In what we call as a pride of Indian Cinema, the veteran and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan aka Big B is celebrating his 80th birthday today. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. During the 1970s–1980s, he was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene.
Amitabh Bachchan is the son of the famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan.
Big B is also referred as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi ka Mahanayak (Greatest actor of the century) and Star of the Millenium. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and achieved greater stardom in later years, he was dubbed India’s “angry young man” for his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades.
An epitome of personality, Amitabh Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award as lifetime achievement award and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won sixteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 42 nominations overall.
Sr Bachchan is not only an actor, but also a singer, film producer and television presenter. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s. The modern generation looks up to him and learns the way he evolved as an actor over the time period.
The Government of India honoured 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 honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond.
Amitabh Bachchan made his Malayalam debut in the movie ‘Kandahar’ along side Mohanlal and directed by Major Ravi. The plot is based on the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999.
