Putting the Big ‘B’ in Bollywood

Born on 11th October 1942

Amitabh Bachchan is probably the only actor that people in other countries think of when they imagine the exotic world of Bollywood. He is also the only actor through which the younger generations of this age can get a cultural understanding of their father’s era. This is because the powerhouse actor that is Amitabh Bachchan continues to act in a galore of films even today.

Apart from a huge filmography and a number of accolades, his personality, determination, willpower and grit has made him immortal in the film industry. Hailing from a well-known family, born to the famous poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan, his career would begin with a soul-crushing failure. Initially, Amitabh Bachchan wanted to work for the radio station but he was rejected because of his deep baritone voice of all things imaginable.

He quickly shrugged off his failure and tried his luck in films, even here he went through the toughest of times before the industry could understand his true potential. Many filmmakers weren’t ready to cast the tall, gaunt and dark man as he went against the customary traditional male appearance. He could not match up to the industry's obsession with fairness and delivered 13 flops which includes films like Birju and Parwana.

It was only during the 1970s that the “Angry Young Man” of Bollywood got his due recognition in films like Don, Deewar, Sholay and Coolie. His cultural imprint on the fabric of Indian society is so prominent that there have been numerous studies that dissect his roles. These critiques point out that Bachchan portrayed in his films the reflection of the frustrated and angry youth of that era who were in the midst of the rubble that was developing in India without proper employment or rights. These sentiments have been brilliantly portrayed in his path-breaking film – Coolie.

Big B was always known for his professional and punctual attitude on set. He valued his fame and did not let success get the better of him. In an era of Bollywood where Rajesh Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and other contemporaries would be hours late to the set because of their late-night parties and frivolities, Amitabh Bachchan would turn up even before his co-actors. He worshipped his work.

His career went through yet another period of hardship when he almost went bankrupt because of the losses incurred by his production house. He was about to sell his beloved house "Jalsa". Engulfed by all odds, he begged Yash Chopra for an iconic role in Mohabbatein after which the then 57-year-old actor again rose to deliver smash hits like Paa, Pink, and Piku.

He is the first Asian actor to get his wax statue at Madame Tussauds, London.

Amitabh Bachchan's success is omnipresent in the industry's history, more than the numerous awards which include Padma Bhushan, he has left a cultural footprint in the hearts of many. Even with such great achievements, he is the most humble, grounded and professional person who does not have an iota of the arrogant aura that most contemporary actors have. There is a reason why Amitabh Bachchan is the Shahenshah of our hearts.

This was story was first published on This Day.app.