WE FEEL GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE ABOUT THE

YOUNGRY YOUNG MAN AMITABH BACCHAN.

BORN IN ALLAHABAD, UTTAR PRADESH, AMITABH BACHCHAN HAILS FROM A HINDU

FAMILY. HIS FATHER, DR. HARIVANSH RAI BACHCHAN WAS A WELL-KNOWN HINDI POET, WHILE HIS MOTHER,

TEJI BACHCHAN WAS A SIKH FROM FAISALABAD (NOW IN PAKISTAN).[3]

BACHCHAN WAS INITIALLY NAMED INQUILAB, INSPIRED FROM THE PHRASE

INQUILAB ZINDABAD, DURING THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE, BUT WAS RE-

CHRISTENED AMITABH WHICH MEANS, "THE LIGHT THAT WOULD NEVER GO OFF."

THOUGH HIS SURNAME WAS SHRIVASTAVA,

HIS FATHER HAD ADOPTED THE PEN-NAME BACHCHAN, UNDER WHICH HE PUBLISHED

ALL HIS WORKS. IT IS WITH THIS LAST NAME THAT AMITABH DEBUTED IN FILMS, AND, FOR ALL PUBLIC PURPOSES, IT HAS BECOME THE

SURNAME OF ALL MEMBERS OF HIS CURRENT FAMILY.

AMITABH IS THE ELDER OF HARIVANSH RAI BACHCHAN'S TWO SONS, THE SECOND BEING AJITABH. HIS MOTHER HAD A KEEN INTEREST

IN THEATRE AND HAD BEEN OFFERED A ROLE IN A FILM, BUT PREFERRED HER

DOMESTIC DUTIES.

SHE HAD SOME DEGREE OF INFLUENCE IN BACHCHAN'S CHOICE OF CAREER BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS INSISTED THAT HE SHOULD TAKE THE

CENTRE STAGE.[4] HE ATTENDED ALLAHABAD'S JNANA PRABODHINI AND BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL (BHS),

FOLLOWED BY NAINITAL'S SHERWOOD COLLEGE, WHERE HE MAJORED IN THE ART STREAM. HE LATER

WENT ON TO STUDY AT KIRORI MAL COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DELHI AND COMPLETED A

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE. IN HIS TWENTIES, BACHCHAN GAVE UP A JOB AS FREIGHT BROKER

FOR THE SHIPPING FIRM, BIRD AND CO., BASED IN CALCUTTA NOW KNOWN AS KOLKATA, TO PURSUE A

CAREER IN ACTING.

HE MARRIED ACTRESS JAYA BHADURI ON JUNE 3, 1973, ACCORDING TO BENGALI RITES.

THE COUPLE HAS TWO CHILDREN: DAUGHTER SHWETA AND SON ABHISHEK.

BACHCHAN MADE HIS FILM DEBUT IN 1969 AS ONE OF THE SEVEN PROTAGONISTS IN SAAT HINDUSTANI, A FILM DIRECTED BY KHWAJA AHMAD ABBAS AND FEATURING UTPAL DUTT, MADHU AND JALAL AGHA.

THOUGH THE FILM WAS NOT A FINANCIAL SUCCESS, BACHCHAN WON HIS FIRST

NATIONAL FILM AWARD FOR BEST NEWCOMER.[5]

THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AND COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL ANAND (1971)

FOLLOWED, WHERE HE STARRED ALONGSIDE RAJESH KHANNA.

BACHCHAN'S ROLE AS A DOCTOR WITH A CYNICAL VIEW OF LIFE GARNED HIM A

FILMFARE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AWARD. AMITABH THEN PLAYED THE ROLE OF AN INFATUATED LOVER IN PARWAANA (1971)

OPPOSITE NAVIN NISCHOL, YOGEETA BALI AND OM PRAKASH AND WAS A RARE

INSTANCE OF HIM PORTRAYING THE VILLAIN. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL FILMS

WHICH WERE NOT PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL AT THE BOX OFFICE INCLUDING

RESHMA AUR SHERA (1971).

DURING THIS TIME, HE MADE A GUEST APPEARANCE IN THE FILM GUDDI WHICH

STARRED HIS FUTURE WIFE JAYA BHADURI OPPOSITE DHARMENDRA. NOTED FOR HIS DEEP BARITONE VOICE EARLY ON IN HIS

CAREER, HE NARRATED PART OF THE FILM BAWARCHI. IN 1972, HE MADE AN

APPEARANCE IN THE ROAD ACTION COMEDY BOMBAY TO GOA, DIRECTED BY

S. RAMANATHAN. HE STARRED ALONGSIDE ACTORS SUCH AS ARUNA IRANI, MEHMOOD,

ANWAR ALI AND NASIR HUSSAIN.

1973 SAW SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN BACHCHAN'S CAREER WHEN DIRECTOR

PRAKASH MEHRA CAST HIM IN THE LEADING ROLE FOR THE FILM ZANJEER (1973) AS INSPECTOR VIJAY KHANNA. THE FILM WAS A SHARP CONTRAST TO THE

ROMANTICALLY THEMED FILMS THAT HAD GENERALLY PRECEDED IT AND ESTABLISHED

AMITABH IN A NEW PERSONA — THE "ANGRY YOUNG MAN" OF BOLLYWOOD CINEMA,[2] A

REPUTATION HE WAS TO ACQUIRE IN PICTURES THAT FOLLOWED IT. IT WAS HIS FIRST FILM AS THE LEADING PROTAGONIST TO ACHIEVE BOX OFFICE

SUCCESS AND EARNED HIM A FILMFARE NOMINATION FOR BEST ACTOR.

1973 WAS ALSO THE YEAR HE MARRIED JAYA AND AROUND THIS TIME THEY APPEARED IN

SEVERAL FILMS TOGETHER, NOT ONLY IN ZANJEER BUT IN FILMS SUCH AS ABHIMAAN

WHICH FOLLOWED AND WAS RELEASED ONLY A MONTH AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE. LATER, BACHCHAN PLAYED THE ROLE OF VIKRAM IN THE FILM NAMAK HARAAM, A

SOCIAL DRAMA DIRECTED BY HRISHIKESH MUKHERJEE AND SCRIPTED BY BIRESH CHATTERJEE ADDRESSING THEMES

OF FRIENDSHIP. HIS SUPPORTING ROLE OPPOSITE RAJESH KHANNA AND REKHA WAS

PRAISED AND WON HIM THE FILMFARE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AWARD

.

IN 1974, BACHCHAN MADE SEVERAL GUEST APPEARANCES IN FILMS SUCH AS

KUNWARA BAAP AND DOST, BEFORE PLAYING A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE

HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF THAT YEAR, ROTI KAPDA AUR MAKAAN. THE FILM,

DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY MANOJ KUMAR, ADDRESSED THEMES OF HONESTY IN THE FACE OF OPPRESSION AND FINANCIAL AND

EMOTIONAL HARDSHIP WAS A CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS, PLACING AMITABH

OPPOSITE KUMAR HIMSELF, SHASHI KAPOOR AND ZEENAT AMAN.

BACHCHAN THEN PLAYED THE LEADING ROLE IN FILM MAJBOOR, RELEASED ON

DECEMBER 6, 1974, WHICH WAS A REMAKE OF THE HOLLYWOOD FILM ZIGZAG STARRING

GEORGE KENNEDY. THE FILM WAS ONLY A MODERATE SUCCESS AT THE BOX OFFICE[6] IN 1975, HE STARRED IN A VARIETY OF FILM

GENRES FROM THE COMEDY CHUPKE CHUPKE, THE CRIME DRAMA FARAAR TO THE ROMANTIC DRAMA MILI. HOWEVER 1975 WAS

THE YEAR WHEN HE APPEARED IN TWO FILMS WHICH ARE REGARDED AS IMPORTANT

IN HINDI CINEMATIC HISTORY.

HE STARRED IN THE YASH CHOPRA DIRECTED FILM DEEWAR, OPPOSITE SHASHI KAPOOR, NIRUPA ROY, AND NEETU SINGH, WHICH EARNED HIM A FILMFARE NOMINATION FOR BEST ACTOR. THE FILM BECAME A MAJOR HIT AT THE BOX OFFICE IN 1975, RANKING IN

AT NUMBER 4.[7] INDIATIMES MOVIES RANKS DEEWAAR AMONGST THE TOP 25 MUST SEE

BOLLYWOOD FILMS.[8] RELEASED ON AUGUST 15, 1975 WAS SHOLAY (MEANING FLAMES), WHICH

BECAME THE HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF ALL TIME IN INDIA, EARNING RS. 2,36,45,00,000 EQUIVALENT TO US$ 60 MILLION, AFTER ADJUSTING FOR INFLATION.

[9]

BACHCHAN PLAYED THE ROLE OF JAIDEV OPPOSITE A CAST WHICH INCLUDED SOME OF THE TOP NAMES

IN THE INDUSTRY INCLUDING DHARMENDRA, HEMA MALINI, SANJEEV KUMAR, JAYA BHADURI AND AMJAD KHAN. IN 1999, BBC INDIA DECLARED IT THE "FILM OF THE MILLENNIUM" AND LIKE DEEWAR, HAS BEEN CITED BY INDIATIMES MOVIES AS AMONGST THE TOP 25 MUST SEE BOLLYWOOD FILMS.[8] IN

THAT SAME YEAR, THE JUDGES OF THE 50TH ANNUAL FILMFARE AWARDS AWARDED IT WITH THE

SPECIAL DISTINCTION AWARD CALLED FILMFARE BEST FILM OF 50 YEARS. AFTER THE SUCCESS OF

FILMS SUCH AS SHOLAY AT THE BOX OFFICE,

BACHCHAN HAD NOW CONSOLIDATED HIS POSITION IN THE INDUSTRY AND FROM 1976

THROUGH TO 1984 WOULD RECEIVE AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF FILMFARE

BEST ACTOR AWARD AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS. ALTHOUGH FILMS SUCH AS

SHOLAY CEMENTED HIS STATUS AS BOLLYWOOD'S PRE-EMINENT ACTION HERO,

BACHCHAN ILLUSTRATED THAT HE WAS FLEXIBLE IN OTHER ROLES, SUCCESSFULLY

PLAYING THE ROMANTIC LEAD, IN FILMS SUCH AS KABHIE KABHIE (1976) AND COMIC TIMING IN COMEDIES SUCH AS AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY (1977) AND EARLIER, IN CHUPKE

CHUPKE (1975).

IN 1976, HE WAS ONCE AGAIN CAST BY DIRECTOR YASH CHOPRA IN HIS SECOND FILM, KABHI KABHIE, A ROMANTIC TALE IN WHICH BACHCHAN STARRED AS A YOUNG POET NAMED AMIT MALHOTRA WHO FALLS DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL NAMED POOJA PLAYED BY ACTRESS

RAKHEE GULZAR. THE EMOTIONAL ECLECTIC OF THE DIALOGUE AND SOFTNESS OF THE

SUBJECT MATTER PROVED A DIRECT CONTRAST TO SOME OF AMITABH'S EARLIER GRITTIER ACTION PICTURES AND THOSE HE

WOULD LATER GO ON TO PLAY.

THE FILM SAW HIM AGAIN NOMINATED FOR THE FILMFARE BEST ACTOR AWARD AND WAS A BOX OFFICE SUCCESS. IN 1977, HE WON THE FILMFARE BEST ACTOR AWARD FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY WHERE HE PLAYED THE THIRD

LEAD OPPOSITE VINOD KHANNA AND RISHI KAPOOR AS ANTHONY GONSALVES. 1978

WAS POSSIBLY THE MOST ACCOLADED YEAR OF HIS CAREER AND HE STARRED IN ALL

FOUR OF THE HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS OF INDIA IN THAT YEAR.[10]

HE ONCE AGAIN RESUMED DOUBLE ROLES IN FILMS SUCH AS KASME VAADE AS AMIT AND SHANKAR AND DON PLAYING THE CHARACTERS OF DON, A LEADER

OF AN UNDERWORLD GANG AND HIS LOOK ALIKE VIJAY. HIS PERFORMANCE WON HIM THE FILMFARE BEST ACTOR AWARD AND CONSIDERABLE CRITICAL ACCLAIM AS WITH HIS PERFORMANCES IN TRISHUL

AND MUQADDAR KA SIKANDER WHICH BOTH EARNED HIM FURTHER FILMFARE BEST ACTOR NOMINATIONS.

ON ACCOUNT OF THIS UNPRECEDENTED RUN AND SUCCESS HE ENCOUNTERED AT THIS STAGE IN HIS CAREER, HE WAS BILLED A "ONE-MAN INDUSTRY" BY THE FRENCH DIRECTOR FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT.[11]

IN 1979, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AMITABH WAS REQUIRED TO USE HIS SINGING VOICE FOR

THE FILM MR. NATWARLAL IN WHICH HE STARRED ALONGSIDE REKHA. HIS

PERFORMANCE IN THE FILM SAW HIM NOMINATED FOR BOTH THE FILMFARE BEST

ACTOR AWARD AND THE FILMFARE BEST MALE PLAYBACK AWARDS. IN 1979, HE ALSO RECEIVED BEST ACTOR NOMINATION FOR

KAALA PATTHAR (1979) AND THEN WENT ON TO BE NOMINATED AGAIN IN 1980 FOR THE RAJ KHOSLA DIRECTED FILM DOSTANA, IN

WHICH HE STARRED OPPOSITE SHATRUGHAN SINHA AND ZEENAT AMAN.

DOSTANA PROVED TO BE THE TOP GROSSING FILM OF 1980.[12]

IN 1981, HE STARRED IN YASH CHOPRA'S MELODRAMA FILM SILSILA, WHERE HE

STARRED ALONGSIDE HIS WIFE JAYA AND RUMOURED LOVER REKHA. OTHER FILMS OF THIS PERIOD INCLUDE RAM BALRAM (1980),

SHAAN (1980), LAWAARIS (1981), AND SHAKTI (1982) WHICH PITTED HIM AGAINST

LEGENDARY ACTOR DILIP KUMAR.[13]

WHILE FILMING COOLIE IN 1982, BACHCHAN SUFFERED A NEAR FATAL INTESTINAL

INJURY DURING THE FILMING OF A FIGHT SCENE WITH CO-ACTOR PUNEET ISSAR.[14]

BACHCHAN WAS PERFORMING HIS OWN STUNTS IN THE FILM AND ONE SCENE

REQUIRED HIM TO FALL ONTO A TABLE AND THEN ON THE GROUND. HOWEVER AS HE

JUMPED TOWARDS THE TABLE, THE CORNER OF THE TABLE STRUCK HIS ABDOMEN,

RESULTING IN A SPLENIC RUPTURE FROM WHICH HE LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF

BLOOD.

HE REQUIRED AN EMERGENCY SPLENECTOMY AND REMAINED CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL FOR MANY MONTHS, AT TIMES CLOSE TO DEATH. THE PUBLIC RESPONSE INCLUDED PRAYERS IN TEMPLES AND OFFERS TO SACRIFICE LIMBS TO SAVE HIM, WHILE

LATER, THERE WERE LONG QUEUES OF WELL-WISHING FANS OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE

WAS RECUPERATING.[15] NEVERTHELESS, HE SPENT MANY MONTHS RECOVERING AND RESUMED

FILMING LATER THAT YEAR AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF RECUPERATION. THE FILM WAS RELEASED IN

1983, AND PARTLY DUE TO THE HUGE PUBLICITY OF BACHCHAN'S ACCIDENT, THE FILM WAS A BOX

OFFICE SUCCESS.[16]

THE DIRECTOR, MANMOHAN DESAI, ALTERED THE ENDING OF COOLIE AFTER BACHCHAN'S ACCIDENT. BACHCHAN'S CHARACTER WAS

ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED OFF BUT AFTER THE CHANGE OF

SCRIPT, THE CHARACTER LIVED IN THE END. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INAPPROPRIATE, SAID

DESAI, FOR THE MAN WHO HAD JUST FENDED OFF DEATH IN REAL LIFE TO BE

KILLED ON SCREEN. ALSO, IN THE RELEASED FILM THE FOOTAGE OF THE FIGHT SCENE IS FROZEN AT THE CRITICAL MOMENT, AND A CAPTION APPEARS ONSCREEN MARKING THIS AS THE INSTANT OF THE ACTOR'S

INJURY AND THE ENSUING PUBLICITY OF THE ACCIDENT.[15]

LATER, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH MYASTHENIA GRAVIS. HIS ILLNESS MADE HIM FEEL WEAK BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY AND HE

DECIDED TO QUIT FILMS AND VENTURE INTO POLITICS. AT THIS TIME HE BECAME

PESSIMISTIC, EXPRESSING CONCERN WITH HOW A NEW FILM WOULD BE RECEIVED.

BEFORE EVERY RELEASE HE WOULD NEGATIVELY STATE, "YEH FILM TO FLOP HOGI!"

("THIS FILM WILL FLOP").[17]

IN 1984, AMITABH TOOK A BREAK FROM ACTING AND BRIEFLY ENTERED POLITICS IN SUPPORT OF LONG-

TIME FAMILY FRIEND, RAJIV GANDHI. HE CONTESTED ALLAHABAD'S LOK SABHA SEAT AGAINST H. N.

BAHUGUNA, FORMER CHIEF MINISTER OF UTTAR PRADESH AND WON BY THE HIGHEST VICTORY

MARGIN IN GENERAL ELECTION HISTORY (68.2% OF THE VOTE).[18] HIS POLITICAL CAREER, HOWEVER,

WAS SHORT-LIVED: HE RESIGNED AFTER THREE YEARS AND SAID IT IS A CESSPOOL. THE

RESIGNATION FOLLOWED THE IMPLICATION OF BACHCHAN AND HIS BROTHER IN THE "BOFORS

SCANDAL" BY A NEWSPAPER, WHICH HE VOWED TO TAKE TO COURT.[19] BACHCHAN WAS EVENTUALLY

FOUND NOT GUILTY OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE ORDEAL.

HIS OLD FRIEND, AMAR SINGH, HELPED HIM DURING A FINANCIAL CRISIS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF HIS

COMPANY ABCL. THEREFORE BACHCHAN STARTED TO SUPPORT AMAR SINGH'S POLITICAL PARTY, THE SAMAJWADI PARTY. JAYA BACHCHAN JOINED THE SAMAJWADI PARTY AND BECAME A RAJYA SABHA MEMBER.[20] BACHCHAN HAS CONTINUED TO DO FAVORS FOR THE SAMAJWADI PARTY, INCLUDING

ADVERTISEMENTS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE RECENTLY GOTTEN HIM

INTO TROUBLE AGAIN IN THE INDIAN COURTS FOR FALSE CLAIMS AFTER A PREVIOUS INCIDENT OF

SUBMISSION OF LEGAL PAPERS BY HIM, STATING THAT HE IS A FARMER.[21]

A 15 YEAR PRESS BAN AGAINST BACHCHAN WAS IMPOSED DURING HIS PEAK ACTING YEARS BY STARDUST AND SOME OF THE

OTHER FILM MAGAZINES. IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, BACHCHAN CLAIMED TO HAVE BANNED THE PRESS FROM ENTERING HIS SETS ALMOST TILL THE END OF 1989.[22]

IN 1988, BACHCHAN RETURNED TO FILMS, PLAYING THE TITLE ROLE IN SHAHENSHAH, WHICH WAS A BOX

OFFICE SUCCESS DUE TO THE HYPE OF BACHCHAN'S COMEBACK.[23] AFTER THE SUCCESS

OF HIS COMEBACK FILM HOWEVER, HIS STAR POWER BEGAN TO WANE AS ALL OF HIS

SUBSEQUENT FILMS FAILED AT THE BOX OFFICE. THE 1991 HIT FILM, HUM, LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT

REVERSE THIS TREND, BUT THE MOMENTUM WAS SHORT-LIVED AS HIS STRING OF BOX OFFICE

FAILURES CONTINUED. NOTABLY, DESPITE THE LACK OF HITS, IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT

BACHCHAN WON HIS SECOND NATIONAL FILM AWARD, FOR HIS PERFORMANCE AS A MAFIA DON IN

THE 1990 FILM AGNEEPATH.

THESE YEARS WOULD BE THE LAST HE WOULD BE SEEN ON SCREEN FOR SOME

TIME. AFTER THE RELEASE OF KHUDA GAWAH IN 1992, BACHCHAN WENT INTO SEMI-RETIREMENT FOR FIVE YEARS. IN 1994, ONE

OF HIS DELAYED FILMS INSANIYAT WAS RELEASED BUT WAS ALSO A BOX OFFICE

FAILURE.[24]

BACHCHAN TURNED PRODUCER DURING HIS TEMPORARY RETIREMENT PERIOD, SETTING UP

AMITABH BACHCHAN CORPORATION, LTD. (A.B.C.L.) IN 1996, WITH THE VISION OF BECOMING A 10 BILLION

RUPEES (APPROX 250 MILLION $US) PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY BY THE YEAR 2000.

ABCL'S STRATEGY WAS TO INTRODUCE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES COVERING THE ENTIRE SECTION OF

THE INDIA'S ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. ITS OPERATIONS WERE MAINSTREAM COMMERCIAL FILM PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, AUDIO CASSETTES AND VIDEO DISCS, PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF

TELEVISION SOFTWARE, CELEBRITY AND EVENT MANAGEMENT. SOON AFTER THE COMPANY WAS

LAUNCHED IN 1996, THE FIRST FILM WAS PRODUCED BY THE COMPANY.

TERE MERE SAPNE FAILED TO DO WELL AT THE BOX OFFICE BUT LAUNCHED THE CAREERS OF ACTORS SUCH AS ARSHAD WARSI AND SOUTH FILMS STAR SIMRAN. ABCL PRODUCED A FEW OTHER FILMS,

NONE OF WHICH DID WELL.IN 1997, BACHCHAN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIS

ACTING COMEBACK WITH THE FILM MRITYUDAATA, PRODUCED BY ABCL. THOUGH MRITYUDAATA

ATTEMPTED TO REPRISE BACHCHAN'S EARLIER SUCCESS AS AN ACTION HERO, THE FILM WAS A

FAILURE BOTH FINANCIALLY AND CRITICALLY. ABCL WAS THE MAIN SPONSOR OF THE THE 1996 MISS

WORLD BEAUTY PAGEANT, BANGALORE BUT LOST MILLIONS. THE FIASCO AND THE CONSEQUENT

LEGAL BATTLES SURROUNDING ABCL AND VARIOUS ENTITIES AFTER THE EVENT,

COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT ABCL WAS REPORTED TO HAVE OVERPAID MOST OF ITS TOP

LEVEL MANAGERS, EVENTUALLY LED TO ITS FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL COLLAPSE IN 1997. THE COMPANY WENT INTO ADMINISTRATION AND

WAS LATER DECLARED A FAILED COMPANY BY INDIAN INDUSTRIES BOARD. THE BOMBAY HIGH COURT, IN APRIL 1999, RESTRAINED BACHCHAN

FROM SELLING OFF HIS BOMBAY BUNGALOW 'PRATEEKSHA' AND TWO FLATS TILL THE PENDING LOAN RECOVERY CASES OF CANARA BANK WERE

DISPOSED OF. BACHCHAN HAD, HOWEVER, PLEADED THAT HE HAD MORTGAGED HIS BUNGALOW TO

SAHARA INDIA FINANCE FOR RAISING FUNDS FOR HIS COMPANY.[25]

BACHCHAN ATTEMPTED TO REVIVE HIS ACTING CAREER AND HAD AVERAGE

SUCCESS WITH BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN (1998),[24] AND RECEIVED POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR SOORYAVANSHAM (1999)[26] BUT OTHER

FILMS SUCH AS LAL BAADSHAH (1999) AND HINDUSTAN KI KASAM (1999) WERE BOX

OFFICE FAILURES.

IN THE YEAR 2000, BACHCHAN STEPPED UP TO HOST INDIA'S ADAPTATION OF THE

BRITISH TELEVISION GAME SHOW, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? ENTITLED, KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI. AS IT DID IN

MOST OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE IT WAS ADOPTED, THE PROGRAM FOUND IMMEDIATE SUCCESS. THE CANARA BANK WITHDREW ITS LAW SUIT AGAINST BACHCHAN IN NOVEMBER

2000. BACHCHAN HOSTED KBC TILL NOVEMBER 2005, AND ITS SUCCESS SET THE

STAGE FOR HIS RETURN TO FILM POPULARITY.

IN 2009 OSCAR WINNING MOVIE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE IN THE FIRST QUESTION OF

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? CONTEST AMITABH BACHCHAN WAS THE

CORRECT ANSWER TO THE QUESTION "WHO WAS THE STAR OF ZANJEER?[1]. FEROZ

ABBAS KHAN [2] PERFORMED AS AMITABH BACHCHAN IN A SCENE IN THE MOVIE WHILE ANIL KAPOOR PERFORMED AS THE HOST OF

THE CONTEST.[3]

IN 2000, AMITABH BACHCHAN APPEARED IN YASH CHOPRA'S BOX-OFFICE HIT, MOHABBATEIN,

DIRECTED BY ADITYA CHOPRA. HE PLAYED A STERN, OLDER FIGURE THAT RIVALLED THE CHARACTER OF

SHAHRUKH KHAN. OTHER HITS FOLLOWED, WITH BACHCHAN APPEARING AS AN OLDER FAMILY

PATRIARCH IN EK RISHTAA: THE BOND OF LOVE (2001), KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM (2001) AND

BAGHBAN (2003). AS AN ACTOR, HE CONTINUED TO PERFORM IN A RANGE OF CHARACTERS, RECEIVING CRITICAL PRAISE FOR HIS PERFORMANCES IN AKS (2001), AANKHEN (2002), KHAKEE (2004), DEV (2004)

AND BLACK (2005). TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS RESURGENCE,

AMITABH BEGAN ENDORSING A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, APPEARING IN MANY

TELEVISION AND BILLBOARD ADVERTISEMENTS. IN 2005 AND 2006, HE STARRED WITH HIS SON

ABHISHEK IN THE HIT FILMS BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005), THE GODFATHER TRIBUTE SARKAR (2005), AND

KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA (2006). ALL OF THEM WERE SUCCESSFUL AT THE BOX OFFICE.[27][28] HIS LATER RELEASES IN 2006 AND EARLY 2007 WERE BAABUL (2006),[29] EKLAVYA AND NISHABD (2007), WHICH FAILED TO DO WELL AT THE BOX OFFICE BUT HIS

PERFORMANCES IN EACH OF THEM WERE PRAISED BY CRITICS.[30] HE ALSO MADE A GUEST-

APPEARANCE AS HIMSELF IN THE KANNADA MOVIE AMRUTHADAARE, DIRECTED BY NAGATHIHALLI

CHANDRASHEKHAR.

IN MAY 2007, TWO OF HIS FILMS CHEENI KUM AND THE MULTI-STARRER SHOOTOUT AT

LOKHANDWALA WERE RELEASED. SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA DID VERY

WELL AT THE BOX OFFICE AND WAS DECLARED A HIT IN INDIA, WHILE CHEENI

KUM PICKED UP AFTER A SLOW START AND WAS DECLARED AN OVERALL AVERAGE HIT.

[31]IN AUGUST 2007, A REMAKE OF HIS BIGGEST HIT, SHOLAY (1975), ENTITLED RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG, PROVED TO BE A DISASTER

AT THE BOX OFFICE[31] AND WAS ALSO POORLY RECEIVED BY CRITICS.

HIS FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM,

RITUPARNO GHOSH'S THE LAST LEAR, PREMIERED AT THE 2007 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ON

SEPTEMBER 9, 2007. HE RECEIVED POSITIVE REVIEWS FROM CRITICS WHO HAILED HIS PERFORMANCE AS HIS BEST EVER SINCE

BLACK.[32] BACHCHAN IS SLATED TO PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE IN HIS FIRST

INTERNATIONAL FILM, SHANTARAM, DIRECTED BY MIRA NAIR AND STARRING

HOLLYWOOD ACTOR JOHNNY DEPP IN THE LEAD. THE FILM WAS DUE TO BEGIN FILMING

IN FEBRUARY 2008 BUT DUE TO THE WRITER'S STRIKE, WAS PUSHED TO

SEPTEMBER 2008[33]

BHOOTHNATH, IN WHICH HE PLAYS THE TITLE ROLE AS A GHOST, WAS RELEASED ON MAY

9, 2008. SARKAR RAJ, RELEASED IN JUNE 2008, WAS A SEQUEL TO HIS 2005 FILM

SARKAR. SARKAR RAJ RECEIVED A POSITIVE RESPONSE AT THE BOX-OFFICE.

BACHCHAN WAS SCHEDULED TO CO-HOST THE SECOND LIVE EARTH EVENT, LIVE EARTH

INDIA 2008, WITH JON BON JOVI, IN MUMBAI INDIA ON DECEMBER 8, 2008.

ON JANUARY 26TH 2009, AMITABH WAS THE CHIEF GUEST FOR THE OPENING OF

KOKILABEN DHIRUBHAI AMBANI HOSPITAL IN ANDHERI, MUMBAI.[34]

IN NOVEMBER 2005, AMITABH BACHCHAN WAS ADMITTED TO LILAVATI HOSPITAL'S ICU ONCE MORE, TO UNDERGO SURGERY FOR DIVERTICULITIS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE.

[35] THIS OCCURRED AFTER BACHCHAN COMPLAINED OF PAINS IN HIS ABDOMEN

SOME DAYS PRIOR. DURING THE PERIOD AND THAT FOLLOWING HIS RECOVERY, MOST OF

HIS PROJECTS WERE PUT ON HOLD, INCLUDING THE TELEVISION SHOW HE WAS

IN THE PROCESS OF HOSTING, KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI. AMITABH RETURNED

TO WORK IN MARCH 2006.[36]

BACHCHAN IS KNOWN FOR HIS DEEP, BARITONE VOICE. HE HAS BEEN A

NARRATOR, A PLAYBACK SINGER AND PRESENTER FOR NUMEROUS PROGRAMMES.

RENOWNED FILM DIRECTOR SATYAJIT RAY WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH BACHCHAN'S

VOICE, THAT HE DECIDED TO USE HIS VOICE AS COMMENTARY IN SHATRANJ KE KHILADI

SINCE HE COULD NOT FIND A SUITABLE ROLE FOR HIM.[37] BEFORE ENTERING THE FILM INDUSTRY, BACHCHAN APPLIED FOR AN

ANNOUNCER'S JOB WITH ALL INDIA RADIO, ALTHOUGH HE WAS REJECTED.

IN THE RUNUP TO THE UTTAR PRADESH STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, 2007, BACHCHAN MADE A FILM EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES OF THE MULAYAM

SINGH GOVERNMENT. HIS SAMAJWADI PARTY WAS ROUTED, AND MAYAWATI CAME TO POWER.

ON JUNE 2, 2007 A FAIZABAD COURT RULED THAT HE HAD ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED AGRICULTURAL LAND

DESIGNATED SPECIFICALLY FOR LANDLESS DALIT FARMERS.[38] IT WAS SPECULATED THAT HE MIGHT

BE INVESTIGATED ON RELATED CHARGES OF FORGERY, AS HE HAS ALLEGEDLY CLAIMED HE WAS

A FARMER.[39] ON JULY 19, 2007, AFTER THE SCANDAL BROKE OUT, BACHCHAN SURRENDERED

THE LAND ACQUIRED IN BARABANKI IN UTTAR PRADESH AND PUNE.

HE WROTE TO THE CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA, VILASRAO DESHMUKH, TO DONATE

THE LANDS THAT WERE ALLEGEDLY ACQUIRED ILLEGALLY IN PUNE.[40] HOWEVER, THE LUCKNOW COURT HAS PUT A STAY ON THE LAND DONATION

AND SAID THAT THE STATUS QUO ON THE LAND BE MAINTAINED.

ON OCTOBER 12, 2007, BACHCHAN ABANDONED HIS CLAIM IN RESPECT OF THE LAND AT DAULATPUR

VILLAGE IN BARABANKI DISTRICT.[41] ON DECEMBER 11, 2007, THE LUCKNOW BENCH OF THE ALLAHABAD

HIGH COURT GAVE A CLEAN CHIT TO BACHCHAN IN A CASE PERTAINING TO ALLEGED FRAUDULENT ALLOTMENT OF GOVERNMENT LAND TO HIM IN

BARABANKI DISTRICT. A SINGLE LUCKNOW BENCH OF JUSTICE SAID THERE WAS NO FINDING THAT THE

ACTOR "HIMSELF COMMITTED ANY FRAUD OR MANIPULATED ANY SURREPTITIOUS ENTRY IN THE

REVENUE RECORDS".[42][43]

AFTER RECEIVING A POSITIVE VERDICT IN BARABANKI CASE, AMITABH BACHCHAN

INTIMATED TO MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT THAT HE DID NOT WISH TO SURRENDER HIS LAND IN MAVAL TEHSIL OF PUNE DISTRICT.

[44]

IN JANUARY 2008 AT POLITICAL RALLIES, RAJ THACKERAY, THE CHIEF OF MAHARASHTRA

NAVNIRMAN SENA, TARGETED AMITABH BACHCHAN, ASSERTING THAT THE ACTOR

WAS "MORE INCLINED" TOWARDS HIS NATIVE STATE THAN MAHARASHTRA. HE EXPRESSED

HIS DISAPPROVAL OF AMITABH'S INAUGURATING A GIRLS' SCHOOL NAMED

AFTER HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, ACTOR AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN, AT BARABANKI

IN UTTAR PRADESH, RATHER THAN IN MAHARASHTRA.[45]

ACCORDING TO MEDIA REPORTS, RAJ'S CENSURE OF AMITABH, WHOM HE ADMIRES, STEMMED OUT OF HIS DISAPPOINTMENT OF

NOT BEING INVITED TO AMITABH'S SON ABHISHEK'S MARRIAGE TO AISHWARYA,

DESPITE INVITATIONS TO HIS ESTRANGED UNCLE BAL AND COUSIN UDDHAV.[46][47]

RESPONDING TO RAJ'S ACCUSATIONS, THE ACTOR'S WIFE, SP MP JAYA BACHCHAN, SAID

THAT THE BACHCHANS WERE WILLING TO START A SCHOOL IN MUMBAI, PROVIDED THE MNS LEADER DONATED THE LAND TO BUILD IT. SHE TOLD THE MEDIA, "I HEARD THAT RAJ

THACKERAY OWNS HUGE PROPERTIES IN MAHARASHTRA, IN MUMBAI—KOHINOOR

MILLS. IF HE IS WILLING TO DONATE LAND, WE CAN START A SCHOOL IN THE NAME OF

AISHWARYA HERE. HOWEVER, AMITABH ABSTAINED FROM COMMENTING ON THE

ISSUE.

BAL THACKERAY REFUTED THE ALLEGATIONS, STATING, "AMITABH

BACHCHAN IS AN OPEN-MINDED PERSON, HE HAS GREAT LOVE FOR MAHARASHTRA, AND THIS IS EVIDENT ON MANY OCCASIONS. THE

ACTOR HAS OFTEN SAID THAT MAHARASHTRA AND SPECIALLY MUMBAI HAS GIVEN HIM GREAT FAME AND AFFECTION. HE HAS ALSO SAID THAT WHAT HE IS TODAY IS

BECAUSE OF THE LOVE PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN HIM. THE PEOPLE OF MUMBAI HAVE ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGED HIM AS AN ARTISTE. IT WAS

UTTER FOOLISHNESS TO MAKE THESE PAROCHIAL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM.

AMITABH IS A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR.

PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD RESPECT HIM. THIS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN BY ANYONE. AMITABH

SHOULD IGNORE THESE SILLY ACCUSATIONS AND CONCENTRATE ON HIS ACTING."[49]

ON MARCH 23, 2008, MORE THAN A MONTH AND HALF AFTER RAJ'S REMARKS, AMITABH FINALLY SPOKE

OUT IN AN INTERVIEW TO A LOCAL TABLOID SAYING, "RANDOM CHARGES ARE RANDOM; THEY DO NOT

DESERVE THE KIND OF ATTENTION YOU WISH ME TO GIVE."[50] LATER, ON MARCH 28, AT A PRESS

CONFERENCE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN FILM ACADEMY, WHEN ASKED WHAT HIS TAKE WAS ON

THE ANTI-MIGRANT ISSUE, AMITABH SAID THAT IT IS ONE'S FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY AND THE CONSTITUTION ENTITLES

SO.[51] HE ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY RAJ'S COMMENTS.[52]

REALLY AMITABH BACHCHAN IS A LANDMARK

OF THE INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY.

AND HE IS ALWAYS IN MY HEART AND I THINK IN EVERYBODIES HEART.

I WILL SHOW YOU SOME PIC OF AMITABH BACHCHAN

AMITABH WITH REKHA

AMITABH IN SURYAVANSHAM

AMITABH IN ZANJEER

AMITABH IN SURYAVANSHAM

AMITABH BACHCHAN

AMITABH IS FRONT OF THE MEDIA

A PERFECT MAN

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, I HOPE U WILL ENJOY THIS

POWER POINT PRESTATION, AND I REQUEST TO ALL PLEASE

PRAY TO GOD FOR AMITABH BACHCHAN’S GOOD HEALTH

PRESTATION BY NIRAJ

NIRAJ KUMAR

E-MAIL:- niraj.nigam@live.com niraj.nigam5@gmail.com

MOBILE:- 9210575994

YOU CAN CONTACT ON THIS E-MAIL OR ON THIS MOBILE