Amitabh Bachchan is known in the Indian film industry as the “angry young man”. His genre of movies portrayed the hero as a protagonist who opposed those thoughts and beliefs that were harmful for society. His entry into the Hindi film industry gave a new dimension to Indian cinema and he was able to carve a niche for himself in the entertainment world.
When he came over to Bombay from Calcutta to join films, producers rejected him outright for his thin physique, long bamboo-like legs and baritone voice. Dejected, he thought of returning to the company where he was employed earlier.
It was during this period that he met Jaya Bhaduri (whom he later married) and other friends. Slowly, he started getting a few roles. He made his debut in the film Saat Hindustani in 1969, directed by Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. People noticed him after the commercial success of Anand (1970). It was Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer, however, which finally catapulted him to fame. Zanjeer was his 14th film and then there was no looking back.
In other films that followed, the genre of the “angry young man” continued. This not only influenced his male contemporaries, but also his female counterparts. It is because of this that in spite of having to compete with brilliant actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Sanjeev Kumar and Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan was able to rule the hearts and minds of the audience. With the image of the “angry young man”, the down-trodden youth identified with him.
After Zanjeer came Amar Akbar Anthony, Deewar, Sholay, Trishul, Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Kala Pathar, Shakti and others. That he was a versatile actor was proved by the success of his comedy movies like Chupke Chupke and Namak Halal and the romantic Kabhi Kabhi.
During the filming of Khuda Gawah in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, half of Afghanistan’s air force was sent for the security of the film crew. Even the fundamentalist forces of Afghanistan were impressed by his portrayal of an Afghan.
Before entering films, he also did theatre and worked as a radio announcer for some time in All India Radio.
After Shahenshah in 1987 the Bachchan magic failed to light up the screen. But he delivered three hits in the 1990s — Agneepath, Hum and Khuda Gawah. Then he took a sabbatical from films. In the late 90s, he returned with Mrityudaata, Lal Badshah, Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan, Major Saab, Kohraam etc. None of them reproduced the old magic.
Amitabh Bachchan was born on 11 October, 1942 at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father, poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and mother, Teji Bachchan were advocates of modern thinking. During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as prime minister, Amitabh Bachchan was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Allahabad constituency.
In the year 2000, after he hosted the TV programme Kaun Banega Crorepati, Star TV catapulted to the No. 1 slot, dethroning Zee TV. His entry into television changed the rules of the game, disproving the critics’ contentions. In a poll survey on BBC, Amitabh Bachchan was named the Star of the Millennium beating top Hollywood legends like Charlie Chaplin, Sir Laurence Olivier et al.