Aman. It is a movie about freedom fighters trying to liberate Goa from the Portuguese.- Synopsis :...
|
| 1984 |
Sharaabi Sharaabi is a 1984 Indian Hindi movie produced and directed by Prakash Mehra. This was Prakash Mehra's last hit and sixth in a row with Amitabh, the other five being Zanjeer, Hera Pheri, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Laawaris and Namak Halaal...
|
| 1989 |
Toofan Toofan is a Pakistani Urdu film starring Shaan, Saima, Resham and Laila.-Cast:* Shaan* Saima* Resham* Nargis* Laila* Arbaz Khan* Asif Khan* Shafqat Cheema...
|
| Jaadugar Jaadugar is a 1989 Hindi film directed by Prakash Mehra and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Prada, Aditya Pancholi, Amrita Singh, Amrish Puri and Pran. Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan collaborated for seventh time for this movie...
|
| 1992 |
Khuda Gawah Khuda Gawah is a 1992 Bollywood film directed by Mukul S. Anand and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Sridevi , Shilpa Shirodkar and Danny Denzongpa.Amitabh plays the role of an Afghan , who travels between Afghanistan and India.Khuda Gawah had lavish...
|
| 1998 |
Major Saab Major Saab is a 1998 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Sonali Bendre and Ashish Vidhyarthi.-Plot:The plot concerns playboy Virendra Pratap Singh . A clause in the will of his wealthy father forces him to enter a military academy in order to inherit...
|
| 1999 |
Sooryavansham Sooryavansham is a 1999 Bollywood movie starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role, Soundarya, Rachana Banerjee, Anupam Kher and Kader Khan. Although the film was a box office flop critics hailed Amitabh Bachchan's performance as his best ever since his comeback in 1997.However, this film has become...
|
| 2001 |
Aks |
| Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... is a Bollywood film released in India and countries with large NRI populations on 14 December 2001....
|
| 2002 |
Aankhen Aankhen is a 2002 Bollywood film directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen...
|
| 2003 |
Armaan Armaan is an Hindi Bollywood film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Gracy Singh, and Randhir Kapoor. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the first time for Preity Zinta to play a vampish role. She received a Filmfare nomination for Best Villain.- Plot...
|
| Baghban |
| 2004 |
Dev Dev is a 2004 Hindi movie, directed by Govind Nihalani-Plot:Joint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the...
|
AetbaarAetbaar is a Hindi film, released in 2004. The film is directed by Vikram Bhatt and stars Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham, Bipasha Basu and Supriya Pilgaonkar.Business tycoon Ratan Tata entered Bollywood by producing Aetbaar....
|
| 2006 |
Baabul |
| 2007 |
Nishabd Nishabd is a 2007 Bollywood movie directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan inspired from American Beauty and from the storyline of 1986 film Anokha Rishta starring Rajesh Khanna....
|
| Cheeni Kum Cheeni Kum is an 2007 Bollywood romance film directed by R. Balki, starring Amitabh Bachchan as an 64 year-old man, opposite Tabu, who plays an 34-year old who falls in love with Bachchan. Produced by Sunil Manchanda, the film releasd on 25 May 2007.-Plot:Cheeni Kum focuses on Buddhadev Gupta...
|
| 2008 |
Bhoothnath Bhoothnath is an Bollywood Ghost film directed by Vivek Sharma, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Shahrukh Khan, Aman Siddiqui, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Rajpal Yadav...
|
| 2009 |
Aladin - Reception :Zoom TV has given Aladin 2.5/5 saying that "Aladin fails to enchant". They have also criticized that Jacqueline has been put in the cast for the sake of an actress and she hasn't got much to do. However according to the scale 2.5/5 is an average. They have praised Amitabh Bachchan for...
|
| Paa Paa is a 2009 Indian film directed by R. Balakrishnan starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan. The film is based on a rare genetic condition known as progeria and places emphasis on a father-son relationship...
|
| 2011 |
Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap |
Further reading
- Mazumdar, Ranjani. Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
External links