Who is Amitabh Bachchan?
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor, playback singer and television host, widely considered one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema. Known as “Big B” and the “Shahenshah of Bollywood”, he has acted in more than 200 films over five decades.
Early life and education
Bachchan was born in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in 1942. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a celebrated Hindi poet. He studied at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and worked in Kolkata before moving to Mumbai to act. His deep voice was initially rejected by a radio station, but later became one of his trademarks.
Career highlights
- Debut (1969): narrated Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome and acted in Saat Hindustani.
- “Angry Young Man” (1970s): Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay made him India’s biggest star.
- Superstar era: Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Trishul, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and many more hits.
- Second innings (2000s): character roles in Mohabbatein, Black, Paa and Piku.
- Television (2000): began hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati, India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Major achievements
He has won seven National Film Awards and 17 Filmfare Awards. French director François Truffaut once called him a “one-man industry” because of his dominance in the 1970s and 1980s.
Setbacks and comeback
In the late 1990s his company ABCL ran into heavy losses and his films struggled. Kaun Banega Crorepati and Mohabbatein in 2000 revived his career, and he has remained in demand ever since.
Recognition
He has received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, and India’s highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He also served briefly as a Member of Parliament in the 1980s.
Lessons for your career
Bachchan shows that reinvention is possible at any age: after failure in his fifties, he built one of the most successful second careers in cinema.
Timeline: key moments
- 1942Born in Allahabad
- 1969Film debut
- 1973Zanjeer makes him a star
- 1975Deewaar and Sholay
- 1978Don and Trishul
- 1996Founds ABCL
- 2000Starts hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati
- 2005Black
- 2015Piku; Padma Vibhushan
- 2019Dadasaheb Phalke Award announced
Amitabh Bachchan has been a star for more than fifty years, proving that talent and resilience can outlast every setback.
