Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (pronounced [əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbətʃːən]; born Inquilaab Srivastava; 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer, and former politician. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar, and Sholay, and was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood (in reference to his 1988 film Shahenshah), Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades. Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema.
He was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene during the 1970s–1980s, with the French director François Truffaut calling him a "one-man industry". Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he also has a large overseas following in markets including Africa (especially South Africa and Mauritius), the Middle East (especially Egypt), the United Kingdom, Russia, the Caribbean (especially Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (especially Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand) and parts of the United States.
Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award as a lifetime achievement award, and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 41 nominations overall. 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.
The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honored him with its highest civilian honor, Knight of the Legion of Honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.
Acting career
Anand (1971) followed, in which Bachchan starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. His role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garnered Bachchan his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award. He then played his first antagonist role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in Parwana (1971). Following Parwana were several films including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film Bawarchi. In 1972 he made an appearance in the road action comedy Bombay to Goa directed by S. Ramanathan which was moderately successful. Many of Bachchan's films during this early period did not do well, but that was about to change. His only film with Mala Sinha, Sanjog (1972) was also a box office success.
Zanjeer was a crime film with violent action, in sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it, and it established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema. He earned his first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor, with Filmfare later considering this one of the most iconic performances of Bollywood history. The film was 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. It was the first of many collaborations between Salim-Javed and Amitabh Bachchan; Salim-Javed wrote many of their subsequent scripts with Bachchan in mind for the lead role and insisted on him being cast for their later films, including blockbusters such as Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975). Salim Khan also introduced Bachchan to director Manmohan Desai with whom he formed a long and successful association, alongside Prakash Mehra and Yash Chopra. 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 supporting role in Anand). Bachchan was soon discovered by 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.
Eventually, Bachchan became one of the most successful leading men of the film industry. Bachchan's portrayal of the wronged hero fighting a crooked system and circumstances of deprivation in films like Zanjeer, Deeewar, Trishul, Kaala Patthar, and Shakti resonated with the masses of the time, especially the youth who harbored a simmering discontent owing to social ills such as poverty, hunger, unemployment, corruption, social inequality and the brutal excesses of The Emergency. This led to Bachchan being dubbed as the "angry young man", a journalistic catchphrase which became a metaphor for the dormant rage, frustration, restlessness, sense of rebellion and anti-establishment disposition of an entire generation, prevalent in 1970s India.
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 Best Supporting Actor award.
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.
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 Deewar, it has been cited by Indiatimes Movies as amongst 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 1976, he was cast by Yash Chopra in the romantic family drama Kabhie Kabhie. Bachchan starred as a young poet, Amit Malhotra, who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja (Rakhee Gulzar) who ends up marrying someone else (Shashi Kapoor). The film was notable for portraying Bachchan as a romantic hero, a far cry from his "angry young man" roles like Zanjeer and Deewar. The film evoked a favorable response from critics and audiences alike. Bachchan was again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role in the film. That same year he played a double role in the hit Adalat as father and son. In 1977, he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Amar Akbar Anthony, in which he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. The film was the highest-grossing film of that year. His other successes that year include Parvarish and Khoon Pasina.
He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade (1978) as Amit and Shankar and Don (1978) playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look-alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also gave towering performances in Yash Chopra's Trishul and Prakash Mehra's Muqaddar Ka Sikandar both of which earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. 1978 is arguably considered his most successful year at the box office since all of his six releases the same year, namely Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Trishul, Don, Kasme Vaade, Ganga Ki Saugandh, and Besharam were massive successes, the former three being the consecutive highest-grossing films of the year, remarkably releasing within a couple of months of each other, a rare feat in Indian cinema.
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 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, Andha Kanoon (in which he had an extended guest appearance) which were hits and Pukar was an average grosser During a stint in politics from 1984 to 1987, his completed films Mard (1985) and Aakhree Raasta (1986) were released and were major hits.
Coolie injury
On 26 July 1982, while filming Coolie, in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near-fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar.[68] 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 hospital for many months, at times close to death. The overwhelming public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating.[69]
Nevertheless, he resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. 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.
The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.
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").
In 2017, he appeared in the third installment 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 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 released in May 2018 and reunited with Kapoor onscreen after a gap of twenty-seven years. In October 2017, it was announced that Bachchan will appear in Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
Voice-acting
Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer, and a presenter for numerous programs. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice that he decided to use Bachchan as the narrator in his 1977 film Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players). Bachchan lent his voice as a narrator to the 2001 movie Lagaan which was a super hit. In 2005, Bachchan lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.
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)
- Parineeta (2005)
- Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
- Swami (2007)
- Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya! (2009)
- Ra.One (2011)
- Kahaani (2012)
- Krrish 3 (2013)
- Mahabharat (2013)
- Kochadaiiyaan (Hindi Version) (2014)
- The Ghazi Attack (2017)
- Firangi (2017)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Director(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Saat Hindustani | Anwar Ali | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas | National Film Award for Best Newcomer | |
| Bhuvan Shome | Narrator | Mrinal Sen | |||
| 1970 | Bombay Talkie | Himself | James Ivory | Special appearance | |
| 1971 | Parwana | Kumar Sen | Jyoti Swaroop | ||
| Anand | Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee a.k.a. Babu Moshaye | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | ||
| Pyar Ki Kahani | Ram Chand | Ravikant Nagaich | |||
| Reshma Aur Shera | Chotu | Sunil Dutt | |||
| Guddi | Himself | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Special appearance | ||
| 1972 | Sanjog | Mohan | S. S. Balan | ||
| Piya Ka Ghar | Basu Chatterjee | Special appearance | |||
| Bombay to Goa | Ravi Kumar | S. Ramanathan | |||
| Bawarchi | Narrator | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| Bansi Birju | Birju | Prakash Verma | |||
| Ek Nazar | Manmohan Akash Tyagi | B. R. Ishara | |||
| Raaste Kaa Patthar | Jai Shankar Rai | Mukul Dutt | |||
| Garam Masala | Robert Taylor | Aspi Irani | Uncredited Special appearance | ||
| Jaban | Dalaljit | Palash Banerjee | Special appearance | ||
| 1973 | Zanjeer | Inspector Vijay Khanna | Prakash Mehra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Bandhe Haath | Shyam /Deepak | O. P. Goyle | |||
| Gehri Chaal | Ratan | C. V. Sridhar | |||
| Abhimaan | Subir Kumar | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| Saudagar | Moti | Sudhendu Roy | |||
| Namak Haraam | Vikram Maharaj 'Vicky' | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | | |
| Bada Kabutar | Deven Verma | Special appearance | |||
| 1974 | Dost | Anand | Dulal Guha | Special appearance | |
| Kasauti | Amitabh Sharma | Aravind Sen | |||
| Benaam | Amit Srivastav | Narendra Bedi | |||
| Roti Kapda Aur Makaan | Vijay | Manoj Kumar | |||
| Kunwara Baap | Anthony | Mehmood Ali | Special appearance | ||
| Majboor | Ravi Khanna | Ravi Tandon | |||
| 1975 | Deewaar | Vijay Verma | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Zameer | Baadal | Ravi Chopra | |||
| Sholay | Jai (Jaidev) | Ramesh Sippy | |||
| Faraar | Rajesh (Raj) | Shankar Mukherjee | |||
| Chhoti Si Baat | Guest appearance | Basu Chatterjee | |||
| Chupke Chupke | Sukumar Sinha / Parimal Tripathi | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| Mili | Shekhar Dayal | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| 1976 | Do Anjaane | Amit Roy/Naresh Dutta | Dulal Guha | ||
| Kabhie Kabhie | Amitabh Malhotra | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Hera Pheri | Vijay / Inspector Hirachand | Prakash Mehra | |||
| Adalat | Thakur Dharam Chand / Raju | Narendra Bedi | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Balika Badhu | Voice-over | Tarun Majumdar | |||
| 1977 | Charandas | Qawwali singer | B. S. Thapa | Special appearance in song "'Dekh Lo" | |
| Amar Akbar Anthony | Anthony Gonzalves | Manmohan Desai | Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Immaan Dharam | Ahmed Raza | Desh Mukherjee | |||
| Khoon Pasina | Shiva / Tiger | Rakesh Kumar | |||
| Shatranj Ke Khilari | Narrator | Satyajit Ray | |||
| Parvarish | Amit | Manmohan Desai | |||
| Chala Murari Hero Banne | Himself | Asrani | Special appearance | ||
| Alaap | Alok Prasad | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| 1978 | Ganga Ki Saugandh | Jeeva | Sultan Ahmed | ||
| Kasme Vaade | Amit / Shankar | Ramesh Behl | |||
| Besharam | Ram Kumar Chandra/Prince Chandrashekar | Deven Verma | |||
| Trishul | Vijay Kumar | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Don | Don / Vijay | Chandra Barot | Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Muqaddar Ka Sikandar | Sikandar | Prakash Mehra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| 1979 | The Great Gambler | Jay / Inspector Vijay | Shakti Samanta | Also singer for "Do Lafzon Ki" | |
| Gol Maal | Himself | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Special appearance | ||
| Ahsaas | Himself | Surinder Suri | Special appearance | ||
| Jurmana | Inder Saxena | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | |||
| Manzil | Ajay Chandra | Basu Chatterjee | |||
| Mr. Natwarlal | Natwarlal / Avtar Singh | Rakesh Kumar | Also singer for "Mere Pas Aao" Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer | | |
| Kaala Patthar | Vijay Pal Singh | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Suhaag | Amit Kapoor | Manmohan Desai | |||
| Cinema Cinema | Himself | Krishna Shah | |||
| 1980 | Do Aur Do Paanch | Vijay/Ram | Rakesh Kumar | ||
| Dostana | Vijay Varma | Raj Khosla | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Ram Balram | Balram Singh | Vijay Anand | |||
| Shaan | Vijay Kumar | Ramesh Sippy | |||
| 1981 | Commander | Truck driver | Rakesh Kumar | Special appearance | |
| Yaarana | Kishan Kumar | Rakesh Kumar | |||
| Barsaat Ki Ek Raat | ACP Abhijeet Rai | Shakti Samanta | |||
| Anusandhan | ACP Abhijeet Rai | Shakti Samanta | Bengali film | ||
| Naseeb | Johnny | Manmohan Desai | Also playback singer for "Chal mere bhai" | | |
| Chashme Buddoor | Himself | Sai Paranjpye | Special appearance | ||
| Lawaaris | Heera | Prakash Mehra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for song "Mere Angene Mein" | ||
| Silsila | Amit Malhotra | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for: "Neela Aasman" "Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali" | | |
| Kaalia | Kallu / Kaalia | Tinnu Anand | |||
| Vilayati Babu | Dharam Kumar | Special appearance Punjabi film | |||
| 1982 | Satte Pe Satta | Ravi Anand / Babu | Raj N. Sippy | ||
| Bemisal | Dr. Sudhir Roy / Adhir Roy | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Desh Premee | Master Dinanath / Raju | Manmohan Desai | |||
| Namak Halaal | Arjun Singh | Prakash Mehra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Khud-Daar | Govind Srivastava / Chhotu Ustaad | Ravi Tandon | |||
| Shakti | Vijay Kumar | Ramesh Sippy | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| 1983 | Nastik | Shankar | Pramod Chakravorty | ||
| Andha Kanoon | Jan Nissar Akhtar Khan | Tatineni Rama Rao | Guest appearance Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | ||
| Mahaan | Rana Ranveer / Guru / Inspector Shankar | S. Ramanathan | |||
| Pukar | Ramdas | Ramesh Behl | Also playback singer for "Tu maike mat jaiyo" | | |
| Coolie | Iqbal A. Khan | Manmohan Desai | |||
| 1984 | Inquilaab | Amarnath | Tatineni Rama Rao | ||
| Khabardar | Unknown | Tatineni Rama Rao | Incomplete | ||
| Kanoon Kya Karega | Narrator | Mukul S. Anand | |||
| Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar | Himself | Sujit Kumar | Special appearance | ||
| Pet Pyaar Aur Paap | Himself | Durai (director) | Guest appearance | ||
| Sharaabi | Vicky Kapoor | Prakash Mehra | Nominated—Filmfare | ||
| 1985 | Geraftaar | Insp. Karan Kumar Khanna | Prayag Raaj | ||
| Ghulami | Narrator | J. P. Dutta | |||
| Mard | Raju | Manmohan Desai | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| 1986 | Aakhree Raasta | David D'Costa / Vijay Sandaliya | K. Bhagyaraj | ||
| 1987 | Jalwa | Himself | Pankaj Parashar | Special appearance | |
| 1988 | Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara | Himself | Rakesh Kumar | Special appearance Also playback singer for | |
| Shahenshah | Inspector Vijay Kumar Srivastav / Shahenshah | Tinnu Anand | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Hero Hiralal | Himself | Ketan Mehta | Special appearance | ||
| Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati | Ganga Prasad | Manmohan Desai | |||
| Soorma Bhopali | Police Inspector | Jagdeep | Special appearance | ||
| 1989 | Toofan | Shyam / Toofan | Ketan Desai | ||
| Batwara | Narrator | J. P. Dutta | |||
| Jaadugar | Goga / Gogeshwar | Prakash Mehra | Also playback singer for "Padosan Apni Murgi" | ||
| Main Azaad Hoon | Azaad | Tinnu Anand | Also playback singer for "Itne Baazu" | ||
| 1990 | Agneepath | Vijay Deenanath Chauhan | Mukul S. Anand | National Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Kroadh | Himself | Shashilal K. Nair | Special appearance | ||
| Aaj Ka Arjun | Bheema | K. C. Bokadia | |||
| 1991 | Hum | Tiger / Shekhar Malhotra | Mukul S. Anand | Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Ajooba | Ajooba/Zaffar Ali Rizwan | Shashi Kapoor Gennadi Vasilyev | |||
| Indrajeet | Indrajeet | K. V. Raju | |||
| Akayla | Inspector Vijay Verma | Ramesh Sippy | |||
| 1992 | Khuda Gawah | Badshah Khan | Mukul S. Anand | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Zulm Ki Hukumat | Narrator | Bharat Rangachary | |||
| 1993 | Professor Ki Padosan | Shantilal Soni | Special appearance | ||
| 1994 | Insaniyat | Inspector Amar | Tony Juneja | ||
| Akka | Himself | Shridhar Joshi | Special appearance Marathi film | ||
| 1996 | Ghatak: Lethal | Himself | Rajkumar Santoshi | Special appearance | |
| Tere Mere Sapne | Narrator | Joy Augustine | Also producer | ||
| 1997 | Mrityudata | Dr. Ram Prasad Ghayal | Mehul Kumar | Also producer | |
| 1998 | Major Saab | Major Jasbir Singh Rana | Tinnu Anand | Also producer | |
| Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | Inspector Arjun Singh / Bade Miyan | David Dhawan | |||
| Hero Hindustani | Narrator | Aziz Sejawal | |||
| 1999 | Lal Baadshah | Lal 'Baadshah' Singh / Ranbhir Singh | K. C. Bokadia | ||
| Sooryavansham | Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh / Heera Singh | E. V. V. Satyanarayana | Also singer for "Chori Se" | | |
| Biwi No.1 | Himself | David Dhawan | Special appearance | ||
| Hindustan Ki Kasam | Kabeera | Veeru Devgan | |||
| Kohram | Col. Balbir Singh Sodi (Devraj Hathoda) / Dada Bhai | Mehul Kumar | |||
| Hello Brother | God (voice) | Sohail Khan | |||
| 2000 | Mohabbatein | Narayan Shankar | Aditya Chopra | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| 2001 | Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love | Vijay Kapoor | Suneel Darshan | ||
| Lagaan | Narrator | Ashutosh Gowariker | |||
| Aks | Insp. Manu Verma | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | Also producer Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... | Yashvardhan "Yash" Raichand | Karan Johar | Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor Also singer for "Shava Shava" | | |
| 2002 | Aankhen | Vijay Singh Rajput | Vipul Amrutlal Shah | Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor | |
| Hum Kisise Kum Nahin | Dr. Rastogi | David Dhawan | |||
| Agni Varsha | Devraj | Arjun Sajnani | Special appearance | ||
| Kaante | Yashvardhan Rampal 'Major' | Sanjay Gupta | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| 2003 | Khushi | Narrator | S. J. Surya | ||
| Armaan | Dr. Siddharth Sinha | Honey Irani | Also singer for "Aao Milke Gaye" | | |
| Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost | Narrator | Apoorva Lakhia | |||
| Boom | Bade Mia | Kaizad Gustad | |||
| Baghban | Raj Malhotra | Ravi Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also playback singer for "Chali Chali" "Holi Khele" "Main Yaha" | | |
| Fun 2shh: Dudes in the 10th Century | Narrator | Imtiaz Punjabi | |||
| 2004 | Khakee | DCP Anant Kumar Shrivastav | Rajkumar Santoshi | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | |
| Aetbaar | Dr. Ranveer Malhotra | Vikram Bhatt | Also singer for "Jeena Hai" | | |
| Rudraksh | Narrator | Mani Shankar | |||
| Insaaf: The Justice | Narrator | Shrey Shrivastav | |||
| Dev | DCP Dev Pratap Singh | Govind Nihalani | |||
| Lakshya | Col. Sunil Damle | Farhan Akhtar | |||
| Deewaar | Major Ranvir Kaul | Milan Luthria | |||
| Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... | Raj Chauhan | Samir Karnik | |||
| Hum Kaun Hai? | Major Frank John Williams / Frank James Williams | Ravi Sharma Shankar | |||
| Veer-Zaara | Choudhary Sumer Singh | Yash Chopra | Nominated—Filmfare Award of Best Supporting Actor | | |
| Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo | Major General Amarjeet Singh | Anil Sharma | |||
| 2005 | Black | Debraj Sahai | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor | |
| Waqt: The Race Against Time | Ishwarchand Thakur | Vipul Amrutlal Shah | |||
| Bunty Aur Babli | DCP Dashrath Singh | Shaad Ali | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | | |
| Parineeta | Narrator | Pradeep Sarkar | |||
| Paheli | Gadariya | Amol Palekar | |||
| Sarkar | Subhash Nagre (Sarkar) | Ram Gopal Varma | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Viruddh... Family Comes First | Vidhyadhar Patwardhan | Mahesh Manjrekar | Also producer | ||
| Ramji Londonwaley | Himself | Sanjay Dayma | Special appearance | ||
| Dil Jo Bhi Kahey... | Shekhar Sinha | Romesh Sharma | |||
| Amrithadhare | Himself | Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar | Special appearance Kannada film | ||
| Ek Ajnabee | Suryaveer Singh | Apoorva Lakhia | |||
| 2006 | Family | Viren Sahai | Rajkumar Santoshi | Also producer | |
| 2006 | Darna Zaroori Hai | Sunil Khanna | Ram Gopal Varma | Appeared in one segment | |
| Amrutha Varsham | Himself | Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar | Special appearance Telugu film | ||
| Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna | Samarjit Talwar | Karan Johar | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | | |
| Ganga | Thakur Vijay Singh | Abhishek Chaddha | Bhojpuri film | ||
| Baabul | Balraj Kapoor | Ravi Chopra | Also playback singer for "Come On" | | |
| 2007 | Eklavya: The Royal Guard | Eklavya | Vidhu Vinod Chopra | ||
| Nishabd | Vijay Anand | Ram Gopal Varma | |||
| Ek Krantiveer: Vasudev Balwant Phadke | Narrator | Gajendra Ahire | Marathi film | ||
| Cheeni Kum | Buddhadev Gupta | R. Balki | |||
| Shootout at Lokhandwala | Advocate Dhingra | Apoorva Lakhia | |||
| Swami | Narrator | Ganesh Acharya | |||
| Jhoom Barabar Jhoom | Sutradhar | Shaad Ali | |||
| Aag | Babban Singh | Ram Gopal Varma | |||
| The Last Lear | Harish Mishra | Rituparno Ghosh | English language film | ||
| Om Shanti Om | Himself | Farah Khan | Special appearance | ||
| 2008 | Jodhaa Akbar | Narrator | Ashutosh Gowariker | ||
| Yaar Meri Zindagi | Dr. Ajay Singh | Ashok Gupta | |||
| Bhoothnath | Kailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath | Vivek Sharma | Also playback singer for "Mere Buddy" and "Chalo Jaane Do" | | |
| Sarkar Raj | Subhash Nagre (Sarkar) | Ram Gopal Varma | |||
| God Tussi Great Ho | God | Rumi Jaffrey | |||
| 2009 | Delhi-6 | Dadaji | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | Special appearance Also playback singer for "Noor" | |
| Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya! | Narrator | Girish Girija Joshi | |||
| Aladin | Genius | Sujoy Ghosh | Also playback singer for "Genie Rap" "O re Sawariya" | | |
| Paa | Auro | R. Balki | National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also producer Also playback singer for "Mere Paa" | | |
| 2010 | Rann | Vijay Harshwardhan Malik | Ram Gopal Varma | ||
| Teen Patti | Prof. Venkat Subramanium | Leena Yadav | |||
| Kandahar | Lokanatha Sharma | Major Ravi | Malayalam film | ||
| 2011 | Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap | Vijay 'Vijju' Malhotra | Puri Jagannadh | Also producer Also playback singer for song "Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap" | |
| Aarakshan | Prabhakar Anand | Prakash Jha | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | ||
| Ra.One | Narrator | Anubhav Sinha | |||
| 2012 | Kahaani | Sujoy Ghosh | Playback singer for song "Ekla Chalo Re" | ||
| Mr. Bhatti on Chutti | Himself | Karan Razdan | Special appearance | ||
| Department | Sarjerao Gaikwad | Ram Gopal Varma | |||
| Bol Bachchan | Himself | Rohit Shetty | Playback singer and appeared in song "Bol Bachchan" | ||
| English Vinglish | Passenger in the aeroplane | Gauri Shinde | Special appearance | ||
| 2013 | The Great Gatsby | Meyer Wolfsheim | Baz Luhrmann | Special appearance English film | |
| Bombay Talkies | Himself | Anurag Kashyap | Special appearance on segment "Murabba" | ||
| Satyagraha | Dwarka Anand | Prakash Jha | |||
| Boss | Narrator | Anthony D'Souza | |||
| Krrish 3 | Narrator | Rakesh Roshan | |||
| Mahabharat | Bhishma (voice) | Amaan Khan | Animated film | ||
| 2014 | Bhoothnath Returns | Khailash Nath a.k.a. Bhoothnath | Nitesh Tiwari | ||
| Manam | Pratap | Vikram Kumar | Special appearance Telugu film | ||
| Kochadaiiyaan | Narrator | Soundarya R. Ashwin | Hindi version | ||
| 2015 | Shamitabh | Amitabh Sinha | R. Balki | Also producer Also playback singer for song "Piddly" | |
| Hey Bro | Ajay Chandhok | Special appearance in song "Birju" | |||
| Piku | Bhashkor Banerjee | Shoojit Sircar | National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| 2016 | Wazir | Pandit Omkarnath Dhar | Bejoy Nambiar | ||
| Ki & Ka | Himself | R. Balki | Special appearance | ||
| Te3n | John Biswas | Ribhu Dasgupta | |||
| Pink | Deepak Sehgall | Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor | | |
| 2017 | The Ghazi Attack | Narrator | Sankalp Reddy | Hindi version | |
| Begum Jaan | Narrator | Srijit Mukherji | |||
| Sarkar 3 | Subhash Nagre (Sarkar) | Ram Gopal Varma | |||
| Firangi | Narrator | Rajiv Dhingra | |||
| 2018 | Pad Man | Narrator | R. Balki | Special appearance | |
| 102 Not Out | Dattatraya Vakharia | Umesh Shukla | |||
| Helicopter Eela | Cameo appearance | Pradeep Sarkar | Cameo appearance | ||
| Thugs of Hindostan | Khudabaksh Azaad | Vijay Krishna Acharya | |||
| 2019 | Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi | Narrator | Krish Kangana Ranaut | ||
| Badla | Badal Gupta | Sujoy Ghosh | |||
| Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy | Gosayi Venkanna | Surender Reddy | Special appearance Telugu film | ||
| 2020 | AB Aani CD | Himself | Milind Lele | Marathi film; Special appearance | |
| Ghoomketu | Himself | Pushpendra Nath Misra | Special appearance | ||
| Gulabo Sitabo | Mirza Sheikh | Shoojit Sircar | |||
| Chehre | TBA | Rumi Jafry | Filming | ||
| Brahmastra | TBA | Ayan Mukerji | Filming | ||
| Butterfly | Ramesh Arvind | Post-production Playback singer Kannada film | |||
| Jhund | Vijay Barse | Nagraj Manjule | Filming | ||
| Uyarndha Manithan | TBA | Tamilvannan | Filming Tamil film |
Producer roles
| Year | Film | Acting role | Director(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Gulabi | Krishna Vamsi | Producer Telugu film | ||
| 1996 | Tere Mere Sapne | Narrator | Joy Augustine | Also producer | |
| Yuvathurki | Bhadran | Producer Malayalam film | |||
| 1997 | Mrityudata | Dr. Ram Prasad Ghayal | Mehul Kumar | Also producer | |
| Ullaasam | J. D.- Jerry | Producer Tamil film | |||
| 1998 | Saat Rang Ke Sapne | Priyadarshan | Producer | ||
| Major Saab | Major Jasbir Singh Rana | Tinnu Anand | Also producer | ||
| 2001 | Aks | Insp. Manu Verma | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | Also producer Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor | |
| 2005 | Viruddh... Family Comes First | Vidhyadhar Patwardhan | Mahesh Manjrekar | Also producer | |
| Antarmahal | Rituparno Ghosh | Producer Bengali film | |||
| 2006 | Family | Viren Sahai | Rajkumar Santoshi | Also producer | |
| 2009 | Paa | Auro | R. Balki | National Film Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Actor Also producer Also playback singer for "Mere Paa" | |
| 2010 | Vihir | Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni | Producer Marathi film | ||
| 2011 | Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap | Vijay 'Vijju' Malhotra | Puri Jagannadh | Also producer Also playback singer for the song "Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap" | |
| 2013 | Saptapadii | Niranjan Thade | Producer Gujarati film | ||
| 2015 | Shamitabh | Amitabh Sinha | R. Balki | Also producer Also playback singer for song "Piddly" | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Channel(s) | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-1994 | Dekh Bhai Dekh | Producer | DD Metro | ||
| 2000–06, 2010–2019 | Kaun Banega Crorepati | Host | Star Plus (1–3) Sony Entertainment Television (4–11) | Season 1, Season 2, Season 4–11 | |
| 2009 | Bigg Boss 3 | Host | Colors | Season 3 | |
| 2011 | The One Show | Himself | BBC One | Special appearance | |
| 2013 | Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap | Himself | Sony Entertainment Television | Voice over | |
| 2014 | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | Himself | SAB TV | Special appearance | |
| Yudh | Yudhisthir Sikarwar | Sony Entertainment Television | 20 episodes | ||
| 2015 | Desi Rascals | Himself | Sky 1 | Special appearance | |
| 2015-2016 | Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi | Host | Star Plus | ||
| 2016-2017 | Astra Force | Astra | Disney Channel | Voice Role Also co-creator with Sharad Devarajan |
Documentaries
| 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
| Year | Title | Role | Performer(s) | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Various | Himself | Bally Sagoo | "Aby Baby" | |
| 1988 | "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" | Himself | Various | — | |
| 2002 | "Kabhi Nahi" | Himself | Adnan Sami | "Tera Chehra" | |
| 2010 | "Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" | Himself | Various | — | |
| 2017 | "Phir Se" | Himself | Amruta Fadnavis | — | |
Awards and honors
In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in a BBC Your Millennium online poll. The organization 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 2001, he was honored 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 honors for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards. Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, and other competitive awards that Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honors 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 as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards.
In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been modeled 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 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 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. The then-President of Afghanistan awarded him the Order of Afghanistan in 1991 following the shooting of Khuda Gawah there. France's highest civilian honor, 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, Bachchan carried the Olympic torch during the last leg of its relay in London's Southwark.
Several books have been written about Bachchan.
- 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.
Bachchan himself wrote a book in 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life. In the early 80s, Bachchan authorized 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.
He was named "Hottest Vegetarian" by PETA India in 2012. He won the title of "Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian" in a contest poll run by PETA Asia.
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.
There is a temple in Kolkata, where Amitabh is worshipped as a God.
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