Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan, born Amitabh Srivastava on October 11, 1942, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), is an Indian actor, playback singer, and producer primarily active in Hindi cinema. Having appeared in more than 200 films, he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent and commercially successful performers in Indian cinematic history. Frequently referred to by titles such as "Big B" and the "Angry Young Man," his central role in the domestic film industry during the 1970s and 1980s prompted French filmmaker François Truffaut to label him a "one-man industry."

Bachchan was raised by his father, the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and his mother, social activist Teji Bachchan. To distance the family from the traditional caste system, his father adopted the literary moniker Bachchan, which ultimately replaced Srivastava as the official family name. Bachchan completed his education at Boys' High School & College in Allahabad, Sherwood College in Nainital, and Kirori Mal College at the University of Delhi, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962. Prior to entering cinema, he worked as a corporate executive in Kolkata and participated in theatre.

His film career began in 1969 as a narrator for Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome, followed by his first acting credit in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas's Saat Hindustani. He earned critical notice and his first Filmfare Award for his supporting role in the 1971 film Anand. After a sequence of commercial failures, his major breakthrough came in 1973 with the crime drama Zanjeer, written by the screenwriting team Salim–Javed. The project established his signature "angry young man" persona, an anti-establishment archetype that resonated strongly with Indian audiences navigating contemporary socioeconomic challenges.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Bachchan starred in a series of major box-office successes, including landmark titles such as Deewaar, Sholay, Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, Trishul, Don, and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. He built notable creative partnerships with directors Prakash Mehra, Manmohan Desai, and Yash Chopra. In 1973, he married frequent co-star Jaya Bhaduri.

Following a career pause during the 1990s, Bachchan made a successful return to screen acting with the 2000 release Mohabbatein. His later work encompasses acclaimed roles in films such as Black, Sarkar, Paa, Piku, Pink, and Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, alongside an appearance in the 2013 Hollywood production The Great Gatsby. Beyond acting, he entered politics briefly in the 1980s, produced films, sang playback tracks, and gained substantial public reach as the host of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Bachchan's career achievements have been recognized with four National Film Awards for Best Actor, seventeen Filmfare Awards, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018. The Indian government granted him the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, while the French government named him an Officer of the Legion of Honour in 2007. Over his multi-decade career, he has built a large international following across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.