Shillong
—  city  —
A landscape of Shillong
Nickname(s): Scotland of the East
Shillong
Coordinates: 25°34′00″N 91°53′00″E / 25.5667°N 91.8833°E / 25.5667; 91.8833Coordinates: 25°34′00″N 91°53′00″E / 25.5667°N 91.8833°E / 25.5667; 91.8833
Country	India
State	Meghalaya
District	East Khasi Hills
Area
• Total	6,436 km2 (2,485 sq mi)
Elevation	1,525 m (5,003 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	354,325
• Density	234/km2 (610/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	793 001 – 793 100
Telephone code	0364
Vehicle registration	ML-05
Website	www.shillong.com

Shillong, India (Khasi: Shillong) is the capital of Meghalaya, one of the smallest states in India and home to the Khasis. It is also the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district and is situated at an average altitude of 4,908 feet (1,496 m) above sea level, with the highest point being Shillong Peak at 6,449 feet (1,966 m). The city had a population of 314,610 according to the 2011 census. It is said that the rolling hills around the town reminded the European settlers of Scotland. Hence, Shillong is also known as "Scotland of the East." Shillong has steadily grown in size and significance since it was made the civil station of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills in 1864 by the British. In 1874, on the formation of Assam as a Chief Commissioner's Province, it was chosen as the headquarters of the new administration because of its convenient location between the Brahmaputra and Surma valleys and more so because the climate of Shillong was much cooler than tropical India. Shillong remained the capital of undivided Assam until the creation of the new state of Meghalaya on 21 January 1972, when Shillong became the capital of Meghalaya and Assam moved its capital to Dispur in Guwahati.

Geography[link]

Shillong is located at 25°34′N 91°53′E / 25.57°N 91.88°E / 25.57; 91.88. It is on the Shillong Plateau, the only major pop-up structure in the northern Indian shield.^[1] The city lies in the centre of the plateau and is surrounded by hills, three of which are revered in Khasi tradition: Lum Sohpetbneng, Lum Diengiei and Lum Shillong.

• Best time to travel : Autumn (September to November) and Winter (November to March)

• Weather Conditions : Pleasant, pollution-free; Summers: The temperature varies from 23 °C (73 °F); Winters: The temperature varies from 4 °C (39 °F).

• Location : Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya is just 55 km (34 mi) from Mawsynram, the world's wettest place.

Climate[link]

Due to its latitude and high elevation Shillong has a sub-tropical climate with mild summers and chilly to cold winters.^[2] Under Koppen’s climate classification the city features a subtropical highland climate. Shillong is subject to vagaries of the monsoon. The monsoons arrive in June and it rains almost until the end of August. October–November and March–April are the best months to visit Shillong.

Connectivity[link]

Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.

Roadways[link]

Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states. Two major National Highways pass through Shillong

• National Highway 40 (India) – Connected to Guwahati
• National Highway 44 (India) – Connected to Tripura & Mizoram(NH 44A)

Private bus operators as well as state transport buses from other states ply to and from Shillong daily. Sumo taxi service is also available to various destination like Guwahati, Agartala, Dimapur and other north eastern towns and cities.

Local Transport[link]

Major mode of local transport within Shillong are the shared black-and-yellow taxis that run fixed routes (5 to 10 rupees per hop). But if one wants to book a private taxi, the price is 50 rupees for a one-way trip within town. taxis. Unlike other Indian cities, Auto-Rickshaw are rarely seen here.

Demographics[link]

Shillong Landscape from Shillong Peak

As of 2011^[update] India census^[3] Shillong City has

• Population of 143,007; of which male and female are 70,028 and 72,979 respectively. The sex ratio of Shillong city is 1042 per 1000 males.

   Although Shillong city has population of 143,007; its urban / metropolitan population is 354,325 of which 176,591 are males and 177,734 are females.

• Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%.
• Average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 63.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 88%.
• 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Khasis make up the majority of the population though the percentage of Khasi people in the city continues to fall as a result of the large number of migrants from other Indian states. All the other northeast Indian tribes are represented here as well as significant numbers of Bengali, Nepali, Assamese, Biharis and Marwaris making it a fairly cosmopolitan city.

Christianity is the dominant religion in the city. Presbyterianism and the various denominations of Protestants and Roman Catholic church make up the Christian population of Shillong. A sizeable proportion of the population follow the original Khasi religion, Niam Khasi and Niamtre. Other religions found in India are also represented in significant numbers in the city.

Places of interest[link]

These are a number of location in and around Shillong which are tourist spots.^[4] These include:

Elephant Falls

Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians

• Elephant Falls : 12 km on the outskirts of the city, the mountain stream descends through two successive falls set in dells of fern covered rocks.

• Lady Hydari Park : A popular charming tourist draw, the adjacent mini zoo is an added attraction.

• Wards Lake : Known locally as Nan-Polok. Its an artificial lake with sprawling garden and some boating facility. Located right at the heart of Shillong

• Golf link : Shillong has one of the largest golf courses (the world's wettest) in Asia and the golf course is called Gleneagles of the East. It enjoys the rare distinction of being one of the few natural golf courses in Asia. Not only is the Shillong golf course scenic and enjoyable, it is also challenging. A group of British Civil Service officers introduced golf to Shillong in 1898 by constructing a nine hole course. The present 18 hole course was inaugurated in 1924. The course is set in an undulating valley covered with pine and rhododendron trees. The tight fairways, carpeted with a unique local grass which hardens the soil, are difficult to negotiate. The number of out-of-bounds streams that criss-cross every fairway makes it all the more trying. Obstructions come in the form of bunkers, trees and rain. The longest hole is the 6th, which is a gruelling 594 yards.

• Motphran : The “Stone of France” which is locally known as "Motphran" was erected in memory of the 26th Khasi Labour Corps who served under the British in France during World War I. It bears the words of the famous Latin poet Horace "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" which can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."

• Shillong Peak: An ideal picnic spot, 10 km. from the city, 1965 m above sea level, offers a panoramic view of the scenic country side, and is also the highest point in the State. Obeisance is paid to U Shulong at the sanctum sanctorum at the peak's summit every springtime, by the religious priest of Mylliem State. In the evening the city lights below appear like a star-studded abyss.

• Capt. Williamson Sangma State Museum: For those interested in ethnic tribal culture and tradition this Govt. Museum offers insights to the lifestyle of the people. This museum is in the State Central Library complex where monuments for the great patriots of the state had been erected besides the statue of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

• Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures: The Don Bosco Museum is part of DBCIC (Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures). DBCIC comprises Research on Cultures, Publications, Training, Animation Programmes and the Museum, which is a place of knowledge-sharing on the different cultures of the Northeast in particular, and of culture in general.DBCIC with its Don Bosco Museum is situated at Mawlai, Shillong. Since then it has been attracting visitors from the region, from all over India and from abroad.

• Entomological Museum (Butterfly Museum): A privately-owned museum of M/s Wankhar, Riatsamthiah, Shillong at a distance of about 2 km from Police Bazar is the only known museum in India devoted to moths and butterflies.

• Other Museums:
  • Air Force Museum at Upper Shillong
  • Forest Museum in Lady Hydari Park
  • Rhino Heritage Museum at Shillong
  • Zoological Museum in Risa Colony
  • Anthropological museum at Mawblei
  • Botanical Museum at 4th Furlong
  • Arunachal Museum at the Cantonment Area

• Chrysalis the Gallery: Chrysalis the Gallery (an ArtGallery) is situated on the 2nd floor of SalonsarMansion at Police Bazaar, the Commercial Hub of Shillong. Chrysalis has flexible spacing to display paintings (canvases), sculpture, photography and handicrafts. Run by a local artist, Jaya Kalra, the gallery caters to exhibitions of artists and artisans especially from the north east and also from the rest of India.

• State Museum : Located at the State Central Library complex, visitors can get a glimpse of the lifestyle and heritage of the people.

• Cathedral of Mary Help of Christian : It is located in Don Bosco Square, it attracts devotees and visitors alike.

• Bishop and Beadon Falls : Both cascade down the same escarpment into a deep valley, the mass of water dissolving into misty sparks.

• Spread Eagle Falls : 3 km from Polo Grounds, a soothing setting amidst the calmness of nature-a treat to the eyes.

• Sweet Falls : Situated near Happy Valley, most suitable for a day's outing and picnic. Explore it!

• Crinoline Falls : Near Lady Hydari Park, a cool spot within the city limits. This is a must visit place in Meghalaya.

Sports[link]

Although relatively unknown in the field of sports, Shillong recently got into the limelight because of Shillong Lajong FC, a football club based here which has taken the Indian football scene by storm in the recent Indian leagues. Shillong Golf Course is one of the oldest golf course of the country and is surrounded by scenic pine and rhododendron trees.

Locals are adept in archery. Shillong is also famous for its daily dose of archery gambling where people predict scores of an archery game played near Polo Ground, Shillong.

Binningstar Lyngkhoi, a lad from Shillong is a national marathon runner and represented India in the last 2010 Commonwealth Games. He is currently the fastest marathoner in India with a timing of 2:18 hours.

Education[link]

IIM Shillong's Entrance

Shillong is fast emerging as an educational hub for the entire North eastern region. Important educational institutes like the Northeastern Hill University (NEHU), Martin Luther Christian University,Indian Institute of Management, National Institute of Technology, Shillong, Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), ShillongNational Institute of Fashion Technology Shillong and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, English and Foreign Languages University,Shillong Campus, St. Edmund's College, St. Anthony's College, Shillong and several others College and Engineering Institution have been established here. St. Edmund's is a century old educational institute which has produced many eminent personalities in different spheres of life. UPES Deradun has come up with its sister university in UTM- The Lifestyle University which offers courses like MBA in Sports management and Fashion and Retail Management

Media[link]

Local media in Shillong is strong. There are a number of theatres, newspapers, magazines, local radio and television stations.

Print Media[link]

Quite a number of dailies are published for Shillong both in Khasi and English. Prominent English dailies published here include Shillong Times, Meghalaya Guardian, Mawphor Today,MeghalayaTimes. Khasi dailies like Mawphor, Nongsain Hima among others are published here.

Electronic Media[link]

The radio industry has expanded with a number of private and government owned FM channels being introduced. State-owned Doordarshan transmits terrestrial television channels. Apart from these few weekly news channels like PCN, Ri Khasi are broadcast weekly on the local cable networks. Currently, the only News broadcaster in English is Media Plus.

Communication Services[link]

Shillong has a well connected communication network. Fixed telephones lines are available. Internet services are available both wired and wireless broadband. It is also well covered in mobile networks with all major cellular providers like Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, IDEA, BSNL, Tata Indicom, available here.

Localities[link]

Shillong is divided geographically into a number of localities. These include

Eminent personalities associated with Shillong[link]

People who have been associated with Shillong include

• Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902),born as Narendranath Dutta, was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and is the founder of Ramakrishna Mission head quartered at Belur. He was primarily responsible for introducing Hindu philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga in the West and best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America”,in his opening remark at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago in 1893. The Swami delivered his last public lecture of his life in Shillong. The place of his last public lecture have been immortalised by erecting his statue at the very spot.(Also known as Quinton Memorial).
• Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate, poet, author, thinker, artist, playwright, considered a patriarch of Bengali society, often sojourned in the cool climes of Shillong; besides living in a summer residence called Mitali, (today in use as a temporary State Legislative Assembly on loan from the State Art and Culture Department). A writing desk and chair used by the Poet Laureate can still be seen (and used) in the Maharaja Suite of the Tripura Castle Heritage Hotel;
• John Shepherd-Barron, inventor of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was born in Shillong.
• Queenie Rynjah, Padmashree & educationist
• Victor Bannerjee, an actor is also a student of St. Edmund's School.
• Amita Malik, famous film critic.
• Nirad C. Chaudhuri has written extensively about Shillong in his book The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian.
• Dhruba Hazarika (1956–) former student of St. Edmunds College. Recipient of the Katha prize for story writing. Presently based in Guwahati. His first novel 'A Bowstring Winter' has been published by Penguin India in May 2006.
• Arthur Llewellyn Basham, noted historian of Indian culture. He died in Kolkata in 1986 and is buried in Shillong.
• Arundhati Roy, noted writer and Booker Prize winner was born in the KJP Synnod Hospital in Shillong.
• James Michael Lyngdoh I.A.S, a student of St Edmunds, retired as the Chief Election Commissioner of India. He is also the author of “ Chronicle Of An Impossible Election.”
• Pradyot Bikram Kishore Manikya, (b. 4 July 1977) is the current head of the Royal House of Tripura also has a summer Castle in Shillong and owns a Hotel called The Royal Heritage -Tripura Castle and the popular news and current affairs magazine The Northeast Today
• L. Rynjah, (b. 1950) I.A.S, born & brought up in Shillong. He was a prominent bureaucrat in Assam. he is now one of the Advisers to Planning Commission of India
• Edward Pritchard Gee, India's famous naturalist and author of the best seller The Wild Life of India spent his retired life in 'Evergreen cottage' in Upper Shillong. He left for England in 1968 and died soon after.
• Anwaruddin Choudhury, a prominent naturalist who is also known as the 'Birdman of Assam' was born and brought up in Shillong. He is the author of 19 books including The Birds of Assam.
• Rono Dutta, President of United Airlines did his schooling from St.Edmunds, Shillong.
• Anjum Hasan is a Bangalore based writer from Shillong and her debut novel Lunatic in my Head which is set in Shillong was launched on 7 Dec 2007. She has also written a book of verse titled Street on the Hill.
• Utpal Dutt, the prominent actor of Bengali and Hindi cinema, was born on 29 March 1929 in Shillong.^[5]
• Leela Majumdar, the writer, spent her childhood days at Shillong, where she studied at the Loreto.
• Shawn Lane the legendary guitarist and composer spent time jamming with the locales of Shillong^[6][7] in February, 2003. In a comment made later about Aizawl and Shillong, he said:

• Rose Millian Bathew(Kharbuli),(b 1931) was the first woman Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission. She is from Shillong and lives there now.
• Indira Goswami (Mamoni Goswami) spent her early days in Shillong and studied at Pine Mount School.
• Manas Chaudhuri, Padmashree awardee and former editor of Shillong Times. Presently a Member of the Legislative Assembly
• Arin Paul, Film Maker, spent his early days at Laitumkhrah, Shillong and was a product of St. Edmund's School, Shillong.
• Nirendra Dev, Author and Journalist. Studied in St Anthony's between 1982–1985. Penned books 'The Talking Guns: North East India'; Godhra-A Journey to Mayhem and 'Ayodhya-A Battle for Peace'.
• Internationally acclaimed choir group Shillong Chamber Choir is also from Shillong. They have performed in the World Choir Olympics and elsewhere in the world. Recently they won the talent show India's Got Talent 2010.^{[9][10][11][12]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shillong

• Shillong travel guide from Wikitravel
• Muslims in Shillong struggling to make their presence felt – TCN News
• Eastern Panorama – Oldest Magazine of North East India
• Meghalaya State Government Portal
• Shillong.com
• Shillong Online
• Resubelpara
• The Shillong Times – North East India Second Oldest English Daily
• Online news in Khasi

v t e State and Union Territory capitals of India Agartala Aizawl Bangalore Bhopal Bhubaneswar Chandigarh Chennai (Madras) Daman Dehradun New Delhi Dispur Gandhinagar Gangtok Hyderabad Imphal Itanagar Jaipur Jammu (in winter) Kavaratti Kohima Kolkata (Calcutta) Lucknow Mumbai (Bombay) Panaji (Panjim) Patna Puducherry (Pondicherry) Port Blair Raipur Ranchi Shillong Shimla Silvassa Srinagar (in summer) Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)

Boima Karpeh (born 16 June 1984), aka Jerry Karpeh, is a Liberian-Australian professional football (soccer) player currently playing for Persisam Putra Samarinda

Karpeh was the Football West State League top goal scorer in 2007 playing for Floreat Athena where he won the club's Fairest & Best Award.^[1] A-League club Perth Glory signed Karpeh during the 2007/2008 season playing seven games for the club.

Karpeh trialled with A-League club Newcastle Jets in September 2007 but a contract was not negotiated between Karpeh and the club.^[2][3]

A-League career statistics[link]

(Correct as of 8 March 2010)

Personal life[link]

Boima Karpeh is a brother to Kailo Karpeh who currently play soccer at Jubilee FC, and recently played for Australia Football West State League club Bayswater City SC to play in the Liberian Premier League.^[4]

Honours[link]

Club honors[link]

Perth SC

• Football West State League Premier Division (1): 2005

Floreat Athena

• Football West State League Premier Division (1): 2007

Churchill Brothers

• IFA Shield (1): 2011

Individual honors[link]

• Football West State League Premier Division Top Scorer (1): 2007

References[link]

• Perth Glory profile

This biographical article related to Australian football (soccer) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan in 2009
Born	Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan (1942-10-11) 11 October 1942 (age 69) Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
Residence	Prateeksha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actor, producer, singer, television presenter
Years active	1969–present
Spouse	Jaya Bhaduri (1973–present)
Children	Abhishek Bachchan Shweta Nanda
Website
bigb.bigadda.com

Amitabh Bachchan ([əmɪtaːbʱ bəttʃən] ( listen), born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades.^[1][2] Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.^[3][4][5]

Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards as Best Actor, and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 37 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s. He has received both the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan civilian awards from the Indian government.

Early life[link]

Bachban was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a Hindi poet, and his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh from Faisalabad (now in Pakistan).^[6] Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired from the famous phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet Sumitranandan Pant, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was Shrivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan (meaning child-like in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his family. Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.^[7]

Amitabh is the eldest of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage.^[8] He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream.^{[citation needed]} He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree.^{[citation needed]} In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta now known as Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Early work: 1969–1972[link]

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award winning film Bhuvan Shome. Thereafter he got his first acting role as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani, a film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Madhu and Jalal Agha. Though the film was not a financial success, Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer.^[9]

Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Bachchan's role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. He then played his first negative role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in Parwaana (1971). This was followed by several films including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film Bawarchi. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy Bombay to Goa, directed by S. Ramanathan. Many of his films during this early period did not do well, but that was about to change.^[10]

Rise to stardom: 1973–1983[link]

Director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film Zanjeer (1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema.^[2] He earned a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. Filmfare considers this one of the iconic performances of Bollywood history.^[10] The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together; not only in Zanjeer but in films such as Abhimaan which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film Namak Haraam, a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.^{[citation needed]}

In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playing a supporting role in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship. Bachchan then played the leading role in film Majboor, released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zigzag. The film was only a moderate success at the box office.^[11] In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy Chupke Chupke, the crime drama Faraar to the romantic drama Mili. 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film Deewaar, opposite Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4.^[12] Indiatimes Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.^[13] Released on 15 August 1975 was Sholay (meaning flames), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning INR 2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for inflation.^[14] Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like Deewar, has been cited by Indiatimes movies as amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.^[13] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

Bachchan starred in comedies such as Chupke Chupke (1975) and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and in films such as Kabhie Kabhie (1976). In 1976, he was once again cast by director Yash Chopra in his second film, Kabhi Kabhie, a romantic tale in which Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actress Rakhee Gulzar. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 1977, he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. In 1978 he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year.^[15] He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade as Amit and Shankar and Don playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also performed in Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. He was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director François Truffaut.^[16]

In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film Mr. Natwarlal in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar (1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film Dostana, in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. Dostana proved to be the top grossing film of 1980.^[17] In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include Ram Balram (1980), Shaan (1980), Lawaaris (1981), and Shakti (1982) which pitted him against legendary actor Dilip Kumar.^[18]

[edit] 1982 injury while filming Coolie

On 26 July 1982, while filming Coolie in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar.^[19] Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating.^[20] Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.^[21]

The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.^[20]

Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received and stated before every release, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").^[22]

Politics: 1984–87[link]

In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's seat of 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by one of the highest victory margins in general election history (68.2% of the vote).^[23] His political career, however, was short-lived: he resigned after three years, calling politics a cesspool. The resignation followed the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.^[24]

His old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member.^[25] Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.^[26]

A 15 year press ban against Bachchan was imposed during his peak acting years by Stardust and some of the other film magazines. In his own defense, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets until late 1989.^[27]

Slump and retirement: 1988–1992[link]

In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback.^[28] After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film, Hum, for which he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film Agneepath. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of Khuda Gawah in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films Insaniyat was released but was also a box office failure.^[29]

Producer and acting comeback 1996–99[link]

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company. Tere Mere Sapne failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.

In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film Mrityudata, produced by ABCL. Though Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the 1996 Miss World beauty pageant, Bangalore but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.^[30]

Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998),^[29] and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999)^[31] but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.

Return to prominence: 2000–present[link]

Bachchan at the IIFA Awards in 2006

In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. His role won him his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Baghban (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in Aks (2001), Aankhen (2002), Khakee (2004) and Dev (2004). One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an aging teacher of a deaf-blind girl and followed their relationship. His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor and fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award. Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the Godfather tribute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office.^[32][33] His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),^[34] Ekalavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.^[35]

In May 2007, two of his films Cheeni Kum and the multi-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala were released. Shootout at Lokhandwala did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while Cheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and only had average success.^[36] A remake of his biggest hit, Sholay (1975), entitled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception.^[36] The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since Black.^[37] Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film, Shantaram, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008.^[38] The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely.^[39] Vivek Sharma's Bhoothnath, in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008. Sarkar Raj, the sequel of the 2005 film Sarkar, released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box-office. Paa, which released at the end of 2009 was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchan's performance. It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through Kandahar, directed by Major Ravi and co-starring Mohanlal.^[40] The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814.^[41] Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.^[42]

Television career[link]

In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? entitled, Kaun Banega Crorepati. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. He has hosted all but one of the seasons of the show. Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005, when he fell ill. At that time he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine.^[43] During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including KBC.^[44] He has hosted all but one season of the show. Its success set the stage for his return to film popularity. In 2009 Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire in the first question of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? contest "Amitabh Bachchan" was the correct answer to the question "Who was the star of Zanjeer? Feroz Abbas Khan performed as Amitabh Bachchan in a scene in the movie while Anil Kapoor performed as the host of the contest. Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show Bigg Boss in 2009.^[45]

Voice[link]

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes.^{[citation needed]} Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in Shatranj Ke Khilari since he could not find a suitable role for him.^[46] In 2005, Bachchan has lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.^[47]

Controversies and criticism[link]

Barabanki land case[link]

In the runup to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007, Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His Samajwadi Party was routed, and Mayawati came to power.^{[citation needed]}

On 2 June 2007 a Faizabad court ruled that he had legally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers.^[48] It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer.^[49] On 19 July 2007, after the scandal broke out, Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Pune. He wrote to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune.^[50] However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.

On 12 October 2007, Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district.^[51] On 11 December 2007, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court gave a clean chit to Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".^[52][53]

After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.^[54]

Raj Thackeray's criticism[link]

Bachchan featured on an advert in shopping mall in India

In January 2008 at political rallies, Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, targeted Amitabh Bachchan, asserting that the actor was "more inclined" towards his native state than Maharashtra. He expressed his disapproval of Amitabh's inaugurating a girls' school named after his daughter-in-law, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, rather than in Maharashtra.^[55] According to media reports, Raj's censure of Amitabh, whom he admires, stemmed out of his disappointment of not being invited to Amitabh's son Abhishek's marriage to Aishwarya, despite invitations to his estranged uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.^[56][57]

Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land to build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here."^[58] Raj responded to it saying, "Jaya bachchan claims she does not know me then how come she knows how much property I own?". Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue. However, he apologized to Raj for controversial remarks from Jaya in some other incidence. "^[59]

Bal Thackeray refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him.^{[citation needed]} The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste.^{[citation needed]} It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."^[60]

On 23 March 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give."^[61] Later, on 28 March at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so.^[62] He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.^[63]

Awards, honours and recognitions[link]

Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards and other competitive awards which Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry.^{[citation needed]} In 1991, he became the first artist to receive the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984^[64] and the Padma Bhushan in 2001.^[65] France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, was conferred upon him by the French Government in 2007 for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond".^[66] In 2011, actor Dilip Kumar blogged that Black should have been nominated for an Oscar. Kumar added: "If any Indian actor, in my personal opinion, deserves the world's most coveted award, it is you."^[67]

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in a BBC Your Millenium online poll. The organisation noted that "Many people in the western world will not have heard of [him] ...[but it] is a reflection of the huge popularity of Indian films."^[68] In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema.^[69] Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.^[70]

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.^[71] Another statue was installed in New York ^[72] and Hong Kong in 2009.^[73]

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville.^[74] He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Jhansi, India, in 2004,^[75] the University of Delhi in 2006,^[76] the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, in 2006,^[77] the University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire, UK, in 2007,^[78] and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, in 2011.^[79]

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999,^[80] To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004,^[81] AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Tribute) in 2006 ^[82]/, Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006,^[83] Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar in 2006,^[84] Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me in 2007 ^[85] and Bachchanalia in 2009.^[86] Bachchan himself also wrote a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life.^[87] In the early 80s, Bachchan authorized the use of his likeness for the comic book character Supremo in a series titled The Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan.^[88]

Personal life[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2012)

Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. They have two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai.

Filmography[link]

Latest films[link]

Producer[link]

Playback singer[link]

Further reading[link]

• Mazumdar, Ranjani. Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.

References[link]