10 best facts about Amitabh Bachchan

10 best facts about Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.

Mr. Bachchan was born Amitabh Srivastava on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad, India. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned Hindi poet and mother, Teji Bachchan, a social activist.

Amitah began his film career in the 1970s as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s film Bhuvan Shome. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for his role in Zanjeer (1973; “Chain”).

Today, the legend continues to inspire more and more aspiring actors and leaders. Below are 10 best facts about Amitabh Bachchan;

1. What’s in a name?

Harivansh Rai Bachchan, 2003 stamp of India – Wikipedia

Amitabh Bachchan was initially going to be named Inquilaab, Hindustani for “Revolution”. The name was 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. His was hence named Amitabh Srivastava.

His father adopted the pen name Bachchan because he opposed the caste system, are rigid social groups characterized by hereditary transmission of lifestyle, occupation and social status. As a result, when Amitabh was joining school, his parents registered his surname as Bachchan.

From hence forth, he continued using Bachchan as his surname.   

2. When one door closes, another opens

Young Amitabh Bachchan – Wikipedia

After finishing school, Bachchan’s father approached Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder of Prithvi Theatre, to see if there was an opening for his son, but Kapoor “offered no encouragement”.

Bachchan then applied for a role as a newsreader at All Indian Radio, Dehli, but failed the auditions. He then to become a business executive for Bird & Company in Kolkata (Calcutta).

He started working in the theatre before starting his successful film career. It is thought that his mother might have had some influence in his choice of career because she always insisted that he should “take centre stage”.

3. Success is never easy

Sanjog, 1972 – IMDb

Many of Bachchan’s films during this early period did not do well. He had 12 consecutive flops, including his only film with Mala Sinha, Sanjog (1972).

His career-changing role in Zanjeer was first offered to Dev Anand and Raj Kumar. Both said no because the hero had no songs to sing on screen.

Also, the majority of the A-list heroine refused to be paired with the semi-newcomer in Zanjeer. Only the then-superstar Jaya Bhaduri agreed.

Zanjeer became a huge success and one of the highest-grossing films of that year, breaking Bachchan’s dry spell at the box office and making him a star.

4. Once the “Angry Young Man” of Indian cinema

Zanjeer Poster – Pininterest

Zanjeer was a crime film with violent action that earned Mr. Bachchan the nickname the “angry young man” of Bollywood cinema because of his character’s deep baritone, brooding face and intense looks.

The film Zanjeer began shifting Hindi cinema in a violent and aggressive direction. Reflecting the anger of the masses who were frustrated and angry at that time over the corrupt political system of India.

Through the film, Bachchan was seen as the new hero, who had the courage to fight against the wrongs while maintaining moral values at the same time.

5. National treasure

The Padma Vibhushan – Wikipedia

The Government of India honored Amitabh Bachchan with the Padma Shri in 1984. The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India. It is awarded by the Government of India every year on India’s Republic Day.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001. The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India. The award recipients are announced on 26 January, the Republic Day of India.

Bachchan was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts. The Padma Vibhushan (“Lotus Decoration”) is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India. The award recipients are announced on Republic Day.

6. The first Asian actor to have a wax model displayed at Madame Tussaud’s in London

Wax figure of Amithab Bachchan – Flickr

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London that displays the waxworks of famous and historical figures, as well as popular film and television characters.

Amitabh Bachchan is the very first Indian actor to get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in London. The statue was placed in display in 2002.

Other wax statues of Amitabh Bachchan were installed in New York in the year 2009, Hong Kong & Bangkok in the year 2011, Washington, DC in the year 2012 and in Delhi in the year 2017.

7. Near-death experience

Coolie, 1983 – IMDb

During the filming of Manmohan Desai’s Coolie in 1982 Mr. Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury during an action sequence that resulted in a splenic rupture. He was flown to Mumbai and was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital

Amitabh Bachchan was initially declared clinically dead but on August 2, 1982, doctors injected adrenaline into Big B’s heart to revive him, which worked and the actor fully recovered overt the next few months.

He resumed shooting for the film in February 1983. Coolie was released in November 1983, and it emerged as a hit film.

By his own admission, Amitabh Bachchan considers August 2 as the day he was “reborn.”

8. Amitabh Bachchan is a vegetarian and a teetotaler

No alcohol – Flickr

Mr. Bachchann is a vegetarian meaning he does not eat meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). The legendary actor has been named the hottest vegetarian celebrity three times in the past by PETA.

PETA India was founded in 2000 and is based in Mumbai, India. It focuses on issues about animals in laboratories, the food industry, the leather trade, and entertainment.

He is also a teetotaler, meaning he does not consume alcohol. Mr. Amitabh has done a great job of convincing us that he was drunk in several of his movies, when in real life he does not drink. He stopped drinking alcohol more than 40 years ago.

9. Actor of the Millennium

Amitabh Bachchan – Wikipedia

Amitabh Bachchan has appeared in more than 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades.

He was voted the ‘greatest star of screen’ in a millennium-celebrating poll conducted by the BBC. He was ranked above personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Marilyn Monroe, and Govinda.

10. Amitabh Bachchan is ambidextrous

ambidextrous – Flickr

Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. Only about one percent of people are naturally ambidextrous.

Yes, Amitabh Bachchan is ambidextrous

In India’s Singrauli district, there is a unique ambidextrous school named Veena Vandini School in Budhela village, where students are taught to write simultaneously with both hands.