Amitabh Bachchan

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 Mrityudaata, 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.[28]

Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998),[27] and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999)[29] but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.
Television career

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. Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005, and 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.[30]
Return to prominence: 2000–present

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.[31][32] His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),[33] Eklavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.[34]

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 was declared an overall average hit.[35] 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.[35] 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.[36] 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.[37] The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely.[38] 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. His latest movie was Paa, which released at the end of 2009. Paa 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.[39] The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814.[40] Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.[41]

Health

2005 hospitalisation

n November 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine.[42] This occurred after Bachchan complained of pains in his abdomen some days prior. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including the television show he was in the process of hosting, Kaun Banega Crorepati. Amitabh returned to work in March 2006.[43]
Voice

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in Shatranj Ke Khiladi since he could not find a suitable role for him.[44] In 2005, Bachchan has lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.[45]
Controversies and criticism
Barabanki land case

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.

On 2 June 2007 a Faizabad court ruled that he had legally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers.[46] It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer.[47] 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.[48] 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.[49] 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".[50][51]

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.[52]

Raj Thackeray's criticism

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.[53] 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.[54][55]

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."[56] 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. "[57]

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. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. 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."[58]

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."[59] 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.[60] He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.[61]
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 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. 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".

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the Greatest Star of stage or screen of the Millennium by BBC online poll where he defeated many Hollywood legends.[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 cinema.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.[65]

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's prestigious Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed at New York [67] and Hong Kong in 2009.
In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville.[69] He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the Jhansi University in 2004,[70] the Delhi University in 2006,[71] the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK in 2006,[72] the University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire in 2007.[73] Another an Honorary Doctorate was conferred by the Queensland University of Technology in Australia in 2009. But he turns down the honour as mark of protest to racial attacks on Indian students.[74]

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999,[75] To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004,[76] AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Tribute) in 2006 [77]/, Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006,[78] Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar in 2006,[79] Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me in 2007 [80] and Bachchanalia in 2009.[81] Bachchan himself has also written a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life.[82]
Personal life
See also: Bachchan family

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.

Amitabh Bachchan needs no introduction in India or even abroad. The man seems to hold in him a charisma that remains unrivalled. An entrepreneur, politician, game show host, a singer, voiceover artist, and an actor - the roles he played are immortalized and idolized. A huge fan base that reveres him as though he is a demi-god and a multitude of awards and recognition gravitates to him endlessly, year after year after year. But his ride to stardom was anything but smooth.

The Big Bang!
Born under the Libran sun sign, Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his birthday on 11 October. He was born in 1942 in Allahabad, as Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav to Dr.Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. His father was a well known poet. Bachchan was his pen name. When Amitabh entered the film industry he replaced Srivastav with Bachchan. He was initially christened Inquilab but this was later changed to Amitabh that means ‘limitless lustre’, which is so apt. Ajitabh is his younger brother.

Bachchan studied in Allahabad at Jnana Pramodhini and Boys High School. He also put in a few years at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College. He holds a double degree in M.A.

He worked as a freight broker with Bird & Co, a shipping firm based in Kolkata which he quit to pursue acting, which paid off.

He married his co-star Jaya Bhaduri of the Guddi fame on 3 June 1973 and they have two children, Shweta and Abhishek. The latter is also an actor, married to Aishwarya Rai.

Making it Big. And how!
Bachchan’s unconventional looks – dark, lean, and standing tall at 6’2” - worked against him when it came to acting roles. But his deep voice, a trademark, held him in good stead with offers to work on narration and background commentary.

1969 to 1979

In 1969, Bachchan made his debut with Saat Hindustani, which won him the National Film Award for Best Newcomer. After this came movies like Reshma Aur Shera, Parwana, and Anand in 1971. He made a huge impact with his performance in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand alongside Rajesh Khanna as a despondent doctor, winning the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. In 1972, he appeared in movies like Sanjog, Bansi Birju, Ek Nazar, and also narrated Bawarchi.

His identity as the ‘angry young man’ took off in 1973 when he starred in movies like Zanjeer, Abhimaan, and Namak Haraam. Vijay went on to become a regular onscreen name. In Zanjeer, he played an honest cop implicated by false charges and thirsting for revenge. In Abhimaan, he was a struggling singer while his wife, played by Jaya Bhaduri, makes it big firing up his insecurities. He came together with Rajesh Khanna again in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Namak Haraam, which won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

In 1974 he made brief appearances in Kunwara Baap and Dost. Roti Kapda Aur Makhaan raked in a lot of moolah. He played the lead in Majboor, a dying man who gets a new lease of life and a prison sentence to get out of. In 1975, his movies like the comedy Chupke Chupke with Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bacchan, and the romantic drama Mili with Jaya and Ashok Kumar did well. However it was Deewar and Sholay that made a lasting impact on Bollywood. His performance in Deewar was intense while Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay was not only a big earner but is one of BBC’s Top 25 Must See Bollywood Movies.

In the 1976 film Kabhie Kabhie, he plays the role of a lovelorn poet Amit. Amar Akbar Anthony, released in 1977, showed Bachchan as the endearing Anthony Gonsalves, winning him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. A string of hits marked 1978 with the release of Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Don, and Muqaddar Ka Sikander. It was Don that won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award out of the three movies for which he was nominated. In 1979, he starred in Mr.Natwarlal and also tried his hand for the first time in playback singing in this movie with the song Mere Paas Aao.

1980 to 1990

The early eighties saw the release of Dostana, Shaan, Laawaris (popular for the song Mere Angene Mein, Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai that AB sang), Silsila with Jaya Bhaduri and his rumoured lover Rekha. He played a double role in Satte Pe Satta and Namak Halaal. These movies enjoyed large scale popularity as did Bachchan. This was evident when he met with a fatal injury during the making of his 1982 movie, Coolie. Practically the entire nation prayed for his recovery which came after a year when he completed the movie and it was released with a change in script so that his character Iqbal, who was supposed to die, survives. In 1984, his role as Vicky Kapoor, an alcoholic in Sharaabi was also well-received.

Bollywood started taking a backseat post 1984 due to his illness. This made him look towards politics. It was well known that Bachchan enjoyed a close association with the Gandhi family having grown up with Rajiv Gandhi. He won the Allahabad’s Lok Sabha seat with a high margin of 68%. His stint in politics was marred when he was accused in the Bofors scandal and was later proved innocent. He later deflected to friend Amar Singh’s Samajwadi Party.
He ventured back into Bollywood with Shahenshah in 1988 and Toofan in 1989. Agneepath, released in 1990, won him a National Film Award for Best Actor.

1991 to 1999

Hum in 1991 did well. His much hyped last movie before retirement was Khuda Gawah with Sridevi, in 1992. Bachchan went on to start Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd that was to produce and distribute movies and music. Tere Mere Sapne, which was its first production, was an average performer while its later productions all failed dismally like Mrityudaatha which starred Bachchan. The company collapsed and Bachchan reverted back to acting but without much success in movies like Major Saab, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, and Sooryavansham. ABCL also released his album Aby Baby that was popular for the number ‘Eer Bir Phatte’.

2000-2008

The year 2000 salvaged his situation and he went on to reclaim his superstar status. In Mohabattein, he starred with King Khan, as the dogmatic Narayan Shankar and won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

He also hosted Kaun Banega Crorepathi, the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, that is known to be one of the most popular television shows in Indian television history. This was at a time when most movie stars saw television as a step back in their career but Bachchan changed that perception.

In 2001, he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for Aks and was nominated for Filmfare Best Supporting Actor for his role as Yashchand Raichand in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Kaante (2002) was the remake of Reservoir Dogs. This was followed by Boom, Baghban, Khakee, Aetbaar, Rudraksh, and Lakshya.

And if anyone thought he was riding on his early success, he removed all doubts of that with his widely acclaimed portrayal of Debraj Sahai in Black (2005) that received international recognition and plenty of awards. The role won him the National Award for Best Actor, Filmfare Best Actor Award, and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. The same year in the comedy Bunty Aur Babli, he starred with his son Abhishek for the first time and followed it up with Sarkar as Subash Nagre, a ‘godfather’ of sorts.

In 2006, he played Sexy Sam, in another Karan Johar’s mega-starrer, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. Ram Gopal Verma’s Nishabdh that was out in 2007 saw him enamoured with his daughter’s friend Jia. Cheeni Kum had him romancing a much younger woman played by Tabu. The Last Lear in which he brought to life the veteran theater actor Harish Mishra was appreciated.

His fans saw him in different avatars in 2008, with Bhoothnath where he was a ghost; the sequel Sarkar Raj, that starred his son Abhishek and bahu Aishwarya Rai; God Tussi Great Ho where he was God himself.

2009
He had a fleeting appearance in Delhi 6 in the first part of 2009. He played Genius the Genie in Aladin. The movie was an average success. He proved why he was a superstar yet again with his performance in Paa. He was seen as Auro, a thirteen year old child afflicted by Progeria which causes him to age rapidly. His son, Abhishek, played his father in this movie.

His might grows
Bachchan will be seen in three movies in 2010. In Teen Patti, he will be seen as a mathematician. Rann is about journalism. Shoebite will see him with Sarika and Dia Mirza. He will also be seen in Shantaram which is currently on hold.

 Amitabh Bachan Top 10 Movies

Sholay Movie