Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds, cannot do anything.’—These words by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw encapsulate the most important quality required for a nation and its citizens to succeed. One such person who epitomises this spirit is Amitabh Bachchan.
For the 75-year-old actor, age is truly just a number. While most people of his age prefer to enjoy their retired life, here is a septuagenarian who refuses to rest on his laurels or slow down. He continues to entertain and enthrall us in equal measure – whether it’s through cinema, television or social media.
Big B is a national icon who resonates with the young and old in every corner of India. His appeal and aura has spanned several generations and continues to remain intact even today. The Bollywood legend, who started off as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), forayed into Hindi cinema the same year with KA Abbas’s Saat Hindustani as an actor. This film flopped, but that did not stop him and he bounced back as the uptight babumoshai in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand (1971). He made his mark as Vijay, the angry young man, which went on to become his moniker for several hits, in Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer (1973). And from then on, there was no turning back.
The 70s was a turbulent phase in India with unemployment and labour unrest. In Yash Chopra’s Deewar (1975), Big B’s Vijay was an anti-establishment hero who connected with the masses with his adept portrayal of an underdog making his mark against all odds. Around the same time, he was seen in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay and over the years, he delivered hits like Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Trishul, Shaan and Coolie.
Over the next few decades, he has constantly changed the way he presented himself. Whether it was as a cop/vigilante who fights for the rights of the commoners in Shahenshah (1988), the man who protects his family against all odds in Hum (1991) or the mafia don in Agneepath (1990), Bachchan has always experimented with his roles. He continues to do the same even today by playing a sexagenarian chef who follows his heart in Cheeni Kum (2007), a 13-year-old who suffers from progeria in Paa (2009), a grumpy father suffering from chronic constipation in Piku (2015) and a lawyer who drove home the point about the significance of a woman’s consent in Pink (2016).
He had the foresight of setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd, a corporation company for film production and event management in 1995. A few years later, he relaunched the company in a new avatar as AB Corp Ltd and went on to produce several movies including Paa and Marathi film Vihir (2009).
Apart from bagging several awards, the legend has been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1984, Padma Bhushan in 2001 and in 2015, the Padma Vibhushan, for his contribution to arts. He has also been a trendsetter in more ways than one. In the year 2000, he dared to step on to the small screen as the host with the quiz show — Kaun Banega Crorepati. With his chaste Hindi and down-to-earth demeanour, he connected with the young and old across the length and breadth of the country. The quiz season, which had its ninth season last year, continues to be one of the most watched and loved shows of all time, thanks to AB’s impeccable hosting style.
Apart from endorsing several commercial products, the Shahenshah of Bollywood is associated with several social causes. He is the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India, state ambassador of Gujarat and is the face of ‘city compost’ campaign of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
Today, when social media has become an integral part of our lives, Big B has millions of followers on Facebook and Twitter and maintains his own blog too. He handles all his social media accounts personally and uses these platforms to stay connected with his fans.
With his work ethics, punctuality and attention to details, he continues to be a role model. He has never stopped himself from testing his own limits and setting new benchmarks, thereby staying true to his name—Amitabh, which means unending brilliance.
