AMITABH BACHCHAN , THE STAR OF THE MILLENNIUM BORN 1942 OCTOBER 11

AMITABH BACHCHAN ,

THE STAR OF THE MILLENNIUM

BORN 1942 OCTOBER 11

Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava Bachchan (IPA: [əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbətʃːən]; born 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for movies like Zanjeer and Deewar, and was dubbed India's first "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Referred to as the "Shahenshah of Bollywood", "Star of the Millennium" or "Big B",[3][4][5][6] he has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades.[7][8] Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.[9][10][11][12][13] So total was his dominance of the movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry."[14][15]

Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 40 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts.[16] The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of Honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond.[17]

Bachchan made his Hollywood debut in 2013 with The Great Gatsby, in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.

Early and personal life
See also: Bachchan family

Bachchan was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, in north central India.[18] His ancestors hailed from a village called Babupatti in the Raniganj taluka of Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh.[19][20] His father Harivansh Rai Srivastava (Bachchan) was a well-known Hindi poet and his mother Teji Bachchan was a Punjabi Sikh from Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Punjab.[21] Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired by the phrase Inquilab Zindabad popularly used during the Indian independence struggle. In English, Inquilab Zindabad means "Long live the revolution." 

However, at the suggestion of fellow poet Sumitranandan Pant, Harivansh Rai changed the boy's name to Amitabh, which means "the light that will never die."[citation needed] Although his surname was Shrivastava, Amitabh's father had adopted the pen name Bachchan ("child-like" in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all of his works.[citation needed] It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films and for all other practical purposes, Bachchan has become the surname for all of his immediate family.[citation needed] Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.[22]

Bachchan is an alumnus of Sherwood College, Nainital. He later attended Kirori Mal College, Delhi University.[23] He has a younger brother, Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and was offered a feature film role, but she preferred her domestic duties. Teji had some influence in Amitabh Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should "take the centre stage."[24]

Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. The couple have two children, Shweta Nanda (wife of businessman Nikhil Nanda) and Abhishek Bachchan (actor and husband of actress Aishwarya Rai).

Early work: 1969–1972

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award winning film Bhuvan Shome.[25] His first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the film Saat Hindustani directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali (brother of comedian Mehmood), Madhu and Jalal Agha.[26][27]

Anand (1971) followed, in which Bachchan starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. His role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garnered Bachchan his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award. He then played his first antagonist role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in Parwaana (1971). 

Following Parwaana were several films including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film Bawarchi. In 1972 he made an appearance in the road action comedy Bombay to Goa directed by S. Ramanathan. Many of Bachchan's films during this early period did not do well, but that was about to change.[28]

Rise to stardom: 1973–1983

Bachchan and wife Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan in 2013, the couple got married in 1973, after the release of Zanjeer.
Director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film Zanjeer (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 Bollywood cinema.[8] Filmfare considers this one of the most iconic performances of Bollywood history.[28] The film was a huge success and one of the highest-grossing films of that year, breaking Bachchan's dry spell at the box office and making him a star.[29] 

From then onwards, Bachchan became one of the most successful leading men of the film industry. He earned his first Filmfare nomination for Best Actor for Zanjeer. 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 and was also successful at the box office. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram, once again along with Rajesh Khanna, in the film Namak Haraam, a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award.

In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playing a supporting role in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship and was the top earning film of 1974. Bachchan then played the leading role in film Majboor, released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zig Zag. The film was a success at the box office.[30] In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy Chupke Chupke, the crime drama Faraar to the romantic drama Mili. 

1975 was also the year when Bachchan appeared in two films regarded as important in Hindi cinema history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film Deewaar along with Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, earning him a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4.[31] Indiatimes Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[32] Released on 15 August 1975 was Sholay, which became the highest-grossing film of 1975 and also of all time in India, earning INR 2,364,500,000 equivalent to US$60 million, after adjusting for inflation.[33] in which Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like Deewar, has been cited by Indiatimes movies as amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[32] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

In 1976, he was cast by Yash Chopra in the romantic family drama Kabhie Kabhie. Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja (Raakhee) who ends up marrying someone else (Shashi Kapoor). The film was notable for portraying Bachchan as a romantic hero, a far cry from his "angry young man" roles like Zanjeer and Deewar. The film evoked a favourable response from critics and audiences alike. Bachchan was again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role in the film. That same year he played a double role in Adalat as father and son. In 1977,

 he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. The film was the highest-grossing film of that year. His other successes that year include Parvarish and Khoon Pasina.[34] He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade (1978) as Amit and Shankar and Don (1978) playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also gave towering performances in Yash Chopra's Trishul and Prakash Mehra's Muqaddar Ka Sikandar both of which earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations.

In 1979, Bachchan starred in Suhaag which was the highest earning film of that year. In the same year he also enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success with films like Mr. Natwarlal, Kaala Patthar and The Great Gambler. Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the first time in a song from the film Mr. Natwarlal in which he starred with Rekha. Bachchan's performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. 

He also received Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film Dostana, in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. Dostana proved to be the top-grossing film of 1980.[35] In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and Rekha. Other films of this period like Shaan (1980), Shakti (1982) which pitted him against the veteran actor Dilip Kumar were not successful at the box office but Ram Balram (1980), Naseeb (1981) and Lawaaris (1981) were successful.[36]

In 1982 he played double roles in the films Satte Pe Satta and Desh Premee which succeeded at the box office.[37] In 1983 he played a triple role in Mahaan and starred in the top-grossing film of that year Coolie.[38]

Humanitarian causes

Amitabh Bachchan has been involved in many social works. Amitabh donated ₹11 lakh (US$16,000) to clear the debts of nearly 40 beleaguered farmers in Andhra Pradesh.[77] He also donated ₹30 lakh (US$45,000) to clear the debts of some 100 Vidarbha farmers.[78] In 2010, he donated ₹11 lakh (US$16,000) for Resul Pookutty's foundation, for medical centre at Kochi.[79][80][81] Amitabh Bachchan donated ₹2.5 lakh (US$3,700) to Delhi Police constable Subhash Chand Tomar's family, who died after succumbing to injuries during anti-gangrape protest for 2012 Delhi gang rape.

[82][83] He opened a Harivansh Rai Bachchan Memorial Trust, or HRB Memorial Trust in his father's name in 2013.[84] Amitabh Bachchan was made UNICEF goodwill ambassador for polio Eradication Campaign in India in 2002, when 1,556 polio cases were detected that year .[85][86][87] On 27 March 2014, World Health Organization (WHO) declared India a polio free country with no case of disease being reported in the previous three years.[88][89][90] In 2013, Amitabh and his family donated ₹25 lakh (US$37,000) to charitable trust Plan India, that works for the upliftment of the girl child in India.[91][92][93] Amitabh Bachchan donated ₹11 lakh (US$16,000) to Maharashtra Police Welfare Fund in 2013.[94] Amitabh was the face of 'Save Our Tigers' campaign that promoted the importance of tiger conservation in India.[95]

Amitabh also supported PETA India's campaign to free, Sunder, a 14-year-old elephant who was chained and tortured in a temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.[96][97] After the elephant was freed and rehabilitated in Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore, he was reported to tweet, 

"@PetaIndia has turned elephant Sunder’s home into free-roaming, forested sanctuary... feeling good I contributed to this cause !"[98]

In 2014, it was announced that he had recorded his voice and lent his image to the Hindi and English language versions of the TeachAIDS software, an international HIV/AIDS prevention education tool developed at Stanford University.[99]

Awards, honours and recognitions

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Amitabh Bachchan
Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards 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 Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards.

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in a BBC Your Millennium online poll. The organisation noted that "Many people in the western world will not have heard of [him] ... [but it] is a reflection of the huge popularity of Indian films."[102] 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.[103] Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.[104]

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been modeled in wax at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.[105] Another statue was installed in New York in 2009,[106] Hong Kong in 2011,[107] Bangkok in 2011[108] and Washington, DC in 2012.[109]

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville.[110]

Civilian Awards

The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. 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".[111]

Honoured with an Honorary Doctorate

In 2004, by the University of Jhansi, India,[112]
In 2006, by the University of Delhi[113]
In 2006, by the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK[114]
In 2007, by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire, UK[115]
In 2011, by the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia[116]
In 2013, by the Jodhpur National University[117][118]
In 2015, by the Academy of Arts (Egypt) in Cairo, Egypt[119][120]

Amitabh Bachchan with the Olympic flame in London on 27 July 2012

Amitabh Bachchan with the Olympic flame in London on 27 July 2012

On 27 July 2012, Bachchan carried the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London's Southwark.[121]

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999,[122] To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004,[123] AB: The Legend (A Photographer's Tribute) in 2006,[124] Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006,[125] Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar in 2006,[126] Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me in 2007[127] and Bachchanalia in 2009.[128]

Bachchan himself wrote a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life.[129] In the early 80s, Bachchan authorised the use of his likeness for the comic book character Supremo in a series titled The Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan.[130] In May 2014, La Trobe University in Australia named a Scholarship after Bachchan.[131]

He was named "Hottest Vegetarian" by PETA India in 2012.[132] He won the title of "Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian" in a contest poll run by PETA Asia[133]
Memorials
Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex in Allahbad managed by UP Sports Directorate is named after him.[citation needed] Also a road is named after him as Amitabh Bachhan Road in his home town, Allahbad.[citation needed]

There is a temple in Kolkata, where Amitabh is worshipped as a God.[134]The tiles of the temple are adorned with words Jai Shri Amitabh; in place of the idol, you see his photo and a pair of white shoes that the actor wore in his movie, Agneepath[135