Amitabh Bachchan is a famous Indian actor born in 1942 in Allahabad, India. He studied in Allahabad and Delhi and initially worked in shipping before pursuing an acting career. Bachchan debuted in 1969 and had major breakthrough roles in the 1970s that established him as the "angry young man" of Bollywood. He became a huge star with films in the 1970s-80s and received many awards and accolades over his decades-long career, facing some financial troubles but a major comeback with the TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000. Bachchan remains a top Bollywood icon in his senior years.
2. Amitabh Bachchan
Date of Birth: 11 October 1942
Place of Birth: Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
Birth Name: Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav
Nickname: Big B, Munna, Angry Young Man, Bollywood's Shahenshah, Amith, AB Sr.
Height: 6' 3" (1.88 m)
Zodiac: Libra
Education: Graduate (B.Sc.) Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi
Profession : Actor, producer, singer, television presenter
Mother: Teji Bachchan
Father: Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Brother: Ajitabh Bachchan
Spouse : Jaya Bahaduri (Now named as Jaya Bachchan)
Daughter: Shweta Nanda
Son: Abhishek Bachchan
Daughter-in-law: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
3. Amitabh Bachchan was born in Allahabad in 1942, to Dr. Harivansh Rai
Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab.
However, at the suggestion of fellow poet, Harivansh Rai changed the
name to Amitabh which means, “the light that would never go off.”
Though his surname was Shrivastava, he replaced it with
‘Bachchan’, which was his father’s pen name.
Amitabh Bachchan studied in Allahabad at Jnana Pramodhini and Boys
High School. He completed his education at Sherwood College in
Nainital and Kirori Mal College in Delhi. His first job was in Shaw
Wallace. Amitabh later worked as a freight broker for a shipping firm
called Bird and Co., in Kolkata, a job he quit to pursue a career in
acting.
4. In 1969, Amitabh made his debut with Saat Hindustani, which won him the National
Film Award for Best Newcomer. After this came movies like Reshma Aur Shera,
Parwana, and Anand in 1971. He made a huge impact with his performance in
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand alongside Rajesh Khanna, winning him the Filmfare
Best Supporting Actor Award. His breakthrough as a lead was in the film Zanjeer
(1973) which established his persona of the “angry young man” of Bollywood.
Amitabh reworked the image of the Hindi film hero with major
hits like Deewar, Sholay, Trishul and Don. He popularised the
violent melodrama genre but had an equal flair for tragedies
(Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Shakti) and comedies (Chupke
Chupke, Amar Akbar Anthony) as well. His status as a demi-god
was evident when the entire nation prayed for his recovery when
he met with a fatal injury during the making of Coolie in
July, 1982.
5. In 1984, Amitabh entered politics in support of long time
friend Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad’s Lok Sabha
seat and won by a huge margin. Accusations of him
being involved in the Bofors Scandal made him quit
politics, although, later on, he was proved innocent.
Amitabh returned to films with blockbusters like
Shahenshah, Agneepath, Hum and Khuda Gawah. A
series of flops in mid 90’s and the collapse of his
company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. landed
him in immense debts. He returned back to movies but
with no success.
6. In the year 2000, he stepped up to host the
television show Kaun Banega Crorepati
and later was seen in Mohabbatein. Both
these ventures proved extremely
successful. Since then Amitabh has been
on a roll. At sixty plus, with all the
endorsements and accolades, he is a
greater icon than he was at the height of
his popularity three decades ago.
7. Filmfare Awards
Winner
1971 – Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Anand
1973 – Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Namak Haraam
1977 – Filmfare Best Actor Award for Amar Akbar Anthony
1978 – Filmfare Best Actor Award for Don
1990 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (First Recipient)
1991 – Filmfare Best Actor Award for Hum
2000 – Filmfare Superstar of the Millennium
2000 – Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Mohabbatein
2001 – Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for Aks
2003 – Filmfare Power Award
2005 – Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for Black
2005 – Filmfare Best Actor Award for Black
2010 – Filmfare Best Actor Award for Paa
2011 – Filmfare Special Award for completing 40 years in the Indian film industry
Nominated
Bachchan has been nominated as Filmfare Best Actor 28 times (a record) and as Filmfare Best
Supporting Actor 9 times (also a record). He has also been nominated for Best Playback singer
once and as (producer) for Best Movie once.
8. National Film Awards
Winner
1990 – National Film Award for Best Actor for Agneepath
2005 – National Film Award for Best Actor for Black
2009 – National Film Award for Best Actor for Paa
International Indian Film Academy Awards Winner
2000 – IIFA Special Honorary Award
2001 – IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award for Mohabbatein
2002 – IIFA Personality of the Year
2006 – IIFA Wall of Fame
2006 – IIFA Best Actor Award for Black
2010 – IIFA Best Actor Award for Paa
Screen Awards Winner
2003 – Screen Award for Jodi No. 1 along with Hema Malini
for Baghban
2003 – Distinction In Acting Award for Baghban
2004 – Most Outstanding Personality
2005 – Screen Award for Best Actor for Black
2007 – Screen Award for Best Actor (Critics) for Cheeni Kum
2010 – Screen Award for Best Actor for Paa
2010 – Screen Award for Jodi No. 1 along with Abhishek
Bachchan for Paa
