Nickname: BIG B, Munna, Angry Young Man, Bollywood's Shahenshah, Amith
Date of Birth: 11 October 1942
Birth Place: Allahabad, India
Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Nationality : Indian
Profession : Actor
Amitabh Bachchan is a legendary Indian Bollywood actor, and one of the most prominent figures in the Indian film industry. Born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu Kayastha family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a well-known Hindi poet, while his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh from Karachi-Pakistan. Though his last-name was Srivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan, under which was 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 Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. Even today, Bachchan emphasizes that he can never be the man his father was. His mother was very fond of stage and was also offered a role in a film, but she preferred to become a quintessential homemaker. Bachchan's father passed away in 2003, and his mother—on December 21, 2007.
Bachchan has a double M.A. (Master of Arts) degree. 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, to pursue a career in acting.
He married actress Jaya Bhaduri on June 3, 1973 according to Bengali rites. The couple have two children: daughter Shweta and son Abhishek. Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani. The movie was not a financial success but Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer The critically acclaimed and commercially successful Anand (1970) Bachchan held his own despite playing a supporting role, and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance.
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 Parliament seat against H. N. Bahuguna, a well-known politician, and won his MP candidacy by the highest victory margin ever for a parliamentary candidate in Indian history (68.2% of the vote) His political career, however, was short-lived: He resigned after three years, leaving his term incomplete.
He has been awarded several major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.
