Amitabh Bachchan Biography & More
Table of Contents
Amitabh Bachchan, often referred to as the “Shahenshah of Bollywood” and the “Angry Young Man,” is a legendary figure in Indian cinema. Born on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad, India, Bachchan’s journey to stardom is a remarkable tale of resilience and talent.
His father, the renowned Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and mother, Teji Bachchan, instilled in him a love for literature and the arts. Although he initially aspired to be an engineer and even considered joining the Indian Air Force, fate had other plans.
Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic baritone voice and towering 6’2″ frame set him apart in the film industry. After a series of early career struggles, he achieved breakthrough success with the 1973 film “Zanjeer,” earning the “Angry Young Man” epithet for his compelling portrayal of Inspector Vijay Khanna.
His career saw highs and lows, but Bachchan’s resilience always brought him back to the limelight. He ventured into politics, winning the Allahabad seat with a historic margin, and later returned to his first love, acting.
Amitabh Bachchan’s contributions to cinema are immeasurable, and his legacy continues with roles that captivate new generations. Beyond the screen, he is an advocate for health awareness and social causes, making him an enduring icon in the hearts of millions worldwide.
Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Age | 80 Years |
| Caste | Kayastha |
| Height | 6’ 2” |
Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Inquilaab Srivastava |
| Full Name | Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava |
| Nickname(s) | Munna, Big B, Angry Young Man, AB Sr., Amith, Shahenshah of Bollywood |
| Profession(s) | Actor, TV Host, Former Politician |
Physical Stats & More | |
|---|---|
| Height | 188 cm (6’ 2”) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
Personal Life | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 11 October 1942 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 80 Years |
| Birthplace | Allahabad, British India (now, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Kayastha |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian (since 2000) |
| Political Inclination | Indian National Congress (INC) |
| Address | Jalsa, B/2, Kapol Housing Society, VL Mehta Road, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049, Maharashtra, India |
| Hobbies | Singing, Blogging, Reading |
Awards, Honours, Achievements | |
|---|---|
| Civilian Awards | Padma Shri (1984), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2015) |
| International Honours | Knight of the Legion of Honour (France’s highest civilian honour), Award by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) |
| National Honours | Awadh Samman, Yash Bharti Award, Deenanath Mangeshkar award, President of India ‘Medallion of Honour’ |
| National Film Awards | Best Actor for Agneepath (1990), Best Actor for Black (2005), Best Actor for Paa (2009), Best Actor for Piku (2015), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2019) |
| Polls | “Hottest Male Vegetarian” by PETA, “Asia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Man,” “Hottest Male Vegetarian” (multiple times) by PETA |
| Controversies | |
|---|---|
| Bofors Scandal | Name appeared but later declared not guilty |
| False Documents | Indicted for submitting false documents to prove he’s a farmer |
| Stardust Ban | Stardust imposed a 15-year ban due to comments on National Emergency |
| Miss World Competition | Legal battle for organizing Miss World competition |
| Land Deals | Land deals controversy involving forged farmer certification |
| Paan Masala Ad Campaign | Criticism for endorsing paan masala, later withdrew from the campaign |
Relationships & More | |
|---|---|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Parveen Babi, Rekha, Jaya Bhaduri (wife) |
| Marriage Date | 3 June 1973 |
| Family | Wife: Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan |
| Son: Abhishek Bachchan | |
| Daughter: Shweta Bachchan Nanda |
Favourites | |
|---|---|
| Food | Bhindi Sabzi, Jalebi, Kheer, Gulab Jamun |
| Sweet Shop | Jhama Sweets, Chembur, Mumbai |
| Actor | Dilip Kumar |
| Actress | Waheeda Rehman |
| Comedian | Mehmood Ali |
| Film(s) | Bollywood: Kagaz Ke Phool, Ganga Jamuna, Pyasa |
| Hollywood: Gone With The Wind, Godfather, Black, Scarface | |
| Singers | Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar |
| Music Instrument | Sarod |
| Colour | White |
| Sports | Cricket, Lawn Tennis |
| Tennis Player | Novak Djokovic |
| Football Club | Chelsea |
| Perfume | Lomani |
| Holiday Destination(s) | London, Switzerland, Saint Petersburg |
Style Quotient | |
|---|---|
| Cars Collection | Bentley Arnage R, Bentley Continental GT, Lexus LX 470, Mercedes-Benz SL 500 AMG, Range Rover SUV, Mini Cooper S, Toyota Land Cruiser, BMW 760Li, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Mercedes Benz S320, Mercedes Benz S600, Mercedes Benz E240, Mercedes-Benz GLS, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, Ford Prefect (gifted by a friend), Porche Cayman S, Rolls Royce Phantom |
| Money Factor | Salary (approx.): $2.68 million (INR 20 crores/film; As in 2018) |
| Assets/Properties: Movable Assets- worth over Rs. 460 crore, Immovable Assets- worth over Rs. 540 crore, Jewellery- worth over Rs. 62 crore, Vehicles- worth over Rs. 13 crore, Watches- worth over Rs. 3.5 crore, Pen(s)- worth over Rs. 9 lakh, Residential Properties- a 3,175 sqm residential property in Brignogan Plage in France (in addition, properties in Noida, Bhopal, Pune, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar), Agricultural Land- a 3-acre plot worth Rs. 5.7 crore in Daulatpur area of Barabanki district | |
| House/Bungalow: Jalsa, Another property near Jalsa, Janak (office), Pratiksha, Vatsa, Ancestral House in Allahabad, Sopaan, Juhu Apartments, Home in Paris | |
| Net Worth (approx.): $400 million (INR 2800 crores; as in 2019) |
lesser-known facts about Amitabh Bachchan
- Ancestral Roots: Amitabh Bachchan’s forefathers hailed from Babupatti in the Pratapgarh District of Uttar Pradesh.
- Mother’s Sikh Heritage: His mother, Teji Bachchan, was of Sikh descent and originally from Lyallpur, which is now in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
- Renowned Poet Father: His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned Hindi poet, adding to the family’s literary legacy.
- Name Origin: Initially named ‘Inquilab,’ his name was later changed to ‘Amitabh’ on the suggestion of poet Sumitranandan Pant. ‘Amitabh’ means ‘The light that will never die.’
- Surname Change: While their original surname was ‘Srivastava,’ Amitabh’s father changed it to ‘Bachchan’ as a protest against the caste system in India.
- Mother’s Theatrical Interest: Despite her interest in theater and even being offered a feature film role, his mother, Teji Bachchan, prioritized her domestic duties.
- College Theater Days: During his college years, Amitabh actively participated in theater and acted in plays.
- Early Career Aspirations: In his youth, Amitabh had aspirations of becoming an engineer and even considered joining the Indian Air Force.
- Sports Achievements: He was a talented athlete during college, winning races in 100m, 200m, and 400m, and even securing a Boxing Championship at Sherwood, Nainital.
- Burn Injury: In 1983, he suffered a burn injury to his left hand during Diwali celebrations.
- Radio Rejection: Surprisingly, despite his iconic baritone voice, All India Radio once rejected Amitabh Bachchan.
- Debut as a Narrator: Before his acting debut in “Saat Hindustani,” he lent his voice as a narrator in the National Award-winning film “Bhuvan Shome” (1969) directed by Mrinal Sen.
- First Filmfare Award: He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a doctor in the 1971 film “Anand.”
- On-Screen Chemistry: He shared the screen with his future wife, Jaya Bhaduri, for the first time in the film “Guddi” (1971), where he made a guest appearance.
- Zanjeer and “Angry Young Man”: His breakthrough to stardom came with the 1973 film “Zanjeer,” in which he portrayed Inspector Vijay Khanna. This film earned him the moniker “Angry Young Man” and is considered an iconic performance in Bollywood history.
- Struggles Before Zanjeer: Prior to the success of “Zanjeer,” Amitabh faced a streak of 12 consecutive flop films.
- Friendship with Mehmood Ali: He shared a close bond with late actor Mehmood Ali, who affectionately called him “Danger Diabolic.”
- Sholay Salary: Reportedly, he was paid Rs. 1 lakh for his role as Jai in the iconic Indian film “Sholay” (1975).
- Coolie Accident: On 26 July 1982, he suffered a near-fatal injury while filming “Coolie” in Bangalore and was clinically dead for 11 minutes before being revived with adrenaline injections.
- Battle with Myasthenia Gravis: After the Coolie incident, Amitabh was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease causing muscle weakness.
- Hepatitis B Awareness: In 2017, he became the UNICEF ambassador for hepatitis B awareness due to his personal experience with the disease, contracted through a blood transfusion after the Coolie accident.
- Brief Political Stint: In 1984, he briefly entered politics to support his friend Rajiv Gandhi and won the Allahabad seat in the 8th Lok Sabha elections with a record victory margin.
- ABCL and Film Hiatus: He founded his film production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), and took a hiatus from acting for 5 years after the box-office failure of “Insaniyat” (1994).
- Television Debut: His career was revitalized in 2000 when he made his television debut with the game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC).
- Madame Tussauds Honour: In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have a statue at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London.
- Pet Dog Shanouk: He had a pet Piranha Dane dog named Shanouk, one of the world’s tallest dog breeds, which passed away in June 2013.
- Ambidextrous: Amitabh Bachchan can write equally well with both hands.
- Statue in Kolkata: In 2017, a life-size statue of Amitabh Bachchan was unveiled in Tiljala, South Kolkata, by the All Bengal Amitabh Bachchan Fans’ Association.
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award: In 2019, he was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, coinciding with his golden jubilee in cinema since his debut in 1969.
- Name Origins: In an episode of KBC, he shared the story behind his name, revealing that his father’s friend, Sumitra Nandan Pant, came up with the name ‘Amitabh’ when he was born during the Quit India Movement in 1942.
- First Photo Shoot: In April 2020, he reminisced about his first photo shoot for a film magazine called ‘Star & Style.’
- Battle Against Smoking and Drinking: Amitabh quit smoking and drinking in the early 1980s and has been an advocate against these habits.
- Legal Protection: In November 2022, he obtained an interim court order protecting his personality and publicity rights from unauthorized use.
- Inter-Caste Marriage Support: Amitabh shared the story of his parents’ inter-caste marriage and the support they received from Sarojini Naidu and Jawaharlal Nehru during a KBC episode.
