Amitabh Bachchan
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Amitabh Bachchan
Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan.jpg
Bachchan at Jalsa Bungalow in 2018
Born Amitabh Shrivastav[1]
11 October 1942 (age 80)
Allahabad, United Provinces, British India (present-day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Nationality Indian
Other names Angry Young Man
Shahenshah of Bollywood
Star of the Millennium
Big B
Education
Boys' High School & College, Allahabad
Sherwood College
Alma mater Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi (BS)[2][3][4]
Occupation
Actorproducersingertelevision presenter
Years active 1969–present
Organization Amitabh Bachchan Corporation
Works Full list
Political party Indian National Congress (1984–1987)[5][6]
Spouse Jaya Bhaduri (m. 1973)
Children
Abhishek Bachchan (son)
Shweta Bachchan Nanda (daughter)
Parents
Harivansh Rai Bachchan (father)
Teji Bachchan (mother)
Relatives
Ajitabh Bachchan (brother)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (daughter-in-law)
Family See Bachchan family
Awards Full List
Honours Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2019)
Padma Vibhushan (2015)
Legion of Honour (2007)
Padma Bhushan (2001)
Padma Shri (1984)
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
31 December 1984 – July 1987
Preceded by Janeshwar Mishra
Succeeded by V. P. Singh
Constituency Allahabad
Website Official blog
Signature
Amitabhbachchanji signature.svg
Amitabh Bachchan (pronounced [əmɪˈt̪ɑːbʱ ˈbətːʃən]; born as Amitabh Shrivastav;[1] 11 October 1942[7])
is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known
for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the
history of Indian cinema.[8] Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood (in reference to his 1988 film
Shahenshah), Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or
Big B.[9] During the 1970s–1980s, he was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene; the
French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry."[10]
Bachchan was born in 1942 in Allahabad to the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and his wife, the
social activist Teji Bachchan. He was educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mal College,
University of Delhi. His film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film Bhuvan Shome.
He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and achieved
greater stardom in later years, he was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Hindi
films. He has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades,[11]
He has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor,
Dadasaheb Phalke Award as lifetime achievement award and many awards at international film festivals
and award ceremonies. He has won sixteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any
major acting category at Filmfare, with 42 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has
worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the
game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's version of the game show franchise, Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s.
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and
the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him
with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the
world of cinema and beyond. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, Baz Luhrmann's
The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.
Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he acquired a large overseas following of the South Asian diaspora, as
well as others, in markets including Africa (South Africa, Eastern Africa and Mauritius), the Middle East
(especially UAE and Egypt), the United Kingdom, Russia, Central Asia, the Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname,
and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand), Canada and the United States.[12]
