Amitabh Bachchan: A Legendary Actor with a Heart of Gold

Amitabh Bachchan, also known as the “Shahenshah of Bollywood“, is a legendary actor and one of the most recognized faces in Indian cinema. With a career spanning over five decades, he has acted in over 200 films and is considered as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema. In this article, we will take a closer look at his life and career, as well as his contributions to society and his enduring legacy.

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Amitabh Bachchan Early Life and Family

Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned Hindi poet, and his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a social activist. Amitabh attended Sherwood College, Nainital, and then went on to complete his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delhi. He later pursued a career in acting and joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

Acting Career

a) Early Career

Amitabh Bachchan made his acting debut in 1969 with the film Saat Hindustani. However, it was not until 1971 that he got his big break with the film Anand, in which he played a supporting role. He went on to act in several films, including Parwana, Bombay to Goa, and Zanjeer. It was his role in Zanjeer that established him as a leading actor in Bollywood.

b) Rise to stardom

With his brooding intensity and charismatic persona, Amitabh Bachchan quickly became a favorite among audiences. He acted in several hit films during the 1970s and 1980s, including Sholay, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, and Kabhi Kabhie. He also gained a reputation as a versatile actor, capable of playing a wide range of roles.

c) Superstardom

Amitabh Bachchan’s popularity continued to grow in the 1980s, and he became the biggest superstar in Bollywood. He acted in several blockbuster films, including Coolie, Mard, and Shahenshah. His on-screen persona was characterized by his deep baritone voice, intense eyes, and towering presence.

d) Coolie incident

In 1982, while filming the movie Coolie, Amitabh Bachchan suffered a near-fatal accident on the set. He was hospitalized for several months and underwent multiple surgeries. The incident garnered widespread media attention, and his fans prayed for his recovery. He eventually recovered and returned to acting with a renewed sense of purpose.

e) Health Issues

Amitabh Bachchan has had several health issues over the years, including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and a ruptured intestine. He has also undergone several surgeries, including one to remove his spleen. Despite these setbacks, he has continued to act and inspire generations of actors.

f) Career fluctuations and sabbatical

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan’s career went through a rough patch, and he faced several setbacks. He took a sabbatical from acting and ventured into business, but the venture was unsuccessful. However, he eventually made a comeback in the late 1990s with the film Mrityudata.

g) Business ventures and acting comeback

In addition to acting, Amitabh Bachchan has also ventured into business. He has been associated with several companies, including Just Dial and Birla Sun Life Insurance. He also made a successful comeback to acting with the films Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Baghban, and Black.

h) Return to prominence – Present

In recent years, Amitabh Bachchan has once again become a prominent figure in Bollywood. He has acted in several successful films, including Piku, Pink, and Badla, which have received critical acclaim and commercial success. He has also lent his voice to several films, including the Hindi version of Disney’s The Lion King. Additionally, he is a popular television host and has hosted several seasons of the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? called Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Other work

a) Television appearances

Apart from hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati, Amitabh Bachchan has appeared in several television shows and miniseries. He has also appeared in several commercials and brand endorsements.

b) Voice Acting

In addition to acting, Amitabh Bachchan is also a popular voice actor. He has lent his voice to several animated films, including The Incredibles and The Jungle Book. He has also narrated several documentaries and audio books.

c) Business Investments

Amitabh Bachchan has been associated with several business ventures, including a production company called ABCL and a chain of luxury hotels called The Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. He has also been involved in several philanthropic initiatives and social causes.

Political Career

Amitabh Bachchan has been associated with several political parties over the years, including the Indian National Congress and the Samajwadi Party. He has also been a member of parliament from the Allahabad constituency. However, he later withdrew from active politics and stated that he would focus on his acting career.

Humanitarian and Social Causes

Amitabh Bachchan has been actively involved in several humanitarian and social causes. He has been associated with the United Nations and has worked towards raising awareness about polio eradication and other health issues. He has also been associated with several NGOs, including the HelpAge India and Plan India. Additionally, he has worked towards promoting education and literacy in India.

Personal Life

Amitabh Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bachchan, and they have two children, Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan Nanda. Abhishek is also an actor in Bollywood, and Shweta is a journalist and author. Amitabh Bachchan is also a grandfather to Abhishek’s daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan.

Filmography

Amitabh Bachchan has acted in over 200 films in his career. Some of his most iconic films include Sholay, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhi Kabhie, and Coolie. He has also acted in several recent films, including Piku, Pink, and Badla.

Acting roles[edit]

Year	Film	Role(s)	Notes
1969	Saat Hindustani	Anwar Ali	National Film Award for Best Newcomer
1969	Bhuvan Shome	Narrator
1971	Anand	Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee a.k.a. Babu Moshaye	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1971	Pyar Ki Kahani	Ram
1971	Parwana	Kumar Sen
1971	Reshma Aur Shera	Chhotu
1971	Guddi	Himself	Special appearance
1971	Piya Ka Ghar		Special appearance
1971	Sanjog	Mohan
1972	Bombay to Goa	Ravi Kumar
1972	Bawarchi	Narrator
1972	Bansi Birju	Birju
1972	Ek Nazar	Manmohan Tyagi “Akash”
1972	Raaste Kaa Patthar	Jai Shankar Rai
1972	Garam Masala	Robert Taylor	Uncredited
1972	Jaban	Dalaljit	Special appearance
1973	Zanjeer	Inspector Vijay Khanna	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1973	Bandhe Hath	Shyamu / Deepak (Double Role)[a]
1973	Gehri Chaal	Ratan
1973	Namak Haraam	Vikram “Vicky” Maharaj	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1973	Abhimaan	Subir Kumar
1973	Saudagar	Motallam “Moti”
1973	Bada Kabutar		Special appearance
1974	Dost	Anand	Special appearance
1974	Kasauti	Amitabh “Amit” Sharma
1974	Benaam	Amitabh “Amit” Shrivastav
1974	Roti Kapda Aur Makaan	Vijay
1974	Kunwara Baap	Anthony	Special appearance
1974	Majboor	Ravi Khanna
1975	Deewaar	Vijay Verma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1975	Zameer	Baadal
1975	Sholay	Jai (Jaidev)
1975	Faraar	Rajesh “Raj”
1975	Chhoti Si Baat	Guest Appearance
1975	Chupke Chupke	Sukumar Sinha / Parimal Tripathi
1975	Mili	Shekhar Dayal
1976	Do Anjaane	Amit Roy / Naresh Dutt
1976	Kabhi Kabhie	Amitabh Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1976	Hera Pheri	Vijay / Inspector Heerachand
1976	Adalat	Thakur Dharamchand “Dharma” / Raju (Double Role)[a]	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1976	Balika Badhu	Voice-over
1977	Charandas	Qawwali singer	Special appearance in song “‘Dekh Lo”
1977	Amar Akbar Anthony	Anthony Gonzalves	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1977	Immaan Dharam	Ahmed Raza
1977	Khoon Pasina	Shiva / Tiger
1977	Shatranj Ke Khilari	Narrator
1977	Parvarish	Amit
1977	Chala Murari Hero Banne	Himself	Special appearance
1977	Alaap	Alok Prasad
1978	Ganga Ki Saugandh	Jeeva
1978	Kasme Vaade	Amit / Shankar[a]
1978	Besharam	Ram Kumar Chandra/Prince Chandrashekar
1978	Trishul	Vijay Kumar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1978	Don	Don / Vijay[a]	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1978	Muqaddar Ka Sikandar	Sikandar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1979	The Great Gambler	Jay / Inspector Vijay[a]	Also singer for “Do Lafzon Ki”
1979	Gol Maal	Himself	Special appearance
1979	Ahsaas	Himself	Special appearance
1979	Jurmana	Inder Saxena
1979	Manzil	Ajay Chandra
1979	Mr. Natwarlal	Natwarlal / Avtar Singh	Also singer for “Mere Pas Aao” Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1979	Kaala Patthar	Vijay Pal Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1979	Suhaag	Amit Kapoor
1979	Cinema Cinema	Himself
1980	Do Aur Do Paanch	Vijay/Ram
1980	Dostana	Vijay Varma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1980	Ram Balram	Balram Singh
1980	Shaan	Vijay Kumar
1981	Commander	Truck driver	Special appearance
1981	Yaarana	Kishan Kumar
1981	Barsaat Ki Ek Raat	ACP Abhijeet Rai
1981	Anusandhan	ACP Abhijeet Rai	Bengali film
1981	Naseeb	Johnny	Also playback singer for “Chal mere bhai”
1981	Chashme Buddoor	Himself	Special appearance
1981	Lawaaris	Heera	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for song “Mere Angene Mein”
1981	Silsila	Amit Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for: “Neela Aasman” “Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali“
1981	Kaalia	Kallu / Kaalia
1981	Vilayati Babu		Special appearance Punjabi film
1982	Satte Pe Satta	Ravi Anand / Babu[a]
1982	Bemisal	Dr. Sudhir Roy / Adhir Roy[a]	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1982	Desh Premee	Master Dinanath / Raju[a]
1982	Namak Halaal	Arjun Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1982	Khud-Daar	Govind Srivastava / Chhotu Ustaad
1982	Shakti	Vijay Kumar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1983	Nastik	Shankar
1983	Andha Kanoon	Jan Nissar Akhtar Khan	Guest appearance Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1983	Mahaan	Rana Ranveer / Guru / Inspector Shankar[b]
1983	Pukar	Ramdas	Also playback singer for “Tu maike mat jaiyo”
1983	Coolie	Iqbal A. Khan
1984	Inquilaab	Amarnath
1984	Khabardar	Unknown	Incomplete
1984	Kanoon Kya Karega	Narrator
1984	Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar	Himself	Special appearance
1984	Pet Pyaar Aur Paap	Himself	Guest appearance
1984	Sharaabi	Vicky Kapoor	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1985	Geraftaar	Insp. Karan Kumar Khanna
1985	Ghulami	Narrator
1985	Mard	Raju	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1986	Aakhree Raasta	David D’Costa / Vijay Sandaliya[a]
1987	Jalwa	Himself	Special appearance
1987	Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara	Himself	Special appearance Also playback singer for “Jeevan pyar bina”
1988	Shahenshah	Inspector Vijay Kumar Srivastava / Shahenshah	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1988	Hero Hiralal	Himself	Special appearance
1988	Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati	Ganga Prasad
1988	Soorma Bhopali	Police Inspector	Special appearance
1989	Toofan	Shyam / Toofan[a]
1989	Batwara	Narrator
1989	Jaadugar	Goga / Gogeshwar	Also playback singer for “Padosan Apni Murgi”
1989	Main Azaad Hoon	Azaad	Also playback singer for “Itne Baazu”
1990	Agneepath	Vijju / Vijay Deenanath Chauhan	National Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1990	Kroadh	Himself	Special appearance
1990	Aaj Ka Arjun	Bheema
1991	Hum	Tiger / Shekhar Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1991	Ajooba	Ajooba/Zaffar Ali Rizwan
1991	Indrajeet	Indrajeet
1991	Akayla	Inspector Vijay Verma
1992	Khuda Gawah	Badshah Khan	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1992	Zulm Ki Hukumat	Narrator
1993	Professor Ki Padosan		Special appearance
1994	Insaniyat	Inspector Amar
1994	Akka	Himself	Special appearance Marathi film
1996	Ghatak: Lethal	Himself	Special appearance
1996	Tere Mere Sapne	Narrator	Also producer
1997	Mrityudata	Dr. Ram Prasad Ghayal	Also producer
1998	Major Saab	Major Jasbir Singh Rana	Also producer
1998	Bade Miyan Chote Miyan	Inspector Arjun Singh / Bade Miyan[a]
1998	Hero Hindustani	Narrator
1999	Lal Baadshah	Lal ‘Baadshah’ Singh / Ranbhir Singh[a]
1999	Sooryavansham	Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh / Heera Singh[a]	Also singer for “Chori Se”
1999	Biwi No.1	Himself	Special appearance
1999	Hindustan Ki Kasam	Kabeera
1999	Kohram	Col. Balbir Singh Sodi (Devraj Hathoda) / Dada Bhai
1999	Hello Brother	God (voice)
2000	Mohabbatein	Narayan Shankar	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2001	Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love	Vijay Kapoor
2001	Lagaan	Narrator
2001	Aks	Insp. Manu Verma	Also producer Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2001	Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…	Yashvardhan “Yash” Raichand	Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor Also singer for “Shava Shava”
2002	Aankhen	Vijay Singh Rajput	Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor
2002	Hum Kisise Kum Nahin	Dr. Rastogi
2002	Agni Varsha	Devraj	Special appearance
2002	Kaante	Yashvardhan Rampal ‘Major’	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2003	Khushi	Narrator
2003	Armaan	Dr. Siddharth Sinha	Also singer for “Aao Milke Gaye”
2003	Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost	Narrator
2003	Boom	Bade Mia
2003	Baghban	Raj Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for “Chali Chali” “Holi Khele” “Main Yaha”
2003	Fun2shh… Dudes in the 10th Century	Narrator
2004	Khakee	DCP Anant Kumar Shrivastava	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2004	Aetbaar	Dr. Ranveer Malhotra	Also singer for “Jeena Hai”
2004	Rudraksh	Narrator
2004	Insaaf: The Justice	Narrator
2004	Dev	DCP Dev Pratap Singh
2004	Lakshya	Col. Sunil Damle
2004	Deewaar	Major Ranvir Kaul
2004	Kyun! Ho Gaya Na…	Raj Chauhan
2004	Hum Kaun Hai?	Major Frank John Williams / Frank James Williams
2004	Veer-Zaara	Choudhary Sumer Singh	Cameo appearance Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor
2004	Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo	Major General Amarjeet Singh
2005	Black	Debraj Sahai	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
2005	Waqt: The Race Against Time	Ishwarchand Thakur
2005	Bunty Aur Babli	DCP Dashrath Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2005	Parineeta	Narrator
2005	Paheli	Gadariya	Cameo
2005	Sarkar	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2005	Viruddh	Vidhyadhar Patwardhan	Also producer
2005	Ramji Londonwaley	Himself	Special appearance
2005	Dil Jo Bhi Kahey…	Shekhar Sinha
2005	Amrithadhare	Himself	Special appearance Kannada film
2005	Ek Ajnabee	Suryaveer Singh
2006	Family	Virendra “Viren” Sahai Ruthless Criminal	Also producer
2006	Darna Zaroori Hai	Sunil Khanna	Appeared in one segment
2006	Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna	Samarjit “Sam” Talwar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2006	Ganga	Thakur Vijay Singh	Bhojpuri film
2006	Baabul	Balraj Kapoor	Also playback singer for “Come On” and “Kehta Hai Baabul”
2007	Eklavya: The Royal Guard	Eklavya
2007	Nishabd	Vijay Anand
2007	Ek Krantiveer: Vasudev Balwant Phadke	Narrator	Marathi film
2007	Cheeni Kum	Buddhadev Gupta
2007	Shootout at Lokhandwala	Advocate Dhingra
2007	Swami	Narrator
2007	Jhoom Barabar Jhoom	Man singing at the train station	Special appearance
2007	Aag	Babban Singh
2007	The Last Lear	Harish Mishra	English language film
2007	Om Shanti Om	Himself	Special appearance
2007	Gangotri	Thakur Vijay ‘Thakur Kaka’ Singh	Bhojpuri film
2008	Jodhaa Akbar	Narrator
2008	Yaar Meri Zindagi	Dr. Ajay Singh
2008	Bhoothnath	Kailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath	Also playback singer for “Mere Buddy” and “Chalo Jaane Do”
2008	Sarkar Raj	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)
2008	God Tussi Great Ho	God
2009	Delhi-6	Dadaji	Special appearance Also playback singer for “Noor”
2009	Zor Lagaa Ke…Haiya!	Narrator
2009	Aladin	Genius	Also playback singer for “Genie Rap” “O re Sawariya”
2009	Paa	Auro	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also producer Also playback singer for “Mere Paa”
2010	Rann	Vijay Harshwardhan Malik
2010	Teen Patti	Prof. Venkat Subramanium
2010	Kandahar	Lokanatha Sharma	Malayalam film
2011	Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap	Vijay ‘Vijju’ Malhotra	Also producer Also playback singer for song “Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap”
2011	Aarakshan	Prabhakar Anand	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2011	Ra.One	Narrator
2012	Kahaani		Playback singer for song “Ekla Chalo Re“
2012	Mr. Bhatti on Chutti	Himself	Special appearance
2012	Department	Sarjerao Gaikwad
2012	Bol Bachchan	Himself	Playback singer and appeared in song “Bol Bachchan”
2012	English Vinglish	Passenger in the aeroplane	Special appearance
2012	Ganga Devi	Thakur Vijay Singh	Bhojpuri film
2013	The Great Gatsby	Meyer Wolfsheim	Special appearance English language film
2013	Bombay Talkies	Himself	Special appearance on segment “Murabba”
2013	Satyagraha	Dwarka Anand
2013	Boss	Narrator
2013	Krrish 3	Narrator
2013	Mahabharat	Bhishma (voice)	Animated film
2014	Bhoothnath Returns	Khailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath
2014	Manam	Pratap	Special appearance Telugu film
2014	Kochadaiiyaan	Narrator	Hindi version
2015	Shamitabh	Amitabh Sinha	Also producer Also playback singer for song “Piddly”
2015	Hey Bro		Special appearance in song “Birju”
2015	Piku	Bhashkor Banerjee	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2016	Wazir	Pandit Omkarnath Dhar
2016	Ki & Ka	Himself	Special appearance
2016	Te3n	John Biswas
2016	Pink	Deepak Sehgal	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2017	The Ghazi Attack	Narrator	Hindi version
2017	Begum Jaan	Narrator
2017	Sarkar 3	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)
2017	Firangi	Narrator
2017	The Great Leader	Leader	Bhojpuri film
2018	Pad Man	Narrator	Special appearance
2018	102 Not Out	Dattatraya Vakharia
2018	Helicopter Eela	Cameo appearance	Cameo appearance
2018	Thugs of Hindostan	Khudabaksh Azaad
2019	Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi	Narrator
2019	Badla	Badal Gupta
2019	Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy	Gosayi Venkanna	Telugu film (dubbed himself for Hindi)
2020	AB Aani CD	Himself	Marathi film; Special appearance
2020	Ghoomketu	Himself	Special appearance
2020	Gulabo Sitabo	Chunnan “Mirza” Nawab	Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actor Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2021	Chehre	Advocate Lateef Zaidi	Also playback singer for song “Chehre – Title Track”
2022	Jhund	Vijay Borade
2022	Radhe Shyam	Narrator	For Hindi Version
2022	Runway 34	Narayan Vedant
2022	Fakt Mahilao Mate	Amitbhai Patel	Gujarati film; special appearance
2022	Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva	Raghu
2022	Chup: Revenge of the Artist	Amit	Cameo appearance
2022	Goodbye	Harish Bhalla
2022	Uunchai	Amit Srivastav
2023	Ganapath	TBA	Special appearance
2023	Ghoomer	TBA	Special appearance
2023	The Umesh Chronicles	TBA	Special appearance
2023	Project K	TBA	Filming; shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu
2023	Butterfly	—	playback singer; Kannada film
2025	“Khakee 2“	DCP Anant Kumar Shrivastava

Legacy

Amitabh Bachchan’s legacy in Indian cinema spans over five decades and his impact on the industry is immeasurable. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon and his contribution to the film industry has been recognized with numerous awards and honours.

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His acting style, which is a perfect blend of intensity and naturalism, has influenced generations of actors in India. He has played a variety of roles in his career, ranging from angry young man to tragic hero, and his ability to effortlessly portray different characters has earned him the nickname “The Shahenshah of Bollywood.”

In addition to his acting prowess, Amitabh Bachchan is also known for his deep baritone voice, which has been described as a “national treasure.” His voice has been used in numerous films, commercials, and documentaries, and is instantly recognizable to audiences around the world.

Apart from his contributions to the film industry, Amitabh Bachchan has also been actively involved in several philanthropic initiatives and social causes. He has worked towards promoting education and literacy in India, raising awareness about health issues, and supporting the underprivileged sections of society.

In recognition of his contributions to the film industry and society at large, Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured with numerous awards, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, which are among the highest civilian awards in India. He has also been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is the highest honour in Indian cinema.

In conclusion, Amitabh Bachchan’s legacy in Indian cinema and society is unparalleled. He has inspired generations of actors, entertained millions of people, and worked towards making a positive impact on society. His towering presence and enduring legacy will continue to captivate audiences for generations to come.