| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Inquilaab Srivastava [1] |
| Full Name | Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava |
| Nickname(s) | • Munna • Big B • Angry Young Man • AB Sr. • Amith • Shahenshah of Bollywood |
| Profession(s) | • Actor • TV Host • Former Politician |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| [2] Height | in centimeters- 188 cm in meters- 1.88 m in Feet Inches- 6’ 2” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 11 October 1942 |
| Age (as of 2021) | 79 Years |
| Birthplace | Allahabad, British India (now, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Signature |
 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| School | Jnana Pramodhini, Boys High School, Allahabad |
| College/University | • Sherwood College, Nainital • Government College Sector- 11, Chandigarh (attended for only 25 days) • Kirori Mal College, New Delhi |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Science |
| Debut | Film (Actor; Hindi)– Saat Hindustani (1969)
 Film (Actor; English)– The Great Gatsby (2013)  Film (Producer)– Tere Mere Sapne (1996)  TV (Host)– Kaun Banega Crorepati – KBC (2000)  |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Kayastha |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Political Inclination | Indian National Congress (INC) |
| Address | Jalsa, B/2, Kapol Housing Society, VL Mehta Road, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049, Maharashtra, India  |
| Hobbies | Singing, Blogging, Reading |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | Civilian Awards 1984: Padma Shri by the Government of India 2001: Padma Bhushan by the Government of India 2007: Knight of the Legion of Honour (France’s highest civilian honour from the Government of France) 2015: Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India  National Honours National Film Awards  Polls International Note: He has many more awards/honours/accolades to his name. |
| Controversies | • His name appeared in the Bofors scandal in which he was later declared not guilty.
• He was indicted for submitting false documents to prove that he is a farmer. • Stardust imposed a 15-years ban on him during his peak acting years. According to his blog, he brought the idea of National Emergency and ban on Media. So, media took that otherwise and banned Amitabh Bachchan: means no interviews, no mention or pictures, etc. • In 1996, he had to face a legal battle for organizing Miss World competition inappropriately. • In 2007, a Faizabad court ruled that Amitabh Bachchan was anything but a farmer— a secret most of India would have guessed but one that has landed the superstar in trouble over two messy land deals. According to the court, the actor had got himself certified a farmer by forgery; so that he could hold on to a 24-acre plot he had bought near Lonavla in Pune in the mid-1990s. Since Maharashtra laws allow only a farmer to buy agricultural land, the actor showed the Pune district authorities a certificate from the then Barabanki district magistrate, Ramashankar Sahu, saying Amitabh was a farmer because he owned farmland in the district. The court ruled that the 1993 Barabanki land transfer in Amitabh’s name was illegal. [3] • In September 2021, he appeared in an advertising campaign of a paan masala brand for which he received heavy criticism from netizens on social media. Various NGOs including the National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) and anti-tobacco organizations also urged him to withdraw himself from such advertisements. Next month, he withdrew from this advertisement campaign; it was revealed by a blog post, addressed by “the office of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan,” that read – “A few days after the commercial was aired, Mr Bachchan contacted the brand and stepped out of it last week. Upon checking why this sudden move – it was revealed that when Mr. Bachchan became associated with the brand, he wasn’t aware that it falls under surrogate advertising. Mr. Bachchan has terminated the contract with the brand, has written to them his termination and has returned the money received for the promotion.” [4]  |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | • Parveen Babi (Indian Actress)
 • Rekha (Indian Actress)  • Jaya Bhaduri (Indian Politician & Former Indian Actress) |
| Marriage Date | 3 June 1973
 |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan
 |
| Children | Son– Abhishek Bachchan (Actor) Daughter– Shweta Bachchan Nanda  |
| Daughter-in-Law | Aishwarya Rai (Actress) |
| Parents | Father– Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Hindi Poet) Mother– Teji Bachchan   Step-Mother– Shyamla (Step-mother) |
| Siblings | Brother– Ajitabh Bachchan (Younger, Businessman)
 Sister– None |
| Favourites | |
| Food | Bhindi Sabzi, Jalebi, Kheer, Gulab Jamun |
| Sweet Shop | Jhama Sweets, Chembur, Mumbai |
| Actor | Dilip Kumar |
| Actress | Waheeda Rehman |
| Comedian | Mehmood Ali |
| Film(s) | Bollywood– Kagaz Ke Phool, Ganga Jamuna, Pyasa Hollywood– Gone With The Wind, Godfather, Black, Scarface |
| Singer(s) | Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar |
| Music Instrument | Sarod |
| Colour | White |
| Sports | Cricket, Lawn Tennis |
| Tennis Player | Novak Djokovic |
| Football Club | Chelsea |
| Perfume | Lomani |
| Holiday Destination(s) | London, Switzerland, Saint Petersburg |
| Style Quotient | |
| Cars Collection | Bentley Arnage R, Bentley Continental GT, Lexus LX 470, Mercedes-Benz SL 500 AMG, Porche Cayman S, Range Rover SUV, Mini Cooper, Rolls Royce Phantom, Toyota Land Cruiser, BMW 760Li, BMW X5, Mercedes Benz S320, Mercedes Benz S600, Mercedes Benz E240
 Note: in April 2019, he sold his Rolls Royce Phantom worth ₹3.5 crore |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | $2.68 million (INR 20 crores/film; As in 2018) |
| Assets/Properties | Movable Assets– worth over Rs. 460 crore Immovable Assets– worth over Rs. 540 crore Jewellery– worth over Rs. 62 crore Vehicles– worth over Rs. 13 crore Watches– worth over Rs. 3.5 crore Pen(s)– worth over Rs. 9 lakh Residential Properties– a 3,175 sqm residential property in Brignogan Plage in France (in addition, properties in Noida, Bhopal, Pune, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar) Agricultural Land– a 3-acre plot worth Rs. 5.7 crore in Daulatpur area of Barabanki district House/Bungalow [5]  • Another property near Jalsa: In 2013, he purchased a property near Jalsa worth Rs. 50 crore; the property spread over 8,000 square feet, behind Jalsa.  • Pratiksha: Amitabh Bachchan shared this house with his parents Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. The family bought this Juhu-located house in 1976. This is the house where Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai tied the knot in 2007.  • Vatsa: This property is also located in Juhu thar the family has leased out to Citibank India.  • Ancestral House in Allahabad: His ancestral is situated at 17, Clive Road in Allahabad; the property has been transformed into an educational trust.  • Sopaan: The actor sold this property for Rs. 23 crore in 2022. The property is situated in Delhi’s Gulmohar Park, where his parents, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan, used to reside. [6]  • Juhu Aopartments: He owns two apartments in Juhu worth Rs. 40 crore and Rs. 1.75 crore respectively. |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $400 million (INR 2800 crores; as in 2019) [7] |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Amitabh Bachchan
- His forefathers belonged to the village- Babupatti of Pratapgarh District in Uttar Pradesh.
- His mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh and hailed from Lyallpur (now, in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan).
- His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a renowned Hindi Poet.
- Initially, he was named- ‘Inquilab,’ but after the suggestion of Sumitranandan Pant (a fellow poet of Harivansh Rai Bachchan), it was changed to ‘Amitabh,’ which means- ‘The light that will never die.’
Amitabh Bachchan in his childhood
- Although his real surname is ‘Srivastava,’ his father replaced it with ‘Bachchan, because his father Harivansh Rai abandoned the surname ‘Shrivastava’ to protest against the caste system in India.
- His mother had interest in theatres and was even offered a feature film role, which she denied later and preferred her domestic duties.
- During his college days, he used to act in plays.
A picture of a play starring Amitabh Bachchan during his college days
- When he was young, he wanted to become an engineer and was eager to join the Indian Air Force.
- During his college days, he was a good athlete and won the 100, 200 and 400-metre races. At the Sherwood in Nainital, he also won a Boxing Championship.
- In 1983, his left hand was burnt during Diwali.
- Amitabh, known for his Baritone voice, was once rejected by All India Radio.
- Before making his acting debut in “Saat Hindustani,” he made his film debut as a voice narrator in the National Award winning film- “Bhuvan Shome” (1969) by Mrinal Sen.
Amitabh Bachchan gave his voice in Bhuvan Shome
- For his role as a doctor in the 1971 film- Anand, he got his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
- He shared the screen with his future wife Jaya Bhaduri for the first time in the film- Guddi (1971); in which he made a guest appearance.
Amitabh Bachchan with Jaya Bachchan in Guddi
- He rose to stardom after the 1973 film- Zanjeer by Prakash Mehra; in which he played the role of Inspector Vijay Khanna. This film gave him the nickname- Angry Young Man, his performance in the film is also considered one of the most iconic performances in the history of Bollywood.
Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer
- Before the success of ‘Zanjeer,’ he was a part of 12 consecutive flop films.
- Amitabh shared a close bond with late actor Mehmood Ali who used to call him Danger Diabolic. While remembering Mehmood Ali on his eighth death anniversary in July 2012, Amitabh said,Mehmood Bhai was among the early contributors to my career graph, he having faith from day one in me, much against the wishes and comments of naysayers. For some peculiar reason he would address me as Danger Diabolic, and was the first producer to give me a lead role ? Bombay to Goa, a remake of a Tamil hit ‘Madras to Pondicherry.”
Amitabh Bachchan With Mehmood Ali
- Reportedly, he was paid Rs. 1 lakh for his role of Jai in the iconic Indian film- Sholay (1975).
Amitabh Bachchan in Sholay
Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan during the filming of Sholay
- On 26 July 1982, he suffered a near-fatal injury while filming Coolie at the University Campus in Bangalore. He was also declared clinically dead for 11 minutes by the doctors till they plunged adrenaline injections into his chest saving his life.
- After the Coolie incident, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis (a long-term neuromuscular disease that leads to varying degrees of muscle weakness).
- In 2017, during one of the episodes of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), he spoke about his tryst with Hepatitis B. He said that he had lost 75% of his liver due to late diagnosis of the disease, which he contracted through a blood transfusion after the Coolie accident. He also said that he was infected with Tuberculosis (TB) on the set of KBC in 2000. However, after proper treatment, he is now free from Tuberculosis (TB). Amitabh was also appointed the UNICEF ambassador of the hepatitis B awareness campaign.
- In 1984, he took a break from acting and entered politics to support his friend Rajiv Gandhi. He also contested for the Allahabad seat in the 8th Lok Sabha elections against H.N. Bahuguna and won with the highest victory margin in the history of the general elections (68.2% of the vote).
Amitabh Bachchan Campaigning During The 8th Lok Sabha Elections
- After 3 years in politics, he resigned, calling politics a cesspool.
- Reportedly, when his company- ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation) failed, his friend, Amar Singh, had helped him financially, following which, Amitabh started to support Amar Singh and his party- Samajwadi Party.
- He won his First National Film Award for the Best Actor for his role as a Mafia Don in the 1990 film- Agneepath.
- After the box-office failure of his film- Insaniyat (1994), he didn’t appear in any film for 5 years.
- In 1996, he formed his film production company- Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL). ABCL was also the main sponsor of the 1996 Miss World beauty pageant at Bangalore but lost millions.
- His career and fame were revived in 2000 when he made his television debut with a game show- Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).
- In June 2000, he became the First living Asian whose statue was modelled at the London’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
Amitabh Bachchan’s wax statue at the Madame Tussauds, London
- He had a pet dog, Shanouk, who died in June 2013 after a brief illness. It was a Piranha Dane dog, one of the world’s tallest dog breeds. [8]
Amitabh Bachchan with his pet dog, Shanouk
- He can write evenly well with both of his hands.
Amitabh Bachchan Writing
- In 2017, All Bengal Amitabh Bachchan Fans’ Association unveiled the life-size statue of Mr. Bachchan in Tiljala, a neighbourhood of South Kolkata. Crafted by Subrata Bose, the statue has given Bachchan’s ‘Sarkar’ avatar. [9]
Amitabh Bachchan’s Temple in Tiljala, Kolkata
- On 24 September 2019, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced through a tweet that Mr. Bachchan would be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The award came in the year that marked Mr. Bachchan’s golden jubilee in cinema since his debut in 1969 with Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’ Saat Hindustani. Interestingly, the Dadasaheb Phalke award itself was first presented in the year of Mr. Bachchan’s debut. It was introduced by the government in 1969 to commemorate the “father of Indian cinema” who directed Raja Harischandra (1913), India’s first feature film, and it was awarded for the first time to Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema.”
- When a KBC contestant asked him about his real name, he shared an interesting story behind his name. He said, during Quit India Movement in 1942 (his birth year), people used to organize rallies. His mother Teji Bachchan who was eight-month pregnant at that time joined one of the rallies. Unable to find her at the house, the family members got worried and searched for her at the rally. When they brought her back, one of Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s friends joked about Teji Bachchan’s patriotism and said that the baby (Amitabh Bachchan) should be named Inquilab. He added that later his father’s close friend Sumitra Nandan Pant, who visited the family on the same day Big B was born, came up with the name Amitabh.
- In April 2020, he shared a throwback picture on his social media account, reminiscing his first photo-shoot for a film magazine – ‘Star & Style.’
Amitabh Bachchan’s Post About His First Photo Shoot For a Magazine
- On 11 July 2020, he was tested positive for COVID-19 and had been admitted to the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai. The actor announced the news on his Twitter handle.
T 3590 -I have tested CoviD positive .. shifted to Hospital .. hospital informing authorities .. family and staff undergone tests , results awaited ..
All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested !
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 11, 2020
- The megastar often campaigns against smoking and drinking habits. Although he used to smoke and drink, he quit both habits in the early 1980s.
T 2441 – #WorldNoTobaccoDay – 31 May 2017, “Tobacco – a threat to development.” .. I left smoking almost 35 years ago ..!! Will you ? pic.twitter.com/V9rbD7hcrF
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) May 30, 2017
