Amitabh Bachchan

Biography

Born on 11th October 1942, Amitabh Harivansh Rai Bachchan is one of the most iconic film stars in the history of Indian cinema. Instantly recognizable courtesy of his unparalleled `baritone` voice and imposing frame, the superstar is an integral part of Bollywood and Indian television history.

Originally from Uttar Pradesh, the actor took the Bollywood industry by storm in the 1970s and early 80s with movies like Anand, Zanjeer, Deewar, and Amar Akbar Anthony.

His performances revolutionized the image of protagonists in the industry and Amitabh Bachchan, due to his movie roles, was popularly referred to as "the angry young man" of India.

Bachchan continues to be one of Bollywood`s most prominent figures and even made his Hollywood debut in The Great Gatsby, in 2013.

Amitabh Bachchan was born to famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan, whom he lost in 2003 and 2007 respectively.

Shortly after the release of the mega-hit film Zanjeer in 1973, Amitabh Bachchan married his co-star- Jaya Bhaduri. The duo first met at the Film and Television Institute of India, where Jaya claims that she instantly fell for the actor.

Amitabh Bachchan admits to falling in love with his co-star a little later, on the sets of the movie, Ek Nazar. The two got married and were soon blessed with two children- Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan-Nanda.

Amitabh Bachchan struggled when he came to Bombay and even spent a few nights on a bench at Marine Drive. He was considered "too dark" to play a protagonist in Bollywood by many.

However, his deep baritone voice was put to use in 1969, when Amitabh Bachchan's voice narrated the award-winning Bhuvan Shome. He followed this up with his acting debut as one of the seven heroes in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas` Saat Hindustani.

The public first took notice of the 6`1" actor when he played a doctor alongside Rajesh Khanna in the movie Anand and bagged a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. A series of unsuccessful films followed but that didn`t dissuade the young man from pursuing his dreams.

Amitabh Bachchan set the industry on fire with his lead role in Prakash Mehra`s 1971 hit film Zanjeer. His stunning performance as an angry inspector was in stark contrast to the prevalent romantic heroes that dominated the protagonists` roles in Bollywood.

He earned the title "the angry young man of India" and his rise to the top was well underway. He later appeared in the musical romantic film Abhimaan (1973). The actor went on to star in numerous successful movies across various genres and earned awards for several of them.

In 1975, the superstar featured in two blockbusters, widely considered to be two of the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema- Yash Chopra`s Deewar and Ramesh Sippy`s Sholay.

The year 2013 saw Indian cinema icon Bachchan make his Hollywood debut in The Great Gatsby starring Hollywood legends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Amitabh Bachchan proceeded to capture Indian audiences with his roles in the award-winning Piku.

Over the next few years, he even lent his voice to the narration of films like Pad Man (2017) and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019). Other hit releases in this time include Pink (2016), Sarkar 3 (2017), Badla (2019), Gulabo Sitabo (2020) and AB Aani CD (2020). His 2021 releases include Chehre.

His 2022 movies include Jhund, Runway 34, Fakt Mahilao Mate, Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva, Goodbye, and Uunchai. His 2023 movies include Project K and Butterfly. His other releases include Mayday and The Intern.

In 2001, Amitabh Bachchan began hosting the tremendously popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati (India`s version of `Who Wants to be a Millionaire`).