Amitabh Bachchan Biography – an Indian Actor and the Shahenshah of Bollywood

Quick Info→
Real Name:	Amitabh Shrivastav
Profession:	Indian actor
Birthplace:	Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
Spouse:	Jaya Bhaduri
Age:	80

Amitabh Bachchan (Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician, who works in Hindi cinema. In a film career spanning over five decades, he has starred in more than 200 films. Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi Ke Mahanayak (Hindi for, “Greatest actor of the century”), Star of the Millennium, or Big B. His dominance in the Indian movie scene during the 1970s–1980s made the French director François Truffaut call it a “one-man industry”.

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, dubbed India’s “angry young man” for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top-grossing Indian films with critical acclaim from the mid-1970s to the 80s, such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Trishul, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Kaala Patthar, Kaalia, Naseeb, Namak Halaal, Coolie, Sharaabi and Mard, as well as some of his most acclaimed performances, include Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Mili, Silsala, Dostana, Shakti, Shahenshah and Agneepath. After taking a break from acting in the 1990s, his resurgence was marked in 2000 with Mohabbatein. Since then he starred in several successful and acclaimed films such as Aankhen, Baghban, Black, Sarkar, Paa, Bhoothnath and Piku; for which he won his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor, making him the only actor to do so. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character.

He has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor 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 34 nominations for Best Actor and 42 nominations overall. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 and India’s highest award in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond.

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. Bachchan has also been involved in several humanitarian works and he is a leading brand endorser in India. 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.

Amitabh Bachchan Biography
Born	Amitabh Srivastava 11 October 1942 (age 80) Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
Nationality	Indian
Education	Boys’ High School & College Sherwood College
Alma mater	Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi (BS)
Occupations	Actor producer singer television presenter
Years active	1969–present
Organization	Amitabh Bachchan Corporation
Works	Full list
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Spouse	Jaya Bhaduri (m. 1973)​
Children	Shweta Abhishek
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
Personal details
Political party	Indian National Congress (1984–1987)
Website	Official blog
Signature

Early life and family (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad to the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and social activist Teji Bachchan. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an Awadhi Hindu Kayastha, who was fluent in Awadhi, Hindi and Urdu. Harivansh’s ancestors came from a village called Babupatti, in the Raniganj tehsil, in the Pratapgarh district, in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, in India. Teji Bachchan was a Punjabi Sikh Khatri from Lyallpur, Punjab, British India (present-day Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan). Bachchan has a younger brother, Ajitabh, he is 5 years younger than him.

Bachchan’s parents were initially going to name him Inquilaab (Hindustani for “Revolution”), inspired by the phrase Inquilab Zindabad (which translates into English as “Long live the revolution”) popularly used during the Indian independence struggle; the name Amitabh was suggested to his father by poet Sumitranandan Pant. Although his surname was Shrivastava, Amitabh’s father, who opposed the caste system, had adopted the pen name Bachchan (“child-like” in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all of his works. When his father was looking to get him admitted to a school, he and Bachchan’s mother decided the family’s name should be Bachchan instead of Shrivastava. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films and used for all other practical purposes, Bachchan has become the surname for all of his immediate family. Bachchan’s father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.

Bachchan’s secondary education was at Boys’ High School & College in Allahabad and Sherwood College in Nainital. He attended Kirori Mal College at the University of Delhi in Delhi. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Kirori Mal College in 1962. When Bachchan finished his studies his father approached Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder of Prithvi Theatre and patriarch of the Kapoor acting family, to see if there was an opening for him, but Kapoor offered no encouragement. Bachchan was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi before he became an actor. He used to spend time with them when he was a resident of New Delhi. Bachchan’s family were very close to the Nehru-Gandhi family of politicians. When Sonia Gandhi first came to India from Italy before her marriage, Bachchan received her at the Palam International Airport on 13 January 1968. She spent 48 days at Bachchan’s house with his parents before her marriage to Rajiv.

Bachchan applied for a role as a newsreader for All India Radio, Delhi but “failed the audition”. He became a business executive for Bird & Company in Kolkata (Calcutta) and worked in the theatre before starting his film career. It is thought that his mother might have had some influence on Amitabh Bachchan’s choice of career because she always insisted that he should “take centre stage”.

Acting career (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Early career (1969–1972)

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome. His first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the film Saat Hindustani, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali (brother of comedian Mehmood), Madhu and Jalal Agha.

Rise to stardom (1973–1974)

Bachchan was struggling, seen as a “failed newcomer” who, by the age of 30, had twelve flops and only two hits (as a lead in Bombay to Goa and a supporting role in Anand). He was offered a dual role movie by the director O.P Goyle, and writer O.P Ralhan for the film Bandhe Hath in 1973. This was Bachchan’s first movie where he played a double role. Bachchan was soon discovered by the screenwriter duo Salim–Javed, consisting of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Salim Khan wrote the story, screenplay and script of Zanjeer (1973), and conceived the “angry young man” persona of the lead role. Javed Akhtar came on board as co-writer, and Prakash Mehra, who saw the script as potentially groundbreaking, as the film’s director. However, they were struggling to find an actor for the lead “angry young man” role; it was turned down by a number of actors, owing to it going against the “romantic hero” image dominant in the industry at the time. Salim-Javed soon discovered Bachchan and “saw his talent, which most makers didn’t. He was exceptional, a genius actor who was in films that weren’t good.” According to Salim Khan, they “strongly felt that Amitabh was the ideal casting for Zanjeer“. Salim Khan introduced Bachchan to Prakash Mehra, and Salim-Javed insisted that Bachchan be cast for the role.

The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together: not only Zanjeer but also subsequent films such as Abhimaan, which 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 Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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 the film Majboor. The film was a success at the box office.

Superstardom (1975–1988)

In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres, from the comedy Chupke Chupke and the crime drama Faraar to the romantic drama Mili. This was also the year in which Bachchan starred in two films regarded as important in Hindi cinema history, both written by Salim-Javed, who again insisted on casting Bachchan. The first was Deewaar, directed by Yash Chopra, where he worked with Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Singh, and earned another Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number four. Indiatimes Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must-See Bollywood Films. The other, released on 15 August 1975, was Sholay, which became the highest-grossing film ever in India at the time, in which Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. Deewaar and Sholay are often credited with exalting Bachchan to the heights of superstardom, two years after he became a star with Zanjeer, and consolidating his domination of the industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1999, BBC India declared Sholay the “Film of the Millennium” and, like Deewaar, it has been cited by Indiatimes Movies as among the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded it with the special distinction award called the Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

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, The Great Gambler and Manzil. Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the first time in a song from the film Mr. Natwarlal in which he starred with Rekha. Bachchan’s performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. He also received the Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar 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. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra’s melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and also Rekha. Other successful films of this period include Shaan (1980), Ram Balram (1980), Naseeb (1981), Lawaaris (1981), Kaalia (1981), Yaarana (1981), Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981) and Shakti (1982), also starring Dilip Kumar.

In 1982, he played double roles in the musical Satte Pe Satta and action drama Desh Premee which succeeded at the box office along with mega hits like action comedy Namak Halaal, action drama Khud-Daar and the critically acclaimed drama Bemisal. In 1983, he played a triple role in Mahaan which was not as successful as his previous films. Other releases during that year included Nastik and Pukar which were hits and Andha Kanoon (in which he had an extended guest appearance) was a blockbuster. During a stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, his completed films Mard (1985) and Aakhree Raasta (1986) were released and were major hits. Bachchan had played a role in a special appearance for the movie Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara in the year 1987 and he sang a playback song with Kishore Kumar in this movie.

Coolie incident (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

On 26 July 1982, while filming a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar for Coolie, Bachchan had a near-fatal intestinal injury. 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 the hospital for many months, at times close to death. There were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating; the public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him. Nevertheless, he resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie: Bachchan’s character was originally intended to have been killed off; but, after the change of script, the character lived in the end. Desai felt it would have been inappropriate for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. The footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking it as the instant of the actor’s injury. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan’s accident, the film was a box office success and the top-grossing film of that year.

Health issues (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

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 stating before every release, “Yeh film to flop hogi!” (“This film will flop”).

Career fluctuations and sabbatical (1988–1992)

After a three-year stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, Bachchan returned to films in 1988, playing the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box-office success. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power b began to wane as all of his subsequent films like Jaadugar, Toofan and Main Azaad Hoon (all released in 1989) failed at the box office. He gained success during this period with the crime drama Aaj Ka Arjun (1990) and action crime drama Hum (1991), for which he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, but this momentum was short-lived and his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this era that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 cult film Agneepath. These years would see his last on-screen appearances for some time. After the release of the critically acclaimed epic 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, Bachchan did not appear in any new releases for five years.

Business ventures and acting comeback (1996–1999)

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (ABCL) in 1996. ABCL’s strategy was to introduce products and services covering an entire cross-section of India’s entertainment industry. ABCL’s operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, and celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film it produced was Tere Mere Sapne, which was a moderate success and launched the careers of actors like Arshad Warsi and southern film star Simran.

Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career, and eventually had commercial success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) and Major Saab (1998), and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999), but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.

Return to prominence (2000–present)

In 2000, Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra’s box-office hit, Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, elder figure who rivalled the character of Shah Rukh Khan. His role won him his third Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. 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), Kaante (2002), Khakee (2004) and Dev (2004). His performance in Aks won him his first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s 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, his fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award and his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. 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 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. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006), Ekalavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.

In 2016, he appeared in the women-centric courtroom drama film Pink which was highly praised by critics and with an increasingly good word of mouth, was a resounding success at the domestic and overseas box office. Bachchan’s performance in the film received acclaim. According to Raja Sen of Rediff.com, “Amitabh Bachchan, a retired lawyer with bipolar disorder, takes up cudgels on behalf of the girls, delivering courtroom blows with pugilistic grace. As we know from Prakash Mehra movies, in each life Bachchan must fall. The girls hang on to him with incredulous desperation, and he bats for them with all he has. At one point Meenal hangs by Bachchan’s elbow, words entirely unnecessary. Bachchan towers through Pink – the way he bellows “et cetera” is alone worth having the heavy-hitter at play—but there are softer moments like one where he appears to have dozed off in court, or where he lays his head by his convalescent wife’s bedside and needs his hair ruffled and his conviction validated.” Writing for Hindustan Times, noted film critic and author Anupama Chopra said of Bachchan’s performance, “A special salute to Amitabh Bachchan, who imbues his character with a tragic majesty. Bachchan towers in every sense, but without a hint of showboating. Meena Iyer of The Times of India wrote, “The performances are pitch-perfect with Bachchan leading the way. Writing for NDTV, Troy Ribeiro of Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) stated, ‘Amitabh Bachchan as Deepak Sehgal, the aged defence lawyer, shines as always, in a restrained, but powerful performance. His histrionics come primarily in the form of his well-modulated baritone, conveying his emotions and of course, from the well-written lines.’ Mike McCahill of The Guardian remarked, “Among an electric ensemble, Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang give unwavering voice to the girls’ struggles; Amitabh Bachchan brings his moral authority to bear as their sole legal ally.

In 2017, he appeared in the third instalment of the Sarkar film series: Ram Gopal Varma‘s Sarkar 3. That year, he started filming for the swashbuckling action-adventure film Thugs Of Hindostan with Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh which was released in November 2018. He co-starred with Rishi Kapoor in 102 Not Out, a comedy-drama film directed by Umesh Shukla based on a Gujarati play of the same name written by Saumya Joshi. This film was released in May 2018 and reunited him with Kapoor onscreen after a gap of twenty-seven years.

In 2019, he played the role of Badal Gupta in Sujoy Ghosh‘s Badla. Later that year, he made his Telugu debut in Surender Reddy’s Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy as Gosayi Venkanna. He did Gulabo Sitabo in 2020 for which he received Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actor. In 2021, he appeared in Rumy Jaffery’s mystery thriller Chehre along with Emraan Hashmi. In 2022, he did 5 films: Jhund, Runway 34, Brahmāstra: Part One–Shiva, Goodbye and Uunchai.

Now he is all set to appear in Nag Ashwin’s Project K.

Other work (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Television appearances

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. A second season followed in 2005 but its run was cut short by Star Plus when Bachchan fell ill in 2006.

In 2009, Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show Bigg Boss.

In 2010, Bachchan hosted the fourth season of KBC. 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.

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.

In 2014, he debuted in the fictional Sony Entertainment Television TV series titled Yudh playing the lead role of a businessman battling both his personal and professional life.

Voice-acting (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer, and a presenter for numerous programmes. Some prominent films featuring his narration are Satyajit Ray‘s 1977 film Shatranj Ke Khiladi. and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s 2001 film Lagaan.

He also has done voice-over work for the following movies:

• Bhuvan Shome (1969)
• Bawarchi (1972)
• Balika Badhu (1975)
• Tere Mere Sapne (1996)
• Hello Brother (1999)
• Lagaan (2001)
• Fun2shh… Dudes in the 10th Century (2003)
• Parineeta (2005)
• March of the Penguins (2005), the Indian version
• Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
• Swami (2007)
• Zor Lagaa Ke…Haiya! (2009)
• Ra.One (2011)
• Kahaani (2012)
• Krrish 3 (2013)
• Mahabharat (2013)
• Kochadaiiyaan (Hindi Version) (2014)
• CBI documentary (2014) – sanctioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation
• The Ghazi Attack (2017)
• Firangi (2017)

Business investments (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Around 1994, Bachchan started Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), an event management, production and distribution company. But the company led into debt with a fiasco and went into bankruptcy, subsequently Bachchan became nearly bankrupt. The reasons for this debacle were flop films such as Mrityudata, Major Saab (produced by this organisation), and Miss World 1996 which were organised-managed by ABCL. Due to this he began work for TV and asked for work for Yash Chopra. Once he told that, ‘it was the darkest time for him’.

He has invested in many upcoming business ventures. In 2013, he bought a 10% stake in Just Dial from which he made a gain of 4600 per cent. He holds a 3.4% equity in Stampede Capital, a financial technology firm specialising in cloud computing for financial markets. The Bachchan family also bought shares worth $252,000 in Meridian Tech, a consulting company in the U.S. Recently they made their first overseas investment in Ziddu.com, a cloud-based content distribution platform. Bachchan was named in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, which leaked confidential documents relating to offshore investment.

Political career (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of a long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad’s seat for the 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. With 68.2% of the votes in his favour, he won by one of the highest victory margins ever in Indian elections. In 1987, Indian Express said his brother Ajitabh Bachchan owned an apartment in Switzerland, giving rise to speculations about his involvement in the “Bofors scandal”, revealed the year before. Bachchan resigned from his seat in July 1987. Ajitabh Bachchan sued Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter for linking him to Bofors payments in 1990 and won damages in the United Kingdom. Sten Lindstrom, the Swedish police chief who had investigated the case, said in 2012 that “Indian investigators planted the Bachchan angle on” Dagens Nyheter.

Bachchan’s old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during the financial crisis caused by the failure of his company, ABCL. Thereafter Bachchan started supporting the Samajwadi Party, the political party to which Amar Singh belonged. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and represented the party as an MP in the Rajya Sabha. Bachchan appeared in advertisements and political campaigns for the party. His claim that he too was a farmer in the advertisements was questioned in court.

Bachchan has claimed to have been banned by the film press during the emergency years for his family’s friendship with Indira Gandhi.

Bachchan has been accused of using the slogan “blood for blood” in the context of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Bachchan has denied the allegation. In October 2014, Bachchan was summoned by a court in Los Angeles for “allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh community”. Bachchan in an interview with journalist Arnab Goswami offered to fight the case in court and asked the accusers to file the same as also present proof. He was also one of the trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

Humanitarian and social causes

Bachchan has been involved with many social causes. For example, he donated ₹1.1 million to clear the debts of nearly 40 beleaguered farmers in Andhra Pradesh and ₹3 million to clear the debts of some 100 Vidarbha farmers. In 2010, he donated ₹1.1 million to Resul Pookutty’s foundation for a medical centre in Kochi, and he has given ₹250,000 ($4,678) to the family of Delhi policeman Subhash Chand Tomar who died after succumbing to injuries during a protest against gang-rape after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. He founded the Harivansh Rai Bachchan Memorial Trust, named after his father, in 2013. This trust, in association with Urja Foundation, will be powering 3,000 homes in India with electricity through solar energy. In June 2019 he cleared the debts of 2100 farmers from Bihar.

In 2020, Bachchan was helping the Government of India promote its public health message concerning COVID-19 before he and some members of his family became infected. He was hospitalised with reported mild symptoms of the disease on 11 July. He was discharged from the hospital on 2 August. During the pandemic, he lent his support by donating Oxygen concentrators and 25 cr rupees in various forms.

Personal life (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Bachchan has been married to veteran actress and politician Jaya Bhaduri since 3 June 1973, when he was 30 years old, and together they have two children; Abhishek, an actor, and Shweta, an author, journalist and former model. Abhishek married actress Aishwarya Rai, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya. Shweta is married to businessman Nikhil Nanda who is a part of the Kapoor family of actors. They have a daughter, Navya Naveli, and a son, Agastya. Amitabh’s family lives in Mumbai in Maharashtra. His younger brother Ajitabh Bachchan is a businessman. He did business and lived in London for a brief period of time. Presently he is living in India. He and his family choose to stay away from the limelight. His wife Ramola is a fashion designer and was active in the business. Ajitabh has one son, Bhim, and three daughters Naina, Namrata and Nilima. Naina Bachchan is married to actor Kunal Kapoor.

Bachchan was famously rumoured to have had an extramarital affair with actress Rekha in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s after they first acted together in Do Anjaane, and later in many successful films like Khoon Pasina, Ganga Ki Saugandh, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, Ram Balram and ending in Silsila, though they have both denied it.

Filmography (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Films

Key

†	Denotes films that have not yet been released

Acting roles

Year	Film	Role(s)	Notes
1969	Saat Hindustani	Anwar Ali	National Film Award for Best Newcomer
	Bhuvan Shome	–	Narrator
1971	Anand	Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee (Babu Moshai)	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Pyar Ki Kahani	Ram
	Parwana	Kumar Sen
	Reshma Aur Shera	Chhotu
	Guddi	Himself	Cameo
	Piya Ka Ghar	Himself	Cameo
	Sanjog	Mohan
1972	Bombay to Goa	Ravi Kumar
	Bawarchi	Narrator
	Bansi Birju	Birju
	Ek Nazar	Manmohan Tyagi “Akash”
	Raaste Kaa Patthar	Jai Shankar Rai
	Garam Masala	Robert Taylor	Uncredited
	Jaban	Dalaljit	Special appearance
1973	Zanjeer	Inspector Vijay Khanna	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Bandhe Hath	Shyamu / Deepak (Double Role)
	Gehri Chaal	Ratan
	Namak Haraam	Vikram “Vicky” Maharaj	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Abhimaan	Subir Kumar
	Saudagar	Motallam “Moti”
	Bada Kabutar		Guest appearance
1974	Dost	Anand	Guest appearance
	Kasauti	Amitabh “Amit” Sharma
	Benaam	Amitabh “Amit” Shrivastav
	Roti Kapda Aur Makaan	Vijay
	Kunwara Baap	Anthony	Guest appearance
	Majboor	Ravi Khanna
1975	Deewaar	Vijay Verma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Zameer	Baadal
	Sholay	Jai (Jaidev)
	Faraar	Rajesh “Raj”
	Chhoti Si Baat	Guest Appearance
	Chupke Chupke	Sukumar Sinha / Parimal Tripathi
	Mili	Shekhar Dayal
1976	Do Anjaane	Amit Roy / Naresh Dutt
	Kabhi Kabhie	Amitabh Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Hera Pheri	Vijay / Inspector Heerachand
	Adalat	Thakur Dharamchand “Dharma” / Raju (Double Role)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Balika Badhu	Voice-over
1977	Charandas	Qawwali singer	Guest appearance
	Amar Akbar Anthony	Anthony Gonzalves	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Immaan Dharam	Ahmed Raza
	Khoon Pasina	Shiva / Tiger
	Parvarish	Amit
	Chala Murari Hero Banne	Himself	Guest appearance
	Alaap	Alok Prasad
1978	Ganga Ki Saugandh	Jeeva
	Kasme Vaade	Amit / Shankar
	Besharam	Ram Kumar Chandra/Prince Chandrashekar
	Trishul	Vijay Kumar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Don	Don / Vijay	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Muqaddar Ka Sikandar	Sikandar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1979	The Great Gambler	Jay / Inspector Vijay	Also singer for “Do Lafzon Ki”
	Gol Maal	Himself	Cameo
	Ahsaas	Himself	Cameo
	Jurmana	Inder Saxena
	Manzil	Ajay Chandra
	Mr. Natwarlal	Natwarlal / Avtar Singh	Also singer for “Mere Pas Aao” Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Kaala Patthar	Vijay Pal Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Suhaag	Amit Kapoor
	Cinema Cinema	Himself
1980	Do Aur Do Paanch	Vijay/Ram
	Dostana	Vijay Varma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Ram Balram	Balram Singh
	Shaan	Vijay Kumar
1981	Commander	Truck driver	Guest appearance
	Yaarana	Kishan Kumar
	Barsaat Ki Ek Raat	ACP Abhijeet Rai
	Anusandhan	ACP Abhijeet Rai	Bengali film
	Naseeb	John Jani Janardan	Also playback singer for “Chal mere bhai”
	Chashme Buddoor	Himself	Cameo
	Lawaaris	Heera	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for song “Mere Angene Mein”
	Silsila	Amit Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for: “Neela Aasman” & “Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali”
	Kaalia	Kallu / Kaalia
1982	Satte Pe Satta	Ravi Anand / Babu
	Bemisal	Dr. Sudhir Roy / Adhir Roy	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Desh Premee	Master Dinanath / Raju
	Namak Halaal	Arjun Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Khud-Daar	Govind Srivastava / Chhotu Ustaad
	Shakti	Vijay Kumar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1983	Nastik	Shankar
	Andha Kanoon	Jan Nissar Akhtar Khan	Special appearanceNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Mahaan	Rana Ranveer / Guru / Inspector Shankar
	Pukar	Ramdas	Also playback singer for “Tu maike mat jaiyo”
	Coolie	Iqbal A. Khan
1984	Inquilaab	Amarnath
	Sharaabi	Vicky Kapoor	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1985	Geraftaar	Karan kumar
	Mard	Raju/Mard
1986	Aakhree Raasta	DavidD’costa/Vijay Sandaliya
1988	Shahenshah	Inspector Vijay Kumar Srivastava / Shahenshah	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati	Ganga Prasad
	Soorma Bhopali	Police Inspector	Guest appearance
1989	Toofan	Shyam / Toofan
	Batwara	Narrator
	Jaadugar	Goga / Gogeshwar	Also playback singer for “Padosan Apni Murgi”
	Main Azaad Hoon	Azaad	Also playback singer for “Itne Baazu”
1990	Agneepath	Vijay Deenanath Chauhan	National Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Kroadh	Himself	Cameo
	Aaj Ka Arjun	Bheema
1991	Hum	Tiger / Shekhar Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Ajooba	Ajooba/Zaffar Ali Rizwan
	Indrajeet	Indrajeet
	Akayla	Inspector Vijay Verma
1992	Khuda Gawah	Badshah Khan	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Zulm Ki Hukumat	Narrator
1993	Professor Ki Padosan		Guest appearance
1994	Insaniyat	Inspector Amar
	Akka	Himself	Special appearance Marathi film
1996	Ghatak: Lethal	Himself	Cameo
	Tere Mere Sapne	Narrator	Also producer
1997	Mrityudata	Dr. Ram Prasad Ghayal	Also producer
1998	Major Saab	Major Jasbir Singh Rana	Also producer
	Bade Miyan Chote Miyan	Inspector Arjun Singh / Bade Miyan
	Hero Hindustani	Narrator
1999	Lal Baadshah	Lal ‘Baadshah’ Singh / Ranbhir Singh
	Sooryavansham	Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh / Heera Singh	Also singer for “Chori Se”
	Biwi No.1	Himself	Cameo
	Hindustan Ki Kasam	Kabeera
	Kohram	Col. Balbir Singh Sodi (Devraj Hathoda) / Dada Bhai
	Hello Brother	God (voice)
2000	Mohabbatein	Narayan Shankar	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2001	Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love	Vijay Kapoor
	Aks	Insp. Manu Verma	Also producer Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…	Yashvardhan “Yash” Raichand	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor Also singer for “Shava Shava”
2002	Aankhen	Vijay Singh Rajput	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Hum Kisise Kum Nahin	Dr. Rastogi
	Agni Varsha	Devraj	Special appearance
	Kaante	Yashvardhan Rampal ‘Major’	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2003	Armaan	Dr. Siddharth Sinha	Also singer for “Aao Milke Gaye”
	Boom	Bade Mia
	Baghban	Raj Malhotra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Also playback singers “Chali Chali” “Holi Khele” “Main Yaha”
2004	Khakee	DCP Anant Kumar Shrivastava	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Aetbaar	Dr. Ranveer Malhotra	Also singer for “Jeena Hai”
	Rudraksh	Narrator
	Dev	DCP Dev Pratap Singh
	Lakshya	Col. Sunil Damle
	Deewaar	Major Ranvir Kaul
	Kyun! Ho Gaya Na…	Raj Chauhan
	Hum Kaun Hai?	Major Frank John Williams / Frank James Williams
	Veer-Zaara	Choudhary Sumer Singh	Special appearance Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor
	Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo	Major General Amarjeet Singh
2005	Black	Debraj Sahai	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
	Waqt: The Race Against Time	Ishwarchand Thakur
	Bunty Aur Babli	DCP Dashrath Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Parineeta	Narrator
	Paheli	Gadariya	Cameo
	Sarkar	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Viruddh	Vidhyadhar Patwardhan	Also producer
	Ramji Londonwaley	Himself	Cameo
	Dil Jo Bhi Kahey…	Shekhar Sinha
	Amrithadhare	Himself	Cameo in Kannada film
	Ek Ajnabee	Suryaveer Singh
2006	Family	Virendra “Viren” Sahai Ruthless Criminal	Also producer
	Darna Zaroori Hai	Sunil Khanna	Appeared in one segment
	Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna	Samarjit “Sam” Talwar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Ganga	Thakur Vijay Singh	Bhojpuri film
	Baabul	Balraj Kapoor	Also playback singer for “Come On” and “Kehta Hai Baabul”
2007	Eklavya: The Royal Guard	Eklavya
	Nishabd	Vijay Anand
	Ek Krantiveer: Vasudev Balwant Phadke	Narrator	Marathi film
	Cheeni Kum	Buddhadev Gupta
	Shootout at Lokhandwala	Advocate Dhingra
	Swami	Narrator
	Jhoom Barabar Jhoom	Man singing at the train station	Guest appearance
	Aag	Babban Singh
	The Last Lear	Harish Mishra	English language film
	Om Shanti Om	Himself	Cameo
	Gangotri	Thakur Vijay ‘Thakur Kaka’ Singh	Bhojpuri film
2008	Jodhaa Akbar	Narrator
	Yaar Meri Zindagi	Dr. Ajay Singh
	Bhoothnath	Kailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath	Also, playback singer for “Mere Buddy” and “Chalo Jaane Do”
	Sarkar Raj	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)
	God Tussi Great Ho	God
2009	Delhi-6	Dadaji	Guest appearance Also playback singer for “Noor”
	Zor Lagaa Ke…Haiya!	Narrator
	Aladin	Genius	Also playback singer for “Genie Rap” “O re Sawariya”
	Paa	Auro	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also producer Also playback singer for “Mere Paa”
2010	Rann	Vijay Harshwardhan Malik
	Teen Patti	Prof. Venkat Subramanium
	Kandahar	Lokanatha Sharma	Malayalam film
2011	Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap	Vijay ‘Vijju’ Malhotra	Also producer Also playback singer for the song “Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap”
	Aarakshan	Prabhakar Anand	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
	Ra.One	Narrator
2012	Kahaani		Playback singer for the song “Ekla Chalo Re”
	Mr. Bhatti on Chutti	Himself	Cameo
	Department	Sarjerao Gaikwad
	Bol Bachchan	Himself	Playback singer and appeared in the song “Bol Bachchan”
	English Vinglish	Passengers in the aeroplane	Cameo
	Ganga Devi	Thakur Vijay Singh	Bhojpuri film
2013	The Great Gatsby	Meyer Wolfsheim	Special appearance English language film
	Bombay Talkies	Himself	Cameo in the segment “Murabba”
	Satyagraha	Dwarka Anand
	Boss	Narrator
	Krrish 3	Narrator
	Mahabharat	Bhishma (voice)	Animated film
2014	Bhoothnath Returns	Khailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath
	Manam	Pratap	Special appearance Telugu film
	Kochadaiiyaan	Narrator	Hindi version
2015	Shamitabh	Amitabh Sinha	Also producer Also playback singer for song “Piddly”
	Hey Bro		Cameo in song “Birju”
	Piku	Bhashkor Banerjee	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2016	Wazir	Pandit Omkarnath Dhar
	Ki & Ka	Himself	Cameo
	Te3n	John Biswas
	Pink	Deepak Sehgal	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2017	The Ghazi Attack	Narrator	Hindi version
	Begum Jaan	Narrator
	Sarkar 3	Subhash Nagre (Sarkar)
	Firangi	Narrator
	The Great Leader	Leader	Bhojpuri film
2018	Pad Man	Narrator
	102 Not Out	Dattatraya Vakharia
	Helicopter Eela	Cameo appearance	Cameo
	Thugs of Hindostan	Khudabaksh Azaad
2019	Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi	Narrator
	Badla	Badal Gupta
	Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy	Gosayi Venkanna	Telugu film (dubbed himself for Hindi)
2020	AB Aani CD	Himself	Marathi film; Special appearance
	Ghoomketu	Himself	Cameo
	Gulabo Sitabo	Chunnan “Mirza” Nawab	Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actor Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2021	Chehre	Advocate Lateef Zaidi	Also playback singer for the song “Chehre – Title Track”
2022	Jhund	Vijay Borade
	Radhe Shyam	Narrator	For Hindi Version
	Runway 34	Narayan Vedant
	Fakt Mahilao Maate	Amitbhai Patel	Gujarati film; special appearance
	Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva	Raghu
	Chup: Revenge of the Artist	Himself	Cameo
	Goodbye	Harish Bhalla
	Uunchai	Amit Srivastav
2023	Ganapath †	TBA
	Ghoomer †	TBA	Special Appearance
	The Umesh Chronicles †	TBA
	Project K †	TBA	Filming; Telugu film
	Butterfly †	—	playback singer; Kannada film

Narration (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Producer roles

Year	Film	Acting role	Director(s)	Notes
1995	Gulabi		Krishna Vamsi	Telugu film
1996	Tere Mere Sapne	Narrator	Joy Augustine
	Yuvathurki		Bhadran	Malayalam film
1997	Mrityudata	Dr. Ram Prasad Ghayal	Mehul Kumar
	Ullaasam		J. D.- Jerry	Tamil film
1998	Saat Rang Ke Sapne		Priyadarshan
	Major Saab	Major Jasbir Singh Rana	Tinnu Anand
2001	Aks	Insp. Manu Verma	Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
2005	Viruddh… Family Comes First	Vidhyadhar Patwardhan	Mahesh Manjrekar
	Antarmahal		Rituparno Ghosh	Bengali film
2006	Family	Virendra “Viren” Sahai Ruthless Criminal	Rajkumar Santoshi
2009	Paa	Auro	R. Balki	National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2010	Vihir		Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni	Marathi film
2011	Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap	Vijay ‘Vijju’ Malhotra	Puri Jagannadh	Also playback singer for the song “Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap”
2013	Saptapadii		Niranjan Thade	Gujarati film
2015	Shamitabh	Amitabh Sinha	R. Balki	Also playback singer for the song “Piddly”

Television (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Title	Role	Note
1993–1994	Dekh Bhai Dekh		Producer
2000–2006, 2010–2022	Kaun Banega Crorepati	Host	Season 1–2, Season 4–14
2009	Bigg Boss 3	Host	Season 3
2011	The One Show	Himself	Special appearance
2013	Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap	Himself	Voice over
2014	Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah	Himself	Special appearance
	Yudh	Yudhisthir Sikarwar	Television miniseries; lead role
2015	Desi Rascals	Himself	Special appearance
2015–2016	Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi	Host
2016–2017	Astra Force	Astra	Animated series; voice roleAlso, co-creator with Sharad Devarajan

Documentaries (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Title	Language	Role	Director(s)	Notes
2005	March of the Penguins	English Hindi	Narrator	Luc Jacquet
2011	The Story of Film: An Odyssey	English	Himself	Mark Cousins	Special appearance
	Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told	English Hindi	Himself	Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Jeff Zimbalist
2015	Putting the Fun in Fundamental	English	Himself	Andy Lee	Special appearance on episode “Bollywood Goddess”

Music videos (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

 

Year	Title	Performer(s)	Album
1996	Various	Bally Sagoo	“Aby Baby”
1988	“Mile Sur Mera Tumhara”	Various	—
2002	“Kabhi Nahi”	Adnan Sami	“Tera Chehra”
2010	“Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara”	Various	—
2017	“Phir Se”	Amruta Fadnavis	—
2021	“Hum Hindustani”	Various

Legacy (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. He earned respect among critics for his memorable performances and charismatic screen presence and is also considered one of the most respected public figures in India. Referred to as the “Shahenshah of Bollywood”, “Star of the Millennium” or “Big B”, He inspired many great and successful Indian cinema actors for many generations including Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Hassan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpayee, Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, Ranveer Singh, Allu Arjun and Yash. Referred to as the “Shahenshah of Bollywood”, “Star of the Millennium” or “Big B”, French director François Truffaut called him a “one-man industry.”

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.” In October 2003, TIME magazine dubbed Bachchan “the Undisputed Godfather of Bollywood“. In April 2005, The Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center in New York honored Bachchan with a special tribute, retrospective—titled “Amitabh Bachchan: The Biggest Film Star in the World”.

In the early 80s, Bachchan authorised the use of his likeness for the comic book character Supremo in a series titled The Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan. In May 2014, La Trobe University in Australia named a Scholarship after Bachchan. In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been modelled in wax at London’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed in New York in 2009, Hong Kong in 2011, Bangkok in 2011, Washington, DC in 2012 and Delhi in 2017.

In March 2010, Bachchan has been named to the list of CNN’s “top 25 Asian actors of all time”. He was named “Hottest Vegetarian Male” by PETA India in 2012. He also won the title of “Asia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Male” in a contest poll run by PETA Asia in 2008.

In Allahabad, the Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex and Amitabh Bachchan Road are named after him. A government senior secondary school in Saifai, Etawah is called Amitabh Bachchan Government Inter College. There is a waterfall in Sikkim known as Amitabh Bachchan Falls.

In 2022, on the occasion of Bachchan’s 80th birthday, the not-for-profit organisation Film Heritage Foundation announced a film festival as a part of his 11 films collection had been screened in 17 cities across the country and shown in limited movie theatres.

Biographies (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Several books have been written about Bachchan. The following is the listing of books focused on his life career:

• Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend was published in 1999,
• To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan in 2004,
• AB: The Legend (A Photographer’s Tribute) in 2006,
• Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti in 2006,
• Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar in 2006,
• Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me in 2007 and
• Bachchanalia in 2009.

Awards and honours (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Civilian award

• 1984 – Padma Shri India’s fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India.
• 1991 – Order of Afghanistan by the President of Afghanistan.
• 2001 – Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour from the Government of India.
• 2007 – officer of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian honour the Government of France for his “exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond”. Describing Bachchan as a “towering Indian personality” and the “number-one actor of Indian cinema”, Ambassador Girard said the award “brings Bachchan into the international legion of world’s greatest artistes”.
• 2015 – Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour from the Government of India.

Honorary Doctorate

• 2004 – Honorary Doctorate by the Jhansi University, India.
• 2006 – Honorary Doctorate Degree from his alma mater University of Delhi, India.
• 2006 – Honorary degree of Doctor of Arts by De Montfort University in Leicester, UK in recognition of his distinguished career in films. He is the first Indian star to be feted by a foreign university.
• 2007 – Honorary degree of Doctor of Arts by The University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire, UK.
• 2011 – Honorary Doctorate by the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia for his contribution to the world of entertainment.
• 2013 – Honorary Doctorate by the Jodhpur National University, India for his exceptional contribution to Indian Cinema.
• 2015 – Honorary Doctorate from the prestigious Academy of Arts (Egypt) for his contribution to cinema.
• 2018 – Honorary Doctorate from Rabindra Bharati University for his contribution to cinema.

National honours (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

• 1980 – Awadh Samman by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• 1994 – Yash Bharati, Uttar Pradesh’s highest honour from the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• 2002 – “Dayawati Modi” Award. This award is among the highest awards in India in the field of Art, Culture and Education.
• 2002 – National Kishore Kumar Award by the Government of Madhya Pradesh for excellence in acting and his unparalleled contribution to the film industry.
• 2004 – “Living Legend” Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of his contribution to the Indian entertainment industry.
• 2005 – Deenanath Mangeshkar Award for his contribution to films and music.
• 2009 – IIFA-FICCI Frames, “Most Powerful Entertainer of the Decade Award” for his contribution to Indian cinema.
• 2011 – “Abhinaya Chakravarthy” Award by the President of India Pratibha Patil.
• 2011 – “Maharashtrian of the Year-the Maanbindu” Award by the President of India Pratibha Patil.
• 2011 – NTR National Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• 2013 – President of India ‘Medallion of Honour’ for contribution to 100 Years of Indian Cinema.
• 2014 – ANR National Award.
• 2019 – The government of India confers Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2018.

National Film Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Category	Film
1990	Best Actor	Agneepath
2005		Black
2009		Paa
2015		Piku
2018	Dadasaheb Phalke Award	—

Asian Film Awards

Winner

• 2010 – Lifetime Achievement Award during the 4th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong.

Filmfare Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Best Actor

Year	Film	Result
1974	Zanjeer	Nominated
1976	Deewaar	Nominated
1977	Kabhie Kabhie	Nominated
1978	Adalat	Nominated
	Amar Akbar Anthony	Won
1979	Don	Won
	Muqaddar Ka Sikandar	Nominated
	Trishul	Nominated
1980	Kaala Patthar	Nominated
	Mr. Natwarlal	Nominated
1981	Dostana	Nominated
1982	Lawaaris	Nominated
	Silsila	Nominated
1983	Bemisal	Nominated
	Namak Halaal	Nominated
	Shakti	Nominated
1985	Sharaabi	Nominated
1986	Mard	Nominated
1989	Shahenshah	Nominated
1991	Agneepath	Nominated
1992	Hum	Won
1993	Khuda Gawah	Nominated
2002	Aks	Nominated
2003	Kaante	Nominated
2004	Baghban	Nominated
2005	Khakee	Nominated
2006	Black	Won
	Sarkar	Nominated
2010	Paa	Won
2012	Aarakshan	Nominated
2016	Piku	Nominated
2017	Pink	Nominated
2021	Gulabo Sitabo	Nominated
2022	Uunchai	Nominated

Best Supporting Actor

Year	Film	Result
1972	Anand	Won
1974	Namak Haraam	Won
2001	Mohabbatein	Won
2002	Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…	Nominated
2003	Aankhen	Nominated
2005	Veer-Zaara	Nominated
2006	Bunty Aur Babli	Nominated
2007	Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna	Nominated

Best Actor (Critics)

Year	Film	Result
2002	Aks	Won
2006	Black	Won
2016	Piku	Won
2021	Gulabo Sitabo	Won

Honorary awards

Year	Category	Result
1991	Lifetime Achievement Award	Won
2000	Superstar of the Millennium	Won
2004	Power Award	Won
2011	Special Award (for completing 40 years in the Indian film industry)	Won

Screen Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Winner

Year	Category	Film	Result
2003	Jodi No. 1 (with Hema Malini)	Baghban	Won
	Distinction in Acting Award
2004	Most Outstanding Personality	—
2005	Best Actor	Black
2007	Best Actor (Critics)	Cheeni Kum
2010	Best Actor	Paa
	Jodi No. 1 (with Abhishek Bachchan)
2013	Iconic Legend Award	—
2014	Lifetime Achievement Award	—
2015	Best Actor	Piku
2017		Pink

IIFA Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Category	Film	Results
2000	IIFA Special Honorary Award	—	Won
2001	Best Supporting Actor	Mohabbatein
2002	IIFA Personality of the Year	—
	Best Actor	Aks	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…
2003	Best Actor	Kaante
2004		Baghban
2005	Best Supporting Actor	Veer-Zaara
2006	IIFA Wall of Fame	—	Won
	Best Actor	Black
		Sarkar	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Bunty Aur Babli
2007		Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
2010	Best Actor	Paa	Won
2016		Piku	Nominated
2017		Pink
	Best Supporting Actor	Wazir

Stardust Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Category	Film	Result
2000	Best Artist of the Millennium by Hero Honda and Stardust (magazine)		Won
2003	Lifetime Achievement
2004	Special Award	Baghban
2005		Black
2006	Star of the Year Award – Male
2009	Best Actor	The Last Lear
2010	Star of the Year Award – Male	Paa
2011	Pride of the Industry Award
2013	Star of the Century Award
2014	International Icon of the Year Award
2015	Star of the Year Award – Male	Piku (along with Shamitabh)
2016		Pink

Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards

Year	Category	Film	Result
1976	Best Actor (Hindi)	Mili	Won
2006		Black

Zee Cine Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Category	Film	Result
2001	Best Actor – Male	Aks	Nominated
2003	Lifetime Achievement	—	Won
	Best Actor – Male	Aankhen	Nominated
2004	Golden Grade Award	—	Won
	Best Actor – Male	Baghban	Nominated
2005		Khakee
2006		Black	Won
		Sarkar	Nominated
2008		Cheeni Kum
2016	Best Actor (Critics) – Male	Piku	Won
2017	Best Actor (Critics) – Male	Pink
	Best Actor – Male		Nominated
2018	Legend Extraordinaire	—	Won

Bollywood Movie Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Year	Category	Film	Result
2001	Best Actor – Male (Critics)	Mohabbatein	Won
2003	Most Sensational Actor	Kaante
2006	Best Actor (Male)	Black

BIG Television Awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Winner

• 2011 – Shaksiyat of the Year for Kaun Banega Crorepati
• 2011 – Distinguished Personality Award

Other awards (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

Winner

• 1970 – “Saraswati Award” for Anand
• 1989 – Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rotary Club of Bombay (Mumbai).
• 1997 – “Distinguished Alumni ” award at the inaugural function of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Capital’s largest Central University.
• 1998 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Omega Award for Excellence.
• 2000 – All-India Critics Association (AICA): Best Actor Award for Sooryavansham.
• 2000 – Sansui Viewers Choice Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Mohabbatein.
• 2000 – Bollywood People’s Choice Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Mohabbatein.
• 2001 – Zee Gold Awards: Critics Award for Best Male for Mohabbatein.
• 2002 – “Icon of the Millennium” award at the 32nd Rupa AIFA Awards at Bandra.
• 2002 – Lifetime Achievement Award by the Sansui Viewers’ Choice Movie Awards.
• 2003 – MTV Lycra Awards: Maha Style Icon of the Year (First Recipient).
• 2003 – “Bollywood’s Lifetime Achievement Award” by the London-based Asian Guild.
• 2003 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sangeet Shiromani Award.
• 2003 – FPFAC ‘Achiever’ Awards: “Achiever of the Year” award.
• 2004 – “Radio Voice of the Year” award by Radio Mirchi.
• 2004 – Sansui Viewer’s Choice Movie Awards: Personality of the Year.
• 2005 – “Diamond of India” award by The International Gemological Institute (IGI).
• 2005 – NDTV Indian of the Year in Entertainment.
• 2006 – Bollywood People’s Choice Awards: Best Actor for Black.
• 2006 – Anandalok Awards: Best Actor for Black.
• 2006 – Bollyvista Film Awards: Best Actor for Black.
• 2006 – Rediff Movie Awards: Best Actor for Black.
• 2006 – Lifetime Achievement Award at AXN Action Awards.
• 2007 – Special Award for his contribution to Indian cinema at the 9th Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image International Film.
• 2009 – Lifetime Achievement Award at Gentleman Quarterly magazine’s “Men of the Year” Award.
• 2009 – Lifetime Achievement Award for completing 40 years in the entertainment industry at the 11th Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI).
• 2009 – NDTV Indian of the Year Awards: NDTV icon of 21 years of Entertainment award.
• 2010 – Special Award at the Marathi International Film and Theatre Awards (MIFTA) for his excellent work in films.
• 2010 – Lines Gold Award: Best Actor for Paa.
• 2010 – ‘FICCI Frames 2010’ Excellence Awards: Best Actor for Paa.
• 2010 – “Taj Enlighten Tareef Award” for his contribution to the Indian film industry.
• 2010 – “Timeless Icon” award at the ‘Hello! Hall of Fame.
• 2010 – Lifetime Achievement Award by Asianet Film Awards.
• 2010 – The Asian Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 2011 – CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in Entertainment.
• 2012 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) for contribution to cinema.
• 2012 – ‘FICCI Frames 2012’ Excellence Awards: “Award for the maximum impact made by a Personality”.
• 2012 – Phalke Ratna Award at the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards.
• 2012 – Honoured as the “John Walker & Sons Game Changer of the Century” for his Achievements.
• 2012 – South Indian Education Society (SIES) Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award.
• 2012 – Mirchi Music Awards Living Legend With Golden Voice.
• 2013 – Honoured by the University of Mumbai.
• 2013 – Crowned “India’s Prime Icon of 2012”.
• 2013 – “Timeless Style Icon”.
• 2013 – NASSCOM Global Leadership Awards: “Global Indian Award” for being the ambassador for Indian cinema.
• 2013 – Honoured by Rotary International.
• 2013 – Maestro Award by the Whistling Woods International Institute.
• 2013 – “Super Achiever of the Year” Award by Society Magazine in Mumbai.
• 2013 – Honoured with the “Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award” for his contribution to the film industry.
• 2013 – Honoured at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as one of NDTV’s 25 greatest living global Indians.
• 2014 – Honoured with the “Pune Pandit Award” – 2013 by The Art & Music Foundation for honouring & celebrating his accomplishments with 100 years of Indian Cinema.
• 2014 – “Global Icon of the Year” award at the NRI of the Year awards.
• 2014 – Honoured with the “Box Office Shahenshah Award” at the Star Box Office India Awards.
• 2014 – Yash Chopra Memorial Award.
• 2014 – Indian Film Festival of Melbourne: IFFM Excellence in Cinema Award.
• 2015 – ‘Social Media Person of the Year award by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• 2015 – Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards: Timeless Glamour and Style Icon (Male).
• 2016 – NDTV Indian of the Year 2015 Awards: Lifetime Achievement.
• 2016 – TOIFA Awards: Best Actor (Critics Choice) Male Piku.
• 2016 – TOIFA Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 2016 – GQ awards: The GQ Legend Award.
• 2018 – Femina Beauty Awards: Style Legend of All Time.
• 2018 – Sayaji Ratna Award by Baroda Management Association.
• 2023 – Living Legend at the India UK Achievers Honours.

Madame Tussauds (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

• In June 2000, Bachchan became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at Madame Tussauds London.
• In May 2009, a lifelike wax figure of Bachchan has been unveiled at the newly launched ‘Bollywood Zone’ in Madame Tussauds at Times Square in New York.
• In March 2011, Bachchan’s wax image has been unveiled at the “World Famous Home of the Famous” Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.
• In August 2011, Bachchan’s wax image has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds Museum in Bangkok.
• On 5 December 2012, Bachchan’s wax image has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds Museum in Washington, DC.
• On 13 January 2017, Bachchan’s wax image has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds Museum in Delhi.

International honours and recognition

• In July 1999, Bachchan was named the “Greatest Star of Stage or Screen of the Millennium” by BBC online poll where he defeated many Hollywood legends such as Alec Guinness, Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier and Charlie Chaplin.
• In 2001, he was ranked the “Most Powerful Indian Film Star” by Forbes.
• On 10 September 2001 he was awarded the “Actor of the Century” award at the Alexandria International Film Festival. Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni presented Bachchan with the award in recognition of his contribution to international cinema.
• On 14 March 2003, he was conferred with honorary citizenship of the French town of Deauville at the fifth edition of the Asian film festival. An honour earlier bestowed on only two people, Queen Elizabeth II and the Soviet space hero, Yuri Gagarin.
• In October 2003, he was conferred with the Medal of Honour of Morocco, given to him by King Mohammed at the Marrakech International Film Festival.
• In October 2003, TIME magazine dubbed Bachchan “the Undisputed Godfather of Bollywood”. He was also featured in its list of Bollywood’s Brightest Stars.
• In April 2005, The Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center in New York honored Amitabh Bachchan with a special tribute, retrospective—titled “Amitabh Bachchan: The Biggest Film Star in the World”. The tribute also included “An Evening with Amitabh Bachchan”, a live appearance by Bachchan hosted at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
• He was honoured along with actors and directors from Hollywood at an International Film Festival in Rabat, Morocco.
• In the weekend of 16 and 17 June June 2007, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) hosts a Bachchan spectacular retrospective to honour Bachchan’s stellar career. The Chairman of BAFTA ended the event by announcing Bachchan as an honorary Life-Time member of BAFTA.
• On 22 November 2007, he was honoured by London Mayor Ken Livingstone with “The Visit London Special Award for Outstanding Achievement” for his contribution to Indian cinema in the last 30 years.
• On 15 January 2009, Le Salon du Cinema (Cinema Fair) in Paris paid tribute to Indian Cinema for their new edition, with Bachchan being the guest of honour. He also launched a retrospective of his films.
• On 31 January 2009, he was honoured with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award at Davos for his contribution to the world of art.
• In 2009, the Tehran Film Festival invited Bachchan to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In December 2009, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dubai International Film Festival for his outstanding contribution to cinema.
• In December 2009, he was honoured with the 8th Asian Film Cultural Award for his contribution to cinema for 40 years.
• In February 2010, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sixth Muscat, Oman International Film Festival (Miff).
• In March 2010, he has been named on the list of CNN’s “top 25 Asian actors of all time”.
• In March 2010, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival.
• In October 2010, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Asian Awards in London.
• In April 2012, he was conferred the Polio Eradication Champion award by Rotary International for his invaluable support to the Polio Eradication Programme in India.
• In July 2012, he was given the due honour to carry the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London’s Southwark.
• In November 2012, he was honoured by the Australian Government for his remarkable contribution to the Indian cinema, which is celebrating its centenary year.
• In December 2012, he was honoured with the Tribute to Hindi Cinema Award at the 12th Marrakech International Film Festival.
• On 10 December 2012, he was honoured with the “Keys to the City of Florence” at the River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival in Italy.
• In May 2013, he will be honoured with the “La Trobe University Global Citizenship Award” by La Trobe University in Melbourne. The University is also introducing a PhD Scholarship called Shri Amitabh Bachchan Scholarship.
• In May 2013, he will be honoured with the “International Screen Icon” award by the Victorian Government and the “Ambassador of Goodwill” award from the Vice Chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne.
• In September 2013, he was honoured with the “Global Diversity Award” in the British Parliament. Speaker of the House of Commons presented the ornately sculpted glass Award to Bachchan and described him as “a Bollywood icon and the most famous Indian film star of all time”.
• In March 2014, he was honoured with the “Global Icon of the Year” award at the NRI of the Year awards.
• In May 2014, he was honoured with the “International Screen Icon” award during the inaugural awards ceremony at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).
• In March 2021, he was honoured with the “International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF)” award for his contribution to preserving India’s film heritage.

Other recognition (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

• 2005 – Ranked as the “Most Popular Star in India” by Hansa Research’s new syndicated study, Celebrity Track.
• 2009 – He is called among the “Top 5 Most Influential Indians of the Decade”.

Polls (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

• 2002 – Voted the “Hottest Male Vegetarian” by ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
• 2003 – Voted the “Greatest Actor” in the film personalities category in the Best of India poll conducted by Zee News.
• 2006 – Voted “Entertainer of the Year”
• 2006 – Voted “Real Star of Stars” by reader’s choice.
• 2008 – Voted “Asia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Man”
• 2012 – Voted “India’s Greatest Actor” in NDTV poll.
• 2012 – Voted “Most-Admired Bollywood Actor” in a new mobile survey.
• 2012 – Voted the “Hottest Male Vegetarian” for the fourth time by ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
• 2013 – Voted the “Greatest Bollywood Star” in a UK poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema.
• 2017 – Topped in India Today poll as the most popular actor of Hindi cinema to date.
• 2019 – Ranked No. 6 in POWER LIST 2019 – 50 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN INDIA by India Today
• 2019 – Topped India Most Trusted Personality by TRA Research.
• 2020– Topped India Most Trusted Personality by TRA Research.

Apart from industry awards won for his performances throughout the years, Bachchan has received 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 Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards.

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.

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019. The then-President of Afghanistan awarded him the Order of Afghanistan in 1991 following the shooting of Khuda Gawah there. The Government of Madhya Pradesh honoured him with Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman for 2002–2003.

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”. On 27 July 2012, at the age of 69, Bachchan carried the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London’s Southwark.

Bibliography (Amitabh Bachchan Biography)

• Soul Curry for You and Me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life. (2002)

Source URL