On Amitabh Bachchan's 72nd birthday, dna revisits the films that went on to make him a superstar
The Shehenshah of Bollywood—Amitabh Bachchan—has turned 72 today. Endearing his fans for more than four decades, Amitabh has emerged as a significant name in Indian cinema.
Born in Allahabad in 1942 to the renowned Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Punjabi Sikh mother Teji Bachchan, Amitabh made a mark for himself in Indian cinema -- also living up his name which means 'the light that will never die'. That Amitabh had to struggle through his initial days is well known, but through the years, as he unraveled different skills apart from acting, his stardom has only notched higher.
The lanky Bachchan made a debut in the entertainment industry as a voice artist for a national winning movie Bhuvan Shome in 1969, and went on to debut as an actor in Saat Hindustani in the same year. But his real worth as an actor was recognised in Anand, in which he played the role of a cynical doctor to Rajesh Khanna. He also bagged his first Filmfare for the Best Supporting Actor award for it. Since then, the actor has just been climbing up the ladder of stardom.
While movies like Zanjeer, Agneepath, Deewar gave him the title of 'angry young man', Bachchan balanced it by playing light-hearted comic characters in movies like Amar Akbar Anthony and others.
Apart from his versatility as an actor, his fans have also been lucky enough to witness his other sides like that of a singer, poet and a performer Die-hard fans have even built a temple for their favourite star to worship him!
Though it would be difficult to select his best movies, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the best of Big B
Take a look:
DEEWAR
The Praksh Mehra directed film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit and Bindu, proved as a stepping stone for Bachchan in 1973. Bachchan essayed the role of an honest police officer, who decides to take revenge from Teja, who gets him behind the bars for six months on false charges.
DON
The third highest grossing movie of 1978—Don featured Amitabh as the protagonist in a double role against the then bombshell Zeenat Aman. The success of the movie directed by Chandra Barot inspired the young generation and was also remade by Farhan Akhtar in 2006, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in the lead.
SHOLAY
Directed by Ramesh Sippy—Sholay is still counted to be Amitabh and Dharmendra's best movies ever. They essayed the roles of outlaws who are hired by a former police officer to take revenge for his family who is killed by a ruthless bandit.
COOLIE
Directed by Manmohan Desai, Amitabh essayed a light-hearted role. The movie also featured Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Kader Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Suresh Oberoi and Puneet Issar. The flick also caught attention after Amitabh got severely injured during the shoot.
YAARANA
The musical drama offered by Rakesh Kumar saw Amitabh with Amjad Khan, Neetu Singh, Tanuja and Kadar Khan. It was one of the movies where Amjad portrayed a positive character. The movie essaying the strong bond of friendship between Amitabh and Amjad was a blockbuster success in 1981.
AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY
In the iconic comedy flick directed by Manmohan Desai, Amitabh shared screen space with Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor. The film was the biggest blockbuster of 1977 that also won several awards at the 25th Filmfare Awards.
SUHAAG
The duo—Manmohan Desai and Amitabh Bachchan—won over the box office again with Suhaag. The movie starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Shashi Kapoor, and Parveen Babi
AGNEEPATH
In Mukul Anand's Agneepath, Amitabh played the iconic role of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan. The film also starred Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, Neelam Kothari, Rohini Hattangadi and Danny Denzongpa as the antagonist Kancha Cheena. The film was produced by Yash Johar.
ZANJEER
Directed and produced by Prakash Mehra, Zanjeer established Amitabh as the angry young man of Bollywood. The movie also ended his struggling period.
SATTE PE SATTA
The light-hearted comedy drama saw Amitabh as the eldest of the seven spoilt brothers, who are made to mend their ways by Amitabh's wife, a role played by Hema Malini. Satte Pe Satta was adapted from the 1954 movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. After Don, Satte Pe Satta was Amitabh's second movie in which he played a double role.
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