Amitabh Bachchan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Amitabh Bachchan Bachchan in 2009 Born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan 11 October 1942 (age 71) Allahabad, United Provinces, British India Residence Prateeksha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Occupation Actor, producer, singer, television presenter Years active 1969–present Spouse(s) Jaya Bhaduri (1973–present) Children Abhishek Bachchan Shweta Nanda Parents Harivansh Rai Bachchan Teji Bachchan Signature Website srbachchan.tumblr Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan (IPA: [əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbəttʃən]; born 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 widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.[3][4][5] So total was his dominance of the movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director François Truffaut called him a one-man industry.[6][7] Bachchan has won many major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards as Best Actor (a record he shares with Kamal Hassan and Mammootty), a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 39 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. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001 for his contributions towards the arts. Bachchan made his Hollywood debut in 2013 with The Great Gatsby, in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.Contents [hide] 1 Early and personal life 2 Career 2.1 Early work: 1969–1972 2.2 Rise to stardom: 1973–1983 2.3 1982 injury while filming Coolie 2.4 Politics: 1984–87 2.5 Slump and retirement: 1988–1992 2.6 Producer and acting comeback 1996–99 2.7 Return to prominence: 2000–present 2.8 Television career 2.9 Voice 3 Awards, honours and recognitions 4 Filmography 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Early and personal life See also: Bachchan family Bachchan was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, in north central India. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a Hindi poet, and his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Punjabi Sikh from Faisalabad (now in Pakistan).[8] Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired from the phrase made famous during the Indian independence struggle, Inquilab Zindabad, which means long live revolution. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet Sumitranandan Pant, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, the light that will never die. 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. Bachchans father died in 2003 and his mother in 2007.[9] Amitabh has a younger brother, 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 Bachchans choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage.[10] Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. The couple have two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai. Career Early work: 1969–1972 Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sens National Award winning film Bhuvan Shome.[11] 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.[12][13] Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Bachchans role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garnered 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.[14] Rise to stardom: 1973–1983 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] Filmfare considers this one of the most iconic performances of Bollywood history.[14] The film was a huge success and one of the highest grossing films of that year, breaking Bachchans dry spell at the box office and making him a star.[15] From then onwards, Bachchan became one of the most successful leading men of the film industry. He earned his first Filmfare nomination for Best Actor for Zanjeer. 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 and was also successful at the box office. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram, once again along with Rajesh Khanna, 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. 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 and was the top earning film of 1974. Bachchan then played the leading role in film Majboor, released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zig Zag. The film was a success at the box office.[16] Two of his other releases that year viz. Kasauti and Benaam also made money making his success at the box office consistent. 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.[17] Indiatimes Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[18] Released on 15 August 1975 was Sholay, which became the highest grossing film of 1975 and also of all time in India, earning INR 2,364,500,000 equivalent to US$60 million, after adjusting for inflation.[19] in which 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.[18] 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 Raakhee. The film was notable for portraying Bachchan as a romantic hero, a far cry from his angry young man roles like Zanjeer and Deewar. The film evoked a favourable response from critics and audiences alike. Bachchan was again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role in the film. 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. The film was the highest grossing film of that year. His other successes that year include Parvarish, Khoon Pasina and Adalat.[20] He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade as Amit and Shankar and Don (1978 film) 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 gave towering performances in Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar both of which earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. In 1979, Bachchan starred in Suhaag which was the highest earning film of that year. In the same year he also enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success with films like Mr. Natwarlal, Kaala Patthar and The Great Gambler. Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the first time in a song from 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.[21] In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopras melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and Rekha. Other films of this period like Shaan (1980), Shakti (1982) which pitted him against actor Dilip Kumar were not successful at the box office but Ram Balram and Lawaaris were successful[22] 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.[23] 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.[24] 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 Bachchans accident, the film was a box office success and the top grossing film that year.[25] The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Bachchans accident. Bachchans 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 actors injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.[26] 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).[27] Politics: 1984–87 In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabads 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).[28] 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.[29] 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 Singhs political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member.[30] Bachchan has continued to do favours 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.[31] 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 defence, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets until late 1989.[32] Slump and retirement: 1988–1992 In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box office success.[33] 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. With the exception of the delayed release of Insaniyat (1994) which was also a box office failure, he did not appear in any new releases for five years.[34] Producer and acting comeback 1996–99 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.[citation needed] ABCLs strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the Indias 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.[citation needed] Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film produced by the company was Tere Mere Sapne, which failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran.[citation needed] ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.[citation needed] In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film Mrityudata, produced by ABCL. Though Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchans earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] 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 raise funds for his company.[35] Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998),[34] and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999)[36] but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures. Return to prominence: 2000–present Bachchan at the IIFA Awards in 2006 In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopras 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 Bhansalis Black (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an ageing 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 Naa Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office.[37][38] His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),[39] Ekalavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.[40] 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.[41] 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.[41] The year also marked Bachchans first appearance in an English-language film, Rituparno Ghoshs 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.[42] 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 writers strike, was pushed to September 2008.[43] The film is currently shelved indefinitely.[44] Vivek Sharmas 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 Abhisheks Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchans 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.[45] The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814.[46] Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.[47] In 2013 he made his Hollywood debut in The Great Gatsby playing the role of Meyer Wolfsheim opposite Leonardo Dicaprio and Tobey Maguire. Television career Amitabh Bachchan at KBC-5 Press Meet. In 2000, Bachchan hosted the first season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the Indian adaptation of the British television game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The show was well received.[48] A second season followed in 2005 but its run was cut short by STAR Plus when Bachchan fell ill in 2006.[49] In 2009, Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show Bigg Boss.[citation needed] In 2010, Bachchan hosted the fourth season of KBC.[50] The fifth season started on 15 August 2011 and ended on 17 November 2011. The show became a massive hit with audiences and broke many TRP Records. CNN IBN awarded Indian of the Year- Entertainment to Team KBC and Bachchan. The Show also grabbed all the major Awards for its category.[citation needed] The sixth season was also hosted by Bachchan, commencing on 7 September 2012, broadcast on Sony TV and received the highest number of viewers thus far.[51] Voice Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer, and presenter for numerous programmes.[52][53][54] Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchans voice that he decided to use Bachchan as the narrator in his 1977 Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players).[55] Bachchan lent his voice as a narrator to the movie Lagaan on 2001 which was a super hit.[56] In 2005, Bachchan lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.[57] Here is the list of other movies to which he lent his voice. Balika Badhu (1976 film) Jodhaa Akbar Tere Mere Sapne (1996 film) Parineeta (2005 film) Swami (2007 film) [58] Awards, honours and recognitions Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Amitabh Bachchan 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. 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[59] and the Padma Bhushan in 2001.[60] Frances 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.[61] 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 worlds most coveted award, it is you.[62] In 1999, Bachchan was voted the greatest star of stage or screen in a BBC Your Millennium 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.[63] 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 ci
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