{"id":79896,"date":"2022-10-19T03:33:58","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T07:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=79896"},"modified":"2022-10-19T12:27:05","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T16:27:05","slug":"79896","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=79896","title":{"rendered":"Amitabh Bachchan:  Evergreen  Octogenarian is  Hindi  Filmdom\u2019s &#8220;Shahenshah&#8221; (King of Kings)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By<br \/>\nD.B.S.Jeyaraj<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well-known Hindi film actor Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his eightieth birthday  on October 11th. The veteran thespian continues to be active , playing a variety of  roles in films. As a \u201crasika\u201d who relishes  his performances, it is with great pleasure that I write about him this week. It has been the practice of this column to focus on a film, film personality or film related topic on the first Saturday of each month. Since I  was unable to write on the first two Saturdays of this month, I do so now  on this third  Saturday.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/08FA1CC5-2D4D-4CB0-9405-0268E885C182-600x769.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"769\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-79918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/08FA1CC5-2D4D-4CB0-9405-0268E885C182-600x769.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/08FA1CC5-2D4D-4CB0-9405-0268E885C182-234x300.jpeg 234w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/08FA1CC5-2D4D-4CB0-9405-0268E885C182.jpeg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The six-foot three inch tall Amitabh Bachchan with a deep baritone voice is a towering personality in Hindi cinema. He has been walking tall for  more than five decades as a lead and supporting actor. He has given voice-overs in some films too. Bachchan has also been a playback singer and film producer.<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan dominated Hindi cinema as a superstar from the mid-seventies to the early nineties of the 20th century. So great was his power and influence  in those years that the famous French director Francois Truffaut described him once as a \u201cone-man industry\u201d.  He is no more a super star playing the lead nowadays. Nevertheless  the evergreen actor playing assorted  non-hero roles remains   perennially popular with a broad fan base.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan has won numerous awards at film festivals and from film journals over the years.India\u2019s reputed film journal in English is the \u2018Filmfare\u2019 magazine. Gaining a laurel from \u2018Filmfare\u2019 in any category is considered to be a milepost in the career of a film artiste. Amitabh Bachchan has been nominated  in the past for 43 awards in the categories of supporting actor, lead actor and critic\u2019s choice  and has won 17  awards from the magazine. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Dadasaheb Phalke Award<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> He is also the recipient of India\u2019s celebrated Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The annual award  given by the Indian Govt honours a distinguished person in the field of cinema for his or her \u201coutstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema\u201d. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the jewel in Amitabh\u2019s  crown.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh | Abhimaan(1973) | Lata Mangeshkar |Kishore Kumar Hit Song | #amitabhbachchan\" width=\"730\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hCO1xbKu0zY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Apart from cinema-related awards, Amitabh Bachchan has also been honoured by the Indian Government with three of the four high civilian awards. He got the \u2018Padma Shri\u2019 in 1984, the \u2018Padma Bhushan\u2019 in 2001 and the \u2018Padma Vibushan\u2019 in 2015 for contributions made in  the arts sphere. Only the highest civilian award of all ,the \u2018Bharat Ratna\u2019 , awaits him now.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36-600x609.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"609\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-79893\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36-600x609.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36-296x300.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36-768x779.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36-730x740.jpeg 730w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/DBDB6727-6550-409C-84BC-80DADD57CD36.jpeg 1051w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The love and adulation showered on Amitabh by fans is almost unbelievable. In 1982 he was injured while an action scene was being filmed for the film \u2018Coolie\u2019. He was hospitalised in a serious condition. Fans in India began conducting thousands of poojas for his recovery in temples. Hundreds of special prayer meetings and devotional \u2018Bhajans\u2019 were held. Numerous people observed fasts and rituals. Some rolled on the grounds surrounding places of worship. A temple dedicated to him was constructed.<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan was the first living Asian actor whose waxwork model is displayed at the Madame Tussauds in London. A BBC online poll voted him as the Most Popular Actor in the World. He had the honour of carrying the Olympic flame in London. Once when he went to Egypt the fans at Cairo Airport including employees mobbed him. Officials formed a human circle around the actor to protect him from the ecstatic fans. He could not move outside it. Eventually Amitabh was whisked away under police escort to a hotel. Airport and Immigration authorities went to his hotel suite and completed the paperwork formalities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Born on 11 October  1942<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bachchan was born on 11 October  1942, Amitabh\u2019s father Harivansh Rai Shrivastava was a Hindi=speaking Kayastha Hindu from Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state in India. He had a doctorate in English literature from Cambridge University in Britain but was also a renowned Hindi writer and poet. <\/p>\n<p>Harivansh Raj  used the pseudonym \u201cBachchan\u201d meaning \u2018childlike\u2019 in spoken Hindi. Later he adopted it as his surname. Amitabh\u2019s mother Teji Bachchan was a Punjabi Sikh hailing from Faisalabad in present-day Pakistan. She was very much interested in theatre.<\/p>\n<p>The couple moved to Allahabad where Amitabh and his younger brother Ajitabh were born. Amitabh\u2019s given name at birth was \u201cInquilaab\u201d meaning revolution in Urdu. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi known as \u201cMahatma (great soul) Gandhi\u201d had launched the \u2018Quit India\u2019 freedom campaign against the British colonialists in August 1942. It electrified the political environment of what was then \u201cBritish India\u201d. Among the slogans and chants popular then was the Urdu \u201cInquilaab Zindabad\u201d meaning \u201cLong live the revolution\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inquilaab  to Amitabh<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many felt the Indian freedom struggle was a revolutionary process then. The poetic father inspired by the slogan named his son \u201cInquilaab\u201d (revolution). However after some years the name Inquilaab was changed to Amitabh at the request of another Hindi poet and friend Sumitrananda Pant. Amitabh means \u201cinfinite or immeasurable light\u201d. Inquilaab Srivastava became known as Amitabh Bachchan. The family name is now Bachchan.<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh called Amit during childhood had his primary schooling at Allahabad. He was later boarded at Sherwood College in Nainital for his secondary studies. While at Sherwood he acted in school dramas and discovered that he had both a flair as well as passion for acting. His mother encouraged him saying the son should always \u201ctake the centre stage\u201d. Amitabh completed his tertiary education at the Kirori Mal College in New Delhi that was affiliated to the Delhi University. He obtained two Masters Degrees in the arts there.<\/p>\n<p>After finishing university Bachchan got a job as executive trainee at the Shaw, Wallace and Hedges firm in the Eastern Indian city of Calcutta now known as Kolkata. He relocated to the West Bengal state capital. Subsequently he shifted to the shipping firm Bird and Co and became a freight broker. <\/p>\n<p>Even though he was financially well-off with bright prospects, Amitabh found himself restless and discontented. Calcutta was a cultural haven where Bengali plays were staged and films screened regularly. Amitabh saw many of them and felt the powerful urge to act. His heart desired to be an actor. After mulling it over for many months he finally decided to act.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Calcutta to Bombay<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan quit his lucrative job in Calcutta and moved to Mumbai known as Bombay then. Bombay dubbed in lighter vein as \u201cBollywood\u201d is the Hollywood of India. It is a factory of dreams and illusions for those interested in entering the cinema industry. Amitabh Bachchan knocked on the doors of many a film producer and director and film agents. He was rebuffed by all saying he was \u201ctoo tall and dark\u201d. Exasperated he tried to be a singer and went to an All-India Radio audition. He was rejected.<\/p>\n<p>A thoroughly disappointed and dejected Amitabh was about to bid farewell  to Bombay and his dreams when fate intervened benevolently. The famous Bengali Director Mrinal Sen who along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak pioneered the new wave of Indian cinema had embarked on a project to make a film in Hindi. The film was \u2018Bhuvan Shome,\u2019 released in May 1969. The film won national awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor. Mrinal Sen gave Amitabh Bachchan a break by getting him to do voiceovers and the narration. Though critics and fans raved over the film, Amitabh Bachchan the narrator went unnoticed. Yet the opportunity to be involved in the film was a morale booster to Bachchan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018Saat Hindustani\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile the well-known film maker K. A. Abbas (Khwaja Ahamad Abbas) had written the story and screenplay for a film based on the successful Western \u2018The Magnificent Seven\u2019 directed by John Sturges. K.A. Abbas \u201cindianised\u201d the film by changing the story. <\/p>\n<p>In the English film seven cowboys led by Yul Brynner help free a terrorised Mexican village from bandits led by Eli Wallach. In Abbas\u2019s Hindi film the story was changed into that of six men and a woman from different regions of India infiltrating Goa ruled by Portugal and hoisting the Indian flag atop liberated Portuguese forts. He named the film \u2018Saat Hindustani\u2019 or \u2018Seven Indians\u2019 and went on to produce and direct it.<\/p>\n<p>K.A. Abbas selected several actors for the film. One was Utpal Dutt who acted in \u2018Bhuvan Shome\u2019 and won Best Actor award. Utpal Dutt suggested the name of Amitabh Bachchan for a role to Abbas. The Director auditioned Amitabh and was impressed. He cast Amitabh Bachchan in the role of Anwar Ali, a Muslim poet from Bihar who recites poetry at times. The film released in November 1969 won two national awards. Amitabh Bachchan\u2019s debut performance was noted by film critics and reviewers.<\/p>\n<p>Among those who acted in the film was the Kerala artiste Madhu who had enacted the role of Paarikkutty in the award-winning Malayalam film \u2018Chemmeen,\u2019 directed by Ramu Kariyat. Madhu and Bachchan struck up a close friendship when Abbas\u2019s film was being shot in Maharashtra and Goa. Later Madhu spoke about acting along with Amitabh Bachchan in \u2018Saat Hindustani\u2019 in an interview to the \u2018Rediff\u2019 website. Here are a few excerpts:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeveral of the seven Hindustanis in the film were newcomers. Amitabh Bachchan was one of them. We shot in Mumbai and Goa for a month. Those days, all of us stayed together in guesthouses like one big family. We were all young and enthusiastic. Though several years have passed by, how can I forget the days when we spent 24 hours a day together and also slept in the same room for more than a month?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had noticed Amitabh\u2019s attitude toward work and his willingness to learn. Though it was his first film, he did not give the feeling that he was facing a camera for the first film. I could see an unusual spark in him and a special talent that was waiting to be tapped. But I was more impressed with his voice. Later, I came to know that he had the habit of reciting his father\u2019s verses all the time. That is was what made his voice so attractive. Perhaps he does not know how much those recitations have helped his voice but I am sure that is why his voice is so delightful to ears now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh began to catch the eye of many directors after Saat Hindustani. One of these was Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He was planning to make the film \u2018Guddi\u2019 starring Dharmendra, Utpal Dutt and Jaya Bhaduri a Bengali actress. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Romancing Jaya Bhaduri<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jaya Bhaduri played the schoolgirl Kusum who had a huge crush on the Hindi film star Dharmendra played by Dharmendra himself. Mukherjee thought of casting Amitabh Bachchan in the role of Kusum\u2019s boyfriend Navin. This was endorsed by Utpal Dutt. <\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri met each other for the first time on the sets of \u2018Guddi\u2019. They began dating each other and a romance sparked. Amitabh Bachcan was quoted by an Indian magazine saying: \u201cFirst I saw her pictures, she looked small, cute and impish. Then Hrishikesh approached me for Guddi, and I came to know that Jaya was the actress. I first met her on the sets. We liked each other\u2019s company, went out together and had a good group on the sets.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When asked what attracted Jaya to Amitabh physically, Jaya coyly replied: \u201cHis eyes. But it\u2019s impossible to explain&#8230;so many personal things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly enough, Amitabh never got to play the role of Navin  with Jaya in \u2018Guddi\u2019. Apart from  \u2018Guddi\u2019, Hrishikesh  Mukerjee was also making \u201cAnand\u201d with the then reigning Hindi super star Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. While shooting \u2018Anand\u2019 the director realised that Amitabh had the potential for being a great actor and should not be \u201cwasted\u201din a minor \u2018Guddi\u201d part. So Hrishikesh  replaced Amitabh with Samit Bhanja. Subsequently Amitabh won his first \u201cFilmfare\u201d award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in \u2018Anand\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-600x600.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-79894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C-730x730.jpeg 730w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B4206CAB-4068-4860-A617-F5488ABD7A3C.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p> Despite being taken off \u2018Guddi\u201d,  the budding  Amitabh-Jaya relationship  on the sets of \u2018Guddi\u2019 bloomed into committed love on the sets of  their later films \u2018Zanjeer\u2019 and \u2018Abhiman\u2019. Amitabh and Jaya played lovers in one and husband and wife in the other. Zanjeer was released on 11 May 1973. They married on 3 June 1973 and Jaya Bhaduri became Jaya Bachchan. A month later \u2018Abhiman\u2019 was released on 27 July 1973.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cAngry Young Man\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The year 1973 was a remarkable life-changing year for Amitabh Bachchan. Apart from his marriage to Jaya, Amitabh\u2019s career was on the ascendant from 1973 onwards.  The tall man with intense eyes and a deep voice went on to become the \u201cAngry Young Man\u201dof Hindi cinema. The launching pad for this angry, young image was \u2018Zanjeer\u2019 directed by Prakesh Mehra.The screenplay and dialogues were written by the  Salim-Javed duo.The Salim-Javed duo comprising Salim Khan and Javed Akthar was  to write the scripts for several films starring Amitabh as the angry young man  in the seventies of the last century. In a write-up on Amitabh Bachchan the BBC described this phase thus &#8211;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 1970s were turbulent in India. There was political unrest, unemployment and labour unrest, and a souring of the post-Independence dream of a new dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bachchan persona, as packaged by Salim-Javed, was a creation of the times. Essentially an urban creature, he was a loner, born and bred in the slums. Bachchan became a symbol of protest against India&#8217;s ills &#8211; and his popularity triggered a decline in the traditional rural romances that dominated Hindi films.It was in Yash Chopra&#8217;s film   \u201cDeewar\u201d(Wall) in 1975 &#8211; also scripted by Salim-Javed &#8211; that the  persona came into its own &#8211; an angry young man seething with an intensity seldom seen on the Indian screen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Superstardom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Then came fims like  Namakharam, Chupke Chupke, Majboor, Faraar, Mili, Sholay, Kabhie Kabhie,Adalat and Amar,Akbar, Anthony. All of these were critically acclaimed commercial successes especially Sholay. With these films Amitabh Bachchan  was acknowledged as the brightest  super star in the Hindi cinematic constellation. This position was further cemented with films like Don, Trishool, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Sulaag,Mr.Natwarlal(in which he sang on screen for the first time), Kalaa Pathar, The Great Gambler, Dostana,Silsila, Desh Premee, Namak Halaal, Coolie and Maard.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ulUZcdwTVaA?controls=0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p>Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi\u2019s family and the Bachchan family were long time friends. Amitabh and Rajiv Gandhi were close friends long before they entered films or politics. Rajiv Gandhi became Premier after Indira\u2019s assassination in 1984. When Parliamentary polls were announced Rajiv requested Amitabh to contest on the Congress party ticket and Amitabh obliged.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lok Sabha MP<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan faced off with former Uttar Pradesh chief minister HN Bahuguna in Allahabad at the December 1984 elections. Bachchan defeated Bahuguna in a straight fight with a majority of 187,795 votes. Amitabh polled 297,461 (68.l2%)to his opponent\u2019s 109,666 (25.15%). Amitabh Bachchan  became a Lok Sabha MP with other  movie stars like Vyjayanthimala Bali and Sunil Dutt. It was then thought that  Amitabh would bid adieu to Cinema but it turned out to be  only an au revoir. He quit politics and returned to films in 3 years.<\/p>\n<p>The infamous Bofors Scandal regarding alleged corruption in arms purchases by the Rajiv Gandhi Govt had erupted in 1987  following disclosures made in the Swedish newspaper \u201cDagens Nyheter\u201d. It was alleged that \u201cmiddlemen\u201d had played a dubious role in a shady deal in 1986  where  four hundred 155 mm Howitzer guns had been procured from the Swedish firm AD Bofors for the Indian army. Amitabh\u2019s brother Ajitabh was allegedly implicated. The adverse fall-out resulted in Amitabh Bachchan resigning his MP seat in July 1987.<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan returned to films with a bang in 1988. He starred with Meenakshi Seshadri in the block buster \u2018Shahenshah\u2019. In 1990 he acted  in \u201cAgneepath\u201d where his role as a Mafia Don earned Amitabh his first national award for Best Actor. Things however were not rosy. Many of Amitabh\u2019s films became box office flops. His superstar status dimished.<\/p>\n<p>Bachchan then turned to business and set up the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (ABCL) in 1996. The company  introduced products and provided services covering a cross-section of India&#8217;s entertainment industry.  Amitabh\u2019s  foray into the commercial world was a disaster with  the company collapsing due to a string of  failed business ventures. The ABCL was declared a failed company by the Indian Industries board.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Older Character  Actor Roles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though heavily in debt,  the proud Amitabh refused to declare bankruotcy. He returned to his first love the cinema. Though in his fifties, Bachchan hoped to revive his acting career and initially pay off his debts. He did not try to play younger \u201chero\u201d roles. Instead  he began acting in older character actor roles. The parts he played were  more in keeping with his age. Many of these roles were varied and challenging unlike most of the stereo-typed roles he played in his thirties and forties. It appeared  that he was getting  a wider range of roles  than earlier. In fact he has won three of his four national awards for Best Actor after 2000  playing elderly roles in Black, Paa and Piku.<\/p>\n<p>In 2005  Amitabh actedin   \u201cBlack \u201cas the elderly teacher of a deaf and blind girl played by Rani Mukerji. This won Bachchan his second national award for best actor.His first was for \u201cAgneepath\u201din 1990. Amitabh\u2019s third national award for best actor was in 2009. This was for \u201cPaa\u201d where he played a 1 Progeria afflicted 13 year old boy. This is a  disease that makes persons age faster and looking  much older than they actually are. Amitabh\u2019s son Abishekh  acted as his father in Paa. Bachchan\u2019s fourth national award for best actor was in 2015. The film was \u201cPiku\u201d where he acted as the father of Deepika Padukone.He  was in his element as a cantankerous old man suffering from chronic constipation. Rachel Salts wrote in the \u201cNew Yoork Times\u201d- \u201c there&#8217;s no mistaking the scene-stealing energy that Mr. Bachchan, India&#8217;s erstwhile Angry Young Man, musters for his new role of Cranky Old Man\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some of the remarkable films  Amitabh  has acted  in during this on going, tmmensely productivr  phase are Major Saab, Baghban, Mohabbatein,Kabhi Khushi Khabbie Gham, Bunty aur Bably, Sarkar,Black,Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Eklavya, Paa, Cheeni Kum, Shootout at Lokhandwala,Pink and Piku.<\/p>\n<p>Amitabh acted in his first English film \u201cThe Last Lear\u201d directed by Rituparno Gjosh and starring Preity Zinta and Arjun Ramphal in 2007. In 2013 he made his Hollywood debut in  \u2018The Great Gatsby\u2019 acting along with   Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.<\/p>\n<p> Bachchan not only paid off his debts but also began earning huge sums of money  as remuneration for acting and for appearing in advertisements. \u201cBrand  Bachchan\u201d  is very much in demand for sponsoring products despite  reportedly charging  Rs 5 to 8 crores for an endorsement. He also hosted the  hugely popular \u201cKaun Banega Crorepati\u201dshow on TV. This was the Hindi adaptation of the British TV gameshow \u201cWho Wants to be a Millionaire?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Will Not Stop Acting<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though an Octogenarian now,  Amitabh will not give up acting.  The  veteran Thespian has made a name and earned fame and wealth but still keeps acting. When he was asked about this in a media interview. Amitabh\u2019s response was: \u201cI am insecure about tomorrow. Will I get another job? Will it be appreciated? I will pursue acting for as long as I have a face and body that is acceptable to the people but I still worry that if I don\u2019t do better tomorrow, it will all go away.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When asked whether acting in films excited him still, Bachchan replied: \u201cI get excited every day: it is wonderful, and it is inexplicable. It would be a horrible day if I was to think, I have done it. It would kill any creativity I possess if I was to be satisfied. Any creative person should never be satisfied with their work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Abishek and Shweta<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri have been married since 1973.Their marriage has stood the test of time  despite rumours linking Amitabh to actresses Rekha and Parveen Babi in the past.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NAOHS6EeDUI?controls=0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p> The Bachchans have a son  Abhishek and a daughter Shweta . Abhishek Bachchan is a well known actor like his father. He is married to beauty queen -actress Aishwarya  Rai.They have a daughter Aaradhya, Shweta is a former model,journalist and author,She is narried to Businessman Nikil Nandha who is the grandson of the famous actor Raj Kapoor.They have a daughter Navya and a son Agastya.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Evergreen Emperor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Amitabh burst into superstardom by enacting the angry young man in \u201cDeewar\u201d. In his goden twilight, Bachcan played a cranky old man in \u201cPiku\u201d. Amitabh Bachchan was the hero in the film \u2018Shahenshah\u201dmeaning Emperor or King of Kings. One thing is certain. The angry young man turned cranky old man remains  the  evergreen Emperor of Hindi Cinema.<\/p>\n<p>D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com<\/p>\n<p>This is an updated version of an article appearing in the \u201cDBS Jeyaraj Column\u201d of the \u201cDaily Mirror\u201ddated 15th October 2022.It can e accessed here &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/opinion\/Amitabh-Bachchan-Evergreen-Emperor-of-Hindi-cinema-turns-80\/172-246860\">https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/opinion\/Amitabh-Bachchan-Evergreen-Emperor-of-Hindi-cinema-turns-80\/172-246860<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/169B9A7D-829E-43DE-8B22-7DBC5833E027.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"259\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-79895\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B3EEAC88-1CCF-43B2-B35B-961F0E9B8A53-600x769.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"769\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-79891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B3EEAC88-1CCF-43B2-B35B-961F0E9B8A53-600x769.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B3EEAC88-1CCF-43B2-B35B-961F0E9B8A53-234x300.jpeg 234w, https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/B3EEAC88-1CCF-43B2-B35B-961F0E9B8A53.jpeg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"tweetbutton79896\" class=\"tw_button\" style=\"float:right;margin-left:10px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdbsjeyaraj.com%2Fdbsj%2F%3Fp%3D79896&amp;text=Amitabh%20Bachchan%3A%20%20Evergreen%20%20Octogenarian%20is%20%20Hindi%20%20Filmdom%E2%80%99s%20%26%238220%3BShahenshah%26%238221%3B%20%28King%20of%20Kings%29&amp;related=&amp;lang=en&amp;count=horizontal\" class=\"twitter-share-button\"  style=\"width:55px;height:22px;background:transparent url('https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-tweet-button\/tweetn.png') no-repeat  0 0;text-align:left;text-indent:-9999px;display:block;\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By D.B.S.Jeyaraj Well-known Hindi film actor Amitabh Bachchan celebrated his eightieth birthday on October 11th. The veteran thespian continues to be active , playing a variety of roles in films. As a \u201crasika\u201d who relishes his performances, it is with great pleasure that I write about him this week. It has been the practice of &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=79896\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading &lsquo;Amitabh Bachchan:  Evergreen  Octogenarian is  Hindi  Filmdom\u2019s &#8220;Shahenshah&#8221; (King of Kings)&rsquo; &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79896"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79896"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79921,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79896\/revisions\/79921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=79896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=79896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}