Celebrating 82 years of Amitabh Bachchan

The name’s Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan. Ever since attaining stardom in the 1970s, he has been a force to reckon with in Bollywood. Not only has he broken barriers and changed tides during his career, he has also been shaping generations, he has also been inspiring countless fans with his different avatars.

Let’s celebrate the Angry Young Man’s birthday today by acknowledging his different avatars which have made him the darling of everything Bollywood.

The Angry Young Man

Before the release of Zanjeer, Amitabh Bachchan was declared a flop actor because he wasn’t like the romantic heroes of the day. However, Zanjeer changed it all because, for the first time, the Indian audience was introduced to the Angry Young Man persona, an intense character who stood against injustice, and fought corruption.

What began with Zanjeer carried forward with iconic roles in Deewaar (1975) and Sholay (1975) where Big B played characters who were good-hearted rebels. His dialogues were powerful, his screen presence explosive and his deep-rooted disdain for a corrupt system, immeasurable.

The Lovable Rogue

Although Amitabh Bachchan dominated the box office without competition in the 1970s and the 1980s, he didn’t let the success of Angry Young Man limit him to this persona. His comic timing in Chupke Chupke (1975) and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) surprised the audience who loved both his comic and intense personas.

His first Best Actor award came for his performance in Manmohan Desai's Amar Akbar Anthony where he showcased his knack for humor. The scene where Anthony Gonsalves talks to himself in front of a mirror can easily be termed one of his greatest performances.

Romance Icon

If you think Shah Rukh Khan is the King of Romance, think again because before SRK, there was Big B. His romantic turns in Kabhi Kabhie (1976) and Silsila (1981) proved that he could make transitions between personas without disappointing his fans. His emotional depth in both these films ensured that his performances would remain relevant even after decades.

Dual Role Dynamo

Amitabh Bachchan has played multiple roles in many films, most of which went on to become successful. Therefore, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that he has mastered the art of playing multiple characters on screen.

Aakhree RaastaIMDb

From playing lookalikes in Don and The Great Gambler to father-son duos in Adalat and Sooryavansham, Bachchan’s performances have been doubly impressive whenever he has given the audience two Amitabh Bachchans in one ticket.

The Vigilante Hero

Shahenshah may be the only film where Big B played a vigilante as well as a police officer, but he has been bringing his own brand of intensity in other flicks. Be it Kaalia where he transforms himself from a buffoon to his enemy’s destroyer, or Akayla where he goes into a Dirty Harry mode, his vigilante roles consistently captivate audiences.

The Comeback King

During the 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan had a string of flops which resulted in his withdrawal from films. However, he embraced the challenge by taking on elderly roles, starting from the successful Mohabbatein.

Combined with the arrival of Kaun Banega Crorepati on TV, Amitabh Bachchan was able to rescue himself from financial troubles and gave his contemporaries a blueprint for a successful comeback.

Actors Amitabh Bachchan (L) and Kamal Haasan attend a promotional event of their upcoming Indian epic science fiction dystopian film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ in Mumbai on June 19, 2024. (Photo by Sujit JAISWAL / AFP)

The Devoted Elderly

From Baghban and Piku to Pink, Amitabh Bachchan experimented with the elderly roles, excelling as the devoted father figure who would go to any length to save those close to him.

While he dealt with financial issues in Baghban, and gastric troubles in Piku, he played a dedicated lawyer who stood for three wronged girls in a courtroom where everyone blamed them for an incident of alleged harassment.

Ageless Rebel

Growing old didn’t mean that Amitabh Bachchan switched off his Angry Young Man persona. In Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap, he plays Vijju, a hitman who refuses to acknowledge that he is growing old and decides to return for one last job. He gave ‘Young at Heart’ a different kind of portrayal which was something only he could have pulled off.

In Pursuit of Destiny

When it seemed that Amitabh Bachchan had done it all, he moved beyond his previous personas and came up with films like Shamitabh and Thugs of Hindostan, where he took on roles that resonated with his age. In the former he played a caricature version of himself while in the former, he played a pirate who wanted to take down the British by hurting their cargo ships.

He continues to up the ante with films like Badla, Chehre, Uunchai, and Kalki 2898 AD and remains an active force in Indian cinema. However, the youthful feeling in his performance is still there, making him relevant to multiple generations.