October 10th, 2017 | Updated on March 28th, 2024
HINDI cinema’s greatest star, Amitabh Bachchan, has enjoyed a remarkable career and entertained audiences across different generations. the movie icon, who remains very much in demand Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan turns 75 on October 11. To mark the special occasion, Eastern Eye presents 75 facts about the superstar, who is also known as Big B.
1. Legendary actress Nargis worked with Amitabh Bachchan’s mother Teji in Indian Army hospitals during the 1965 war and got him his first foot in the Bollywood door by organising screen tests for him.
2. To pay the cab fare to commute to movie studios, the young hopeful gave his voice for audio jingles for products such as Horlicks. He’d earn Rs 50 for a jingle.
3. Bachchan faced several rejections in the early part of his career, including from movie producer Tarachand Barjatya, who said he looked too much like a poet to be a movie star.
4. The first professional credit the aspiring actor got was as a voice narrator for Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome (1969). His first name was shortened to Amit in the credits.
5. Bachchan appeared as an extra in Bombay Talkie(1970) for one scene, but it was edited out. That movie starred Shashi Kapoor, who would later play second lead to him in a string of super hits.
6. He landed his first full-fledged acting role in Saat Hindustani (1969) after original choice Tinnu Anand dropped out.
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7. Saat Hindustani (1969) is his only black and white film as an actor.
8. The first big support that Bachchan received in the film industry was from legendary comedian Mehmood, who recommended him to movie producers, gave him a place to stay and eventually signed him for his home production Bombay To Goa (1972).
9. Mehmood had mentored him for his breakthrough role in Anand (1971) and advised him to design his performance around lead star Rajesh Khanna, who would be playing a dying man.
10. Bachchan starred in eight movies directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. They were Anand (1971), Namak Haram (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Mili (1975), Chupke Chupke (1975), Alaap (1977), Jurmana (1979) and Bemisal (1982). He also had a guest appearance in Gol Maal (1979) and performed a voice over in Bawarchi (1972).
11. The basic premise of his movie Namak Haram (1973) was derived from Jean Anouilh’s classic play Becket.
12. Bachchan became famous for his intoxicated scenes, but the first time he played drunk was in Mili (1975).
13. Reshma Aur Shera (1971), which saw the young actor play a supporting role, was selected as India’s entry into the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for that year, but didn’t get nominated.
14. Bachchan was dropped from the advanced stages of Guddi (1971), which incidentally, was the movie that turned his future wife Jaya Bhaduri into a star.
15. The actor was cast as a villain for the first time in Parwana (1971) and the section where he changes his modes of transportation to cover up a crime was later copied in films including Johnny Gaddar (2007).
16. He landed the lead role in romantic drama Pyar Ki Kahani (1971) because the film industry had imposed a six-film limit on lead stars, which led to Jeetendra dropping out because he was shooting that many movies in 1971.
17. In Bandhe Haath (1973), Bachchan played a double role for the first time. He also got to drive a Mercedes Benz for the first time thanks to his much bigger co-star Mumtaz, who loaned him her car.
18. His early forgotten movie Raaste Ka Patthar (1972) was actually an adaptation of Billy Wilder’s hit comedy The Apartment (1960).
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19. Bachchan was considered for American movie Siddhartha (1972), but the role was given to Shashi Kapoor. It was a lucky escape for an actor who didn’t even like doing kissing scenes because the movie turned out to be sexually explicit.
20. Several stars rejected Zanjeer (1973) and regretted their decisions afterward because, overnight, the film turned Bachchan into a superstar. The movie, which launched his angry young man image, was inspired by spaghetti western Death Rides a Horse (1967)
21. Bachchan and his fiancé Jaya Bhaduri made a vow to get married if Zanjeer (1973) became a success. The movie released in May; they married on June 3.
22. The actor played a key role in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, which became the highest grossing movie of 1974.
23. Hit 1974 drama Majboor was a remake of Hollywood thriller Zig Zag (1970)
24. Shatrughan Sinha was originally supposed to play Jai in Sholay (1975), but the writing pair of Salim-Javed and co-star Dharmendra both recommended Bachchan and he landed the legendary role.
25. Sholay had a slow start at the box office, leading the producers to consider reshooting the climax and making Jai live. They were ready to film again, but the movie was a success and the original ending of his death remained intact.
26. Kabhi Kabhie (1976) was originally designed to have no songs, but producer Gulshan Rai felt they were essential and this resulted in a winning soundtrack.
27. Bachchan’s parents Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan make an appearance in Kabhi Kabhie during a wedding scene.
28. Yash Chopra directed classics Deewar (1975) and Kabhi Kabhie simultaneously with Bachchan playing two contrasting roles at opposite ends of the spectrum.
29. Bachchan rates the screenplay of Deewar as one of the greatest in Indian cinema history and described it as flawless.
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30. There were no dialogues written for Bachchan’s death scene in Deewar. He brilliantly ad-libbed the entire scene.
31. Director Satyajit Ray used Bachchan’s voice as a narrator in his 1977 film Shatranj Ke Khiladi. The movie was selected as India’s entry into the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for that year, but didn’t get nominated.
32. Director Manmohan Desai’s 1977 blockbusters Amar Akbar Anthony and Parvarish were shot simultaneously.
33. Desai was so impressed with Bachchan’s improvised drunken scene in Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) that he vowed to only work with him thereafter, unless he said no. It became the biggest hit of that year.
34. In 1978 Bachchan delivered the three highest-grossing films of that year – Muqaddar ka Sikandar, Trishul and Don.
35. Muqaddar Ka Sikandar was actually a clever adaptation of legendary novel Devdas, which has been turned into a movie in its original form many times.
36. Iconic Don (1978) song Khaike Pan Banaras Wala was not originally included in the film and only added on the suggestion of veteran star Manoj Kumar.
37. The name of the movie Mr Natwarlal (1979), and its lead character were named after a notorious Indian conman.
38. The original leading ladies cast opposite Bachchan in Silsila (1981) were Parveen Babi and Smita Patil, but director Yash Chopra changed his mind after the first day of shooting, to cast Jaya Bachchan and Rekha instead.
39. The legendary light bulb suit worn by Amitabh in Yaarana (1981) was his idea and inspired by a cowboy suit worn by Robert Redford in The Electric Horseman (1979).
40. Director Manmohan Desai originally wanted to reunite the Amar AkbarAnthony trio for Naseeb (1981), but was unable to do so because Vinod Khanna had quit the film industry to join a religious cult so he replaced him with Shatrughan Sinha.
41. Bachchan’s greatest acting influence was Dilip Kumar and he said it was a dream come true to work with him in Shakti (1982).
42. The classic Kaalia (1981) song Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai was shot on the same sets of Namak Halaal (1982) to save time and money.
43. Andha Kanoon (1983) had villains named Amar, Akbar and Anthony after Amitabh’s classic 1977 film.
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44. Smita Patil had called Bachchan two days before his near-death accident on the sets of Coolie (1983) to tell him she had a horrible dream he was dying.
45. After that accident on the sets of Coolie, the ending of the film was changed to a happier one with Bachchan’s character being kept alive. The ending of another film, Pukar (1983), was changed for the same reason.
46. The idea for Sharaabi (1984) was conceived on a flight from New York to the West Indies, where Bachchan was due to perform at a concert. The movie was loosely inspired by Dudley Moore movie Arthur (1981).
47. Before shooting commenced in 1983 for Sharaabi, Bachchan had an accident with a firecracker, leaving his hand badly injured, so most of the film was shot with his left hand in his pocket.
48. Inquilaab (1984) was a Bollywood adaptation of Kannada film Chakravyuha (1983).
49. Mard (1985) was the only movie directed by Manmohan Desai that had Bachchan as the solo lead. All the others were multi-starrers. Dmple Kapadia was the first choice for leading lady, but she demanded too much money and Amrita Singh was cast instead.
50. Aakhree Raasta (1986) was a remake of Tamil film Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (1984). The director was not happy with Sridevi’s voice in the film and got Rekha to dub for it instead.
