Amitabh Bachchan
Actor · Television host · Film producer · Playback singer
b. 1942 · Born in Allahabad, British India (now Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) · 4 min read
- Verified: 13 November 2026
- Sources: 4
- Independently reviewed
Indian actor whose five-decade career in Hindi cinema began with Saat Hindustani (1969); the 'angry young man' of Zanjeer and Sholay, host of Kaun Banega Crorepati and winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Early Life
Amitabh Harivansh Rai Shrivastava Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad, in British India, the elder son of the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and the social activist Teji Bachchan. He grew up in Allahabad and attended Sherwood College in Nainital. After school he moved to Delhi and then to Calcutta, where he worked as a freight broker for a shipping company before deciding to try acting. He was initially rejected by All India Radio as a broadcaster because of his voice, the same deep voice that later became one of his trademarks. He married the actor Jaya Bhaduri on 3 June 1973.
Education
Bachchan attended Sherwood College, a boarding school in Nainital, and then studied at Kirori Mal College at the University of Delhi, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He had no formal training in acting before entering films; his first acting experience came with his debut in Saat Hindustani in 1969.
Career
Bachchan made his film debut in Saat Hindustani in 1969 and won early praise for Anand (1971). His breakthrough came with Zanjeer in 1973, in which he played the brooding police inspector Vijay, establishing the 'angry young man' persona that defined Hindi cinema in the 1970s. Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975), in which he played Jai, became landmarks of Indian film. In July 1982 he was seriously injured while filming Coolie and spent months in hospital, an event followed closely across India. He served as a member of parliament for Allahabad from 1984 to 1987. His film production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, launched in 1995, ran into financial trouble, and his career reached a low point in the late 1990s. He returned to prominence as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000, and his later career brought acclaimed performances in Black (2005), Paa (2009), Piku (2015) and Pink (2016), along with continued work into his eighties, including Kalki 2898 AD (2024).
Achievements
Bachchan has won the National Film Award for Best Actor four times, for Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009) and Piku (2015), and received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour, in 2019. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, and received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991. His hosting of Kaun Banega Crorepati from 2000 turned the quiz show into one of the biggest successes in Indian television history and revived his career after a period of commercial failure. In a 1999 BBC online poll he was voted 'Star of the Millennium', ahead of many international film stars.
- Won the National Film Award for Best Actor four times, for Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009) and Piku (2015)
- Received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour, in 2019
- Received the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015
- Became the 'angry young man' of Indian cinema with Zanjeer (1973), Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975)
- Hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati from 2000, making the quiz show one of Indian television's biggest successes
- Received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991
- Starred in more than 200 films across a career spanning over five decades
- Played a progeria patient in Paa (2009), winning his third National Film Award for Best Actor
- Won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Black (2005) and Piku (2015)
- Was voted 'Star of the Millennium' in a 1999 BBC online poll
Legacy
Bachchan is widely regarded as the most influential actor in the history of Indian cinema, and his 'angry young man' roles of the 1970s gave voice to the frustrations of a generation of young Indians. His longevity is unmatched in Hindi film: he has remained a leading actor for more than five decades, moving from action hero to character actor to television host without leaving the public eye. His career also includes a near-fatal accident, a short political career, a business failure and a comeback, all of which have made him a figure of public fascination in India. He has also worked as a playback singer, lending his voice to songs in his own films, and as a television presenter beyond KBC, including hosting the third season of the reality show Bigg Boss in 2009. His blog, which he has written regularly since 2008, is one of the longest-running celebrity blogs in India. Because he is a living person whose work continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.
Contributions
Bachchan's contribution was to redefine the Hindi film hero. Before him, leading men were often romantic and soft-spoken; his 'angry young man' of the 1970s was a working-class figure who fought a corrupt system, and the character reshaped Indian popular cinema for a generation. His later career showed that an Indian film star could reinvent himself repeatedly, as a television host, a character actor and a voice artist, and his hosting of Kaun Banega Crorepati brought quiz television to a mass Indian audience.
Notable Works
- Zanjeer (1973)
- Deewaar (1975)
- Sholay (1975)
- Agneepath (1990)
- Black (2005)
- Paa (2009)
- Piku (2015)
- Pink (2016)
Milestones
- 1942 — Born on 11 October in Allahabad, British India Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1969 — Made his film debut in Saat Hindustani Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1973 — Breakthrough with Zanjeer; married Jaya Bhaduri Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1975 — Starred in Deewaar and Sholay Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1982 — Seriously injured while filming Coolie on 26 July Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1984 — Elected to the Lok Sabha from Allahabad Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1990 — Won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Agneepath Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1991 — Received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1995 — Launched the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2000 — Began hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2005 — Won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Black Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2015 — Received the Padma Vibhushan; won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Piku Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2019 — Received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Timeline
- 11 October 1942
Born in Allahabad, British India
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1969
Made his film debut in Saat Hindustani
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1973
Breakthrough with Zanjeer; married Jaya Bhaduri on 3 June
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1975
Starred in Deewaar and Sholay
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 26 July 1982
Seriously injured while filming Coolie
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1984
Elected to the Lok Sabha from Allahabad
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1990
Won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Agneepath
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1991
Received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1995
Launched the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2000
Began hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2005
Won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Black
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2015
Received the Padma Vibhushan; won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Piku
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2019
Received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Amitabh Bachchan?
Amitabh Bachchan was born on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad, British India, so Bachchan is 84 years old as of November 2026. Bachchan's age changes every year on 11 October. He has acted in Hindi cinema for more than five decades.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWho is Amitabh Bachchan?
Amitabh Bachchan (born 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor whose career in Hindi cinema spans more than five decades. He became famous as the 'angry young man' of the 1970s in Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and has hosted the television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati since 2000.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWhat are Amitabh Bachchan's most famous films?
Amitabh Bachchan's most famous films include Zanjeer (1973), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Don (1978), Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009), Piku (2015) and Pink (2016). He made his debut in Saat Hindustani (1969).
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat awards has Amitabh Bachchan won?
Amitabh Bachchan won the National Film Award for Best Actor four times, for Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009) and Piku (2015). He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019 and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, in 2015.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat is Kaun Banega Crorepati?
Kaun Banega Crorepati, often shortened to KBC, is the Indian version of the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Amitabh Bachchan has hosted it since its first season in 2000, and the show became one of the biggest successes in Indian television history.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhy is Amitabh Bachchan called Big B?
'Big B' is the popular nickname for Amitabh Bachchan, used by fans and the Indian press. It refers to his status as one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema and to his first initial.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaSources & References
- Amitabh Bachchan — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Amitabh Bachchan — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Amitabh Bachchan — Bollywood Hungama profile — Bollywood Hungama (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:BACHCHAN Amitabh 03-24x30-2009b.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)