Amitabh Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) of Uttar Pradesh. His father Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a famous poet of Hindi literature and mother Teji Bachchan was a housewife who was inclined towards theatre and music. Amitabh’s real name was ‘Inquilab Srivastava’ which was given by Harivansh Rai Bachchan inspired by India’s freedom struggle but later his name was changed to ‘Amitabh’ which means ‘one who is a light that never dies’.
Struggle period and debut in films
Amitabh Bachchan completed his studies from Sherwood College Nainital and then Kirorimal College of Delhi University. Before coming into films, he worked in a shipping company in Kolkata but his mind was interested in acting. He gave auditions many times but was rejected due to his heavy voice. Still, he did not give up and started acting in the year 1969 with the film ‘Saat Hindustani’. Although this film did not do well, Amitabh’s presence definitely caught people’s attention.
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Journey from ‘Zanjeer’ to ‘Angry Young Man’
The 1973 film ‘Zanjeer’ made Amitabh a superstar overnight. His angry police officer’s character in this film earned him the title of ‘Angry Young Man’. After this, he never looked back and gave blockbuster films like ‘Deewar’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Don’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Silsila’, ‘Kalia’. He used to get so deep into every role that the audience started seeing him as the character itself. The 70s and 80s were the golden period of his career.
Accident and second innings
In 1982, during the shooting of the film ‘Coolie’, he was seriously injured and he returned from the jaws of death. After this incident, the whole country started praying for him and when he recovered, it was no less than a miracle. His career went into a bit of a slump in the 90s but then he made a comeback with ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ on television and won everyone’s heart. After this, he proved that age is just a number with powerful films like ‘Baghban’, ‘Black’, ‘Paa’, ‘Pink’, ‘Gulabo Sitabo’, and ‘Oonchai’.
Awards and Honors
Amitabh Bachchan has received the National Film Award four times and the Filmfare Award 15 times. He has been honored with ‘Padma Shri’, ‘Padma Bhushan’ and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ by the Government of India. In 2021, he was also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He is not only an actor but an inspiration who teaches every generation that anything is possible with hard work and confidence.
