BHUBANESWAR: For some he is the God of Hindi film industry, for some he is Shahenshah and for others he is the angry young man. However, for the millions who have anything to do with the Hindi films, he is one of the greatest entertainers the country has ever seen.
Born in October 11, 1942, to eminent poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan had to struggle to make his mark in the film industry. He was rejected initially due to his voice and height which is quite ironic as the same traits made him a global icon.
Bachchan has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor, fifteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 41 nominations overall.
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to performing arts. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was just another addition to his glittering award cabinet.
A city fan Sangeet Sahoo, who met him in Dubai, said, “I can’t describe what he is to me in words. He is the God of acting. He is an inspiration with only 25% of his lever functioning well, asthma and other health issues. His commitment is something that we can all learn from. No one can ever match him.”
An ad maker Dayanidhi Dahima said, “Despite working in more than 200 movies, his passion has not diminished. His work in recent movies like Piku, Pink, 102 Not Out shows that he has what it takes to make people sit and watch. Many of his contemporary actors have faded away but not him.”
Actor Amrit Kashyap said, “Amitabh Bachchan is a legend. He has been here in the industry for more than 50 years now. He has stood the test of time. He has somehow managed to fit everywhere, even with the millennials. He surpassed and reinvented himself whenever he was down. He deserves the award truly.”
The Odisha Connection
- Accompanied by famous flute maestro Hariprasad Chourasia, Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan visited Lord Jagannath temple at Puri March 21, 2010
- He had given the voice-over for Odia filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda’s documentary ‘God’s Own People’
- He tweeted and encouraged people to support Odisha during cyclone Fani which devastated the state this year
