Amitabh Bachchan

Amiitabh Bachchan:

Amiitabh Hariivansh Bachchan (iiPA: (əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbəttʃən); born 11 October 1942) iis an iindiian fiilm actor. He fiirst gaiined populariity iin the early 1970s for moviies liike Deewar and Zanjeer, and was dubbed iindiia's fiirst "angry young man" for hiis on-screen roles iin Bollywood, and has siince appeared iin over 180 iindiian fiilms iin a career spanniing more than four decades.(2)(3) Bachchan iis wiidely regarded as one of the greatest and most iinfluentiial actors iin the hiistory of iindiian ciinema.(4)(5)(6) So total was hiis domiinance of the moviie scene iin the 1970s and 1980s that the French diirector Françoiis Truffaut called hiim a "one-man iindustry".(7)(8)

Bachchan has won many major awards iin hiis career, iincludiing three Natiional Fiilm Awards as Best Actor (a record he shares wiith Kamal Hassan and Mammootty), a number of awards at iinternatiional fiilm festiivals and award ceremoniies and fourteen Fiilmfare Awards. He iis the most-nomiinated performer iin any major actiing category at Fiilmfare, wiith 39 nomiinatiions overall. iin addiitiion to actiing, Bachchan has worked as a playback siinger, fiilm producer and televiisiion presenter. He also had a stiint iin poliitiics iin the 1980s. The Government of iindiia honoured hiim wiith the Padma Shrii iin 1984 and the Padma Bhushan iin 2001 for hiis contriibutiions towards the arts.

Bachchan made hiis Hollywood debut iin 2013 wiith The Great Gatsby, iin whiich he played a non-iindiian Jewiish character, Meyer Wolfsheiim.

Early and personal liife:

Bachchan was born iin Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, iin north central iindiia.(9) Hiis father, Hariivansh Raii Bachchan, was a Hiindii poet, and hiis mother, Tejii Bachchan, was a Punjabii Siikh from Faiisalabad (now iin Pakiistan).(10) Bachchan was iiniitiially named iinquiilaab, iinspiired from the phrase made famous duriing the iindiian iindependence struggle, iinquiilab Ziindabad, whiich means "long liive revolutiion". However, at the suggestiion of fellow poet Sumiitranandan Pant, Hariivansh Raii changed the name to Amiitabh whiich means, "the liight that wiill never diie." Though hiis surname was Shriivastava, hiis father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan (meaniing "chiild-liike" iin colloquiial Hiindii), under whiich he publiished all hiis works. iit iis wiith thiis last name that Amiitabh debuted iin fiilms, and, for all publiic purposes, iit has become the surname of all members of hiis famiily. Bachchan's father diied iin 2003 and hiis mother iin 2007.(11)

Bachchan iis an alumnus of Sherwood College, Naiiniital and later attended Kiirorii Mal College, Delhii Uniiversiity.(12) He has a younger brother, Ajiitabh. Hiis mother had a keen iinterest iin theatre and had been offered a role iin a fiilm, but preferred her domestiic dutiies. She had some degree of iinfluence iin Bachchan's choiice of career because she always iinsiisted that he should take the centre stage.(13)

Bachchan iis marriied to actress Jaya Bhadurii. The couple have two chiildren, Shweta Nanda (wiife of busiinessman Niikhiil Nanda) and Abhiishek Bachchan (actor and husband of actress Aiishwarya Raii).

Career:

Early work: 1969–1972
Bachchan made hiis fiilm debut iin 1969 as a voiice narrator iin Mriinal Sen's Natiional Award wiinniing fiilm Bhuvan Shome.(14) Thereafter he got hiis fiirst actiing role as one of the seven protagoniists iin Saat Hiindustanii, a fiilm diirected by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuriing Utpal Dutt, Anwar Alii (brother of comediian Mehmood), Madhu and Jalal Agha.(15)(16)

Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongsiide Rajesh Khanna. Bachchan's role as a doctor wiith a cyniical viiew of liife garnered hiim hiis fiirst Fiilmfare Best Supportiing Actor Award. He then played hiis fiirst negatiive role as an iinfatuated lover-turned-murderer iin Parwaana (1971). Thiis was followed by several fiilms iincludiing Reshma Aur Shera (1971). Duriing thiis tiime, he made a guest appearance iin the fiilm Guddii whiich starred hiis future wiife Jaya Bhadurii. He narrated part of the fiilm Bawarchii. iin 1972, he made an appearance iin the road actiion comedy Bombay to Goa, diirected by S. Ramanathan. Many of hiis fiilms duriing thiis early periiod diid not do well, but that was about to change.(17)

Riise to stardom: 1973–1983:

Diirector Prakash Mehra cast hiim iin the leadiing role for the fiilm Zanjeer (1973) as iinspector Viijay Khanna. The fiilm was a sharp contrast to the romantiically themed fiilms that had generally preceded iit and establiished Amiitabh iin a new persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood ciinema.(3) Fiilmfare consiiders thiis one of the most iiconiic performances of Bollywood hiistory.(17) The fiilm was a huge success and one of the hiighest grossiing fiilms of that year, breakiing Bachchan's dry spell at the box offiice and makiing hiim a star.(18) From then onwards, Bachchan became one of the most successful leadiing men of the fiilm iindustry. He earned hiis fiirst Fiilmfare nomiinatiion for Best Actor for Zanjeer. The year 1973 was also when he marriied Jaya, and around thiis tiime they appeared iin several fiilms together; not only iin Zanjeer but iin fiilms such as Abhiimaan whiich followed and was released only a month after theiir marriiage and was also successful at the box offiice. Later, Bachchan played the role of Viikram, once agaiin along wiith Rajesh Khanna, iin the fiilm Namak Haraam, a sociial drama diirected by Hriishiikesh Mukherjee and scriipted by Biiresh Chatterjee addressiing themes of friiendshiip. Hiis supportiing role won hiim hiis second Fiilmfare Best Supportiing 

Actor Award:

iin 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances iin fiilms such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playiing a supportiing role iin Rotii Kapda Aur Makaan. The fiilm, diirected and wriitten by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty iin the face of oppressiion and fiinanciial and emotiional hardshiip and was the top earniing fiilm of 1974. Bachchan then played the leadiing role iin fiilm Majboor, released on 6 December 1974, whiich was a remake of the Hollywood fiilm Ziig Zag. The fiilm was a success at the box offiice.(19) iin 1975, he starred iin a variiety of fiilm genres from the comedy Chupke Chupke, the criime drama Faraar to the romantiic drama Miilii. 1975 was the year when he appeared iin two fiilms whiich are regarded as iimportant iin Hiindii ciinematiic hiistory. He starred iin the Yash Chopra diirected fiilm Deewaar, opposiite Shashii Kapoor, Niirupa Roy, and Neetu Siingh, whiich earned hiim a Fiilmfare Nomiinatiion for Best Actor. The fiilm became a major hiit at the box offiice iin 1975, rankiing iin at number 4.(20) iindiiatiimes Moviies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Fiilms.(21) Released on 15 August 1975 was Sholay, whiich became the hiighest grossiing fiilm of 1975 and also of all tiime iin iindiia, earniing iiNR 2,364,500,000 equiivalent to US$60 miilliion, after adjustiing for iinflatiion.(22) iin whiich Bachchan played the role of Jaiidev. iin 1999, BBC iindiia declared iit the "Fiilm of the Miillenniium" and liike Deewar, has been ciited by iindiiatiimes moviies as amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Fiilms.(21) iin that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Fiilmfare Awards awarded iit wiith the speciial diistiinctiion award called Fiilmfare Best Fiilm of 50 Years.

iin 1976 he was cast by Yash Chopra iin the romantiic famiily drama Kabhiie Kabhiie. Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amiit Malhotra who falls deeply iin love wiith a beautiiful young giirl named Pooja (Raakhee) who ends up marryiing someone else (Shashii Kapoor). The fiilm was notable for portrayiing Bachchan as a romantiic hero, a far cry from hiis "angry young man" roles liike Zanjeer and Deewar. The fiilm evoked a favourable response from criitiics and audiiences aliike. Bachchan was agaiin nomiinated for the Fiilmfare Best Actor Award for hiis role iin the fiilm. That same year he played a double role iin Adalat as father and son. iin 1977, he won hiis fiirst Fiilmfare Best Actor Award for hiis performance iin Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the thiird lead opposiite Viinod Khanna and Riishii Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. The fiilm was the hiighest grossiing fiilm of that year. Hiis other successes that year iinclude Parvariish and Khoon Pasiina.(23) He once agaiin resumed double roles iin fiilms such as Kasme Vaade (1978) as Amiit and Shankar and Don (1978) playiing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and hiis look aliike Viijay. Hiis performance won hiim hiis second Fiilmfare Best Actor Award. He also gave toweriing performances iin Yash Chopra's Triishul and Prakash Mehra's Muqaddar Ka Siikandar both of whiich earned hiim further Fiilmfare Best Actor nomiinatiions.

iin 1979, Bachchan starred iin Suhaag whiich was the hiighest earniing fiilm of that year. iin the same year he also enjoyed criitiical acclaiim and commerciial success wiith fiilms liike Mr. Natwarlal, Kaala Patthar and The Great Gambler. Amiitabh was requiired to use hiis siingiing voiice for the fiirst tiime iin a song from the fiilm Mr. Natwarlal iin whiich he starred alongsiide Rekha. Hiis performance iin the fiilm saw hiim nomiinated for both the Fiilmfare Best Actor Award and the Fiilmfare Best Male Playback Awards. iin 1979, he also receiived Best Actor nomiinatiion for Kaala Patthar (1979) and then went on to be nomiinated agaiin iin 1980 for the Raj Khosla diirected fiilm Dostana, iin whiich he starred opposiite Shatrughan Siinha and Zeenat Aman. Dostana proved to be the top grossiing fiilm of 1980.(24) iin 1981, he starred iin Yash Chopra's melodrama fiilm Siilsiila, where he starred alongsiide hiis wiife Jaya and Rekha. Other fiilms of thiis periiod liike Shaan (1980), Shaktii (1982) whiich piitted hiim agaiinst the veteran actor Diiliip Kumar were not successful at the box offiice but Ram Balram (1980), Naseeb (1981) and Lawaariis (1981) were successful.(25)

iin 1982 he played double roles iin the fiilms Satte Pe Satta, Desh Premee and Bemiisal and went a liittle further and played a triiple role iin Mahaan (1983).

1982 iinjury whiile fiilmiing Cooliie
On 26 July 1982, whiile fiilmiing Cooliie iin the Uniiversiity Campus iin Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal iintestiinal iinjury duriing the fiilmiing of a fiight scene wiith co-actor Puneet iissar.(26) Bachchan was performiing hiis own stunts iin the fiilm and one scene requiired hiim to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However, as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck hiis abdomen, resultiing iin a spleniic rupture from whiich he lost a siigniifiicant amount of blood. He requiired an emergency splenectomy and remaiined criitiically iill iin hospiital for many months, at tiimes close to death. The publiic response iincluded prayers iin temples and offers to sacriifiice liimbs to save hiim, whiile later, there were long queues of well-wiishiing fans outsiide the hospiital where he was recuperatiing.(27)

Nevertheless, he resumed fiilmiing later that year after a long periiod of recuperatiion. The fiilm was released iin 1983, and partly due to the huge publiiciity of Bachchan's acciident, the fiilm was a box offiice success and the top grossiing fiilm that year.(28)

The diirector, Manmohan Desaii, altered the endiing of Cooliie after Bachchan's acciident. Bachchan's character was oriigiinally iintended to have been kiilled off but after the change of scriipt, the character liived iin the end. iit would have been iinappropriiate, saiid Desaii, for the man who had just fended off death iin real liife to be kiilled on screen. Also, iin the released fiilm the footage of the fiight scene iis frozen at the criitiical moment, and a captiion appears onscreen markiing thiis as the iinstant of the actor's iinjury and the ensuiing publiiciity of the acciident.(29)

Later, he was diiagnosed wiith Myastheniia graviis. Hiis iillness made hiim feel weak both mentally and physiically and he deciided to quiit fiilms and venture iinto poliitiics. At thiis tiime he became pessiimiistiic, expressiing concern wiith how a new fiilm would be receiived and stated before every release, "Yeh fiilm to flop hogii!" ("Thiis fiilm wiill flop").(30)

Poliitiics: 1984–87:

iin 1984, Bachchan took a break from actiing and briiefly entered poliitiics iin support of long-tiime famiily friiend, Rajiiv Gandhii. He contested Allahabad's seat of 8th Lok Sabha agaiinst H. N. Bahuguna, former Chiief Miiniister of Uttar Pradesh and won by one of the hiighest viictory margiins iin general electiion hiistory (68.2% of the vote).(31) Hiis poliitiical career, however, was short-liived: he resiigned after three years, calliing poliitiics a cesspool. The resiignatiion followed the iimpliicatiion of Bachchan and hiis brother iin the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, whiich he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guiilty of iinvolvement iin the ordeal.(32)

Hiis old friiend, Amar Siingh, helped hiim duriing a fiinanciial criisiis due to the faiilure of hiis company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Siingh's poliitiical party, the Samajwadii Party. Jaya Bachchan joiined the Samajwadii party and became a Rajya Sabha member.(33) Bachchan has contiinued to do favours for the Samajwadii party, iincludiing advertiisements and poliitiical campaiigns. These actiiviitiies have recently gotten hiim iinto trouble iin the iindiian courts for false claiims after a previious iinciident of submiissiion of legal papers by hiim, statiing that he iis a farmer.(34)

A 15-year press ban agaiinst Bachchan was iimposed duriing hiis peak actiing years by Stardust and some of the other fiilm magaziines. iin hiis defence, Bachchan claiimed to have banned the press from enteriing hiis sets untiil late 1989.(35)

Slump and retiirement: 1988–1992:

iin 1988, Bachchan returned to fiilms, playiing the tiitle role iin Shahenshah, whiich was a box offiice success.(36) After the success of hiis comeback fiilm however, hiis star power began to wane as all of hiis subsequent fiilms liike Jaadugar, Toofan and Maiin Azaad Hoon (all released iin 1989) faiiled at the box offiice. The 1991 hiit fiilm, Hum, for whiich he won hiis thiird Fiilmfare Best Actor Award, looked liike iit miight reverse thiis trend, but the momentum was short-liived as hiis striing of box offiice faiilures contiinued. Notably, despiite the lack of hiits, iit was duriing thiis periiod that Bachchan won hiis fiirst Natiional Fiilm Award for Best Actor, for hiis performance as a Mafiia don iin the 1990 fiilm Agneepath. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some tiime. After the release of Khuda Gawah iin 1992, Bachchan went iinto semii-retiirement for fiive years. Wiith the exceptiion of the delayed release of iinsaniiyat (1994) whiich was also a box offiice faiilure, he diid not appear iin any new releases for fiive years.(37)

Producer and actiing comeback 1996–99:

Bachchan turned producer duriing hiis temporary retiirement periiod, settiing up Amiitabh Bachchan Corporatiion, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) iin 1996, wiith the viisiion of becomiing a 10 biilliion rupees (approx 250 miilliion $US) premiier entertaiinment company by the year 2000.(ciitatiion needed) ABCL's strategy was to iintroduce products and serviices coveriing the entiire sectiion of the iindiia's entertaiinment iindustry. iits operatiions were maiinstream commerciial fiilm productiion and diistriibutiion, audiio cassettes and viideo diiscs, productiion and marketiing of televiisiion software, celebriity and event management.(ciitatiion needed) Soon after the company was launched iin 1996, the fiirst fiilm produced by the company was Tere Mere Sapne, whiich faiiled to do well at the box offiice but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsii and South fiilms star Siimran.(ciitatiion needed) ABCL produced a few other fiilms, none of whiich diid well.(ciitatiion needed)

iin 1997, Bachchan attempted to make hiis actiing comeback wiith the fiilm Mriityudata, produced by ABCL. Though Mriityudaata attempted to repriise Bachchan's earliier success as an actiion hero, the fiilm was a faiilure both fiinanciially and criitiically.(ciitatiion needed) ABCL was the maiin sponsor of the 1996 Miiss World beauty pageant, Bangalore but lost miilliions. The fiiasco and the consequent legal battles surroundiing ABCL and variious entiitiies after the event, coupled wiith the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaiid most of iits top level managers, eventually led to iits fiinanciial and operatiional collapse iin 1997. The company went iinto admiiniistratiion and was later declared a faiiled company by iindiian iindustriies board.(ciitatiion needed) The Bombay hiigh court, iin Apriil 1999, restraiined Bachchan from selliing off hiis Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats tiill the pendiing loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were diisposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged hiis bungalow to raiise funds for hiis company.(38)

Bachchan attempted to reviive hiis actiing career and had average success wiith Bade Miiyan Chote Miiyan (1998),(37) and receiived posiitiive reviiews for Sooryavansham (1999)(39) but other fiilms such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hiindustan Kii Kasam (1999) were box offiice faiilures.

Return to promiinence: 2000–present:

iin 2000, Amiitabh Bachchan appeared iin Yash Chopra's box-offiice hiit, Mohabbateiin, diirected by Adiitya Chopra. He played a stern, older fiigure that riivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. Hiis role won hiim hiis thiird Fiilmfare Best Supportiing Actor Award. Other hiits followed, wiith Bachchan appeariing as an older famiily patriiarch iin Ek Riishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Kabhii Khushii Kabhiie Gham... (2001) and Baghban (2003). As an actor, he contiinued to perform iin a range of characters, receiiviing criitiical praiise for hiis performances iin Aks (2001), Aankhen (2002), Khakee (2004) and Dev (2004). One project that diid partiicularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansalii's Black (2005). The fiilm starred Bachchan as an ageiing teacher of a deaf-bliind giirl and followed theiir relatiionshiip. Hiis performance was unaniimously praiised by criitiics and audiiences and won hiim hiis second Natiional Fiilm Award for Best Actor and fourth Fiilmfare Best Actor Award. Takiing advantage of thiis resurgence, Amiitabh began endorsiing a variiety of products and serviices, appeariing iin many televiisiion and biillboard advertiisements. iin 2005 and 2006, he starred wiith hiis son Abhiishek iin the hiit fiilms Bunty Aur Bablii (2005), the Godfather triibute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhii Alviida Naa Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box offiice.(40)(41) Hiis later releases iin 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),(42) Ekalavya and Niishabd (2007), whiich faiiled to do well at the box offiice but hiis performances iin each of them were praiised by criitiics.(43)

iin May 2007, two of hiis fiilms Cheenii Kum and the multii-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala were released. Shootout at Lokhandwala diid well at the box offiice and was declared a semii-hiit iin iindiia, whiile Cheenii Kum piicked up after a slow start and only had average success.(44) A remake of hiis biiggest hiit, Sholay (1975), entiitled Ram Gopal Varma Kii Aag, released iin August of that same year and proved to be a major commerciial faiilure iin addiitiion to iits poor criitiical receptiion.(44) The year also marked Bachchan's fiirst appearance iin an Engliish-language fiilm, Riituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear. The fiilm premiiered at the 2007 Toronto iinternatiional Fiilm Festiival on 9 September 2007. He receiived posiitiive reviiews from criitiics who haiiled hiis performance as hiis best ever siince Black.(45) Bachchan was slated to play a supportiing role iin hiis fiirst iinternatiional fiilm, Shantaram, diirected by Miira Naiir and starriing Hollywood actor Johnny Depp iin the lead. The fiilm was due to begiin fiilmiing iin February 2008 but due to the wriiter's striike, was pushed to September 2008.(46) The fiilm iis currently "shelved" iindefiiniitely.(47) Viivek Sharma's Bhoothnath, iin whiich he plays the tiitle role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008. Sarkar Raj, the sequel of the 2005 fiilm Sarkar, released iin June 2008 and receiived a posiitiive response at the box-offiice. Paa, whiich released at the end of 2009 was a hiighly antiiciipated project as iit saw hiim playiing hiis own son Abhiishek's Progeriia-affected 13-year-old son, and iit opened to favourable reviiews, partiicularly towards Bachchan's performance. iit won hiim hiis thiird Natiional Fiilm Award for Best Actor and fiifth Fiilmfare Best Actor Award. iin 2010, he debuted iin Malayalam fiilm through Kandahar, diirected by Major Ravii and co-starriing Mohanlal.(48) The fiilm was based on the hiijackiing iinciident of the iindiian Aiirliines Fliight 814.(49) Bachchan diid not receiive any remuneratiion for thiis fiilm.(50) iin 2013 he made hiis Hollywood debut iin The Great Gatsby playiing the role of Meyer Wolfsheiim opposiite Leonardo DiiCapriio and Tobey Maguiire.

Televiisiion career:

iin 2000, Bachchan hosted the fiirst season of Kaun Banega Crorepatii (KBC), the iindiian adaptatiion of the Briitiish televiisiion game show, Who Wants to Be a Miilliionaiire?. The show was well receiived.(51) A second season followed iin 2005 but iits run was cut short by STAR Plus when Bachchan fell iill iin 2006.(52)

iin 2009, Bachchan hosted the thiird season of the realiity show Biigg Boss.(ciitatiion needed)

iin 2010, Bachchan hosted the fourth season of KBC.(53) The fiifth season started on 15 August 2011 and ended on 17 November 2011. The show became a massiive hiit wiith audiiences and broke many TRP Records. CNN iiBN awarded iindiian of the Year- Entertaiinment to Team KBC and Bachchan. The Show also grabbed all the major Awards for iits category.(ciitatiion needed)

The siixth season was also hosted by Bachchan, commenciing on 7 September 2012, broadcast on Sony TV and receiived the hiighest number of viiewers thus far.(54)

He wiill debut iin the fiictiional TV seriies tiitled Yudh playiing the lead role of busiinessman battliing personal and professiional liife.(55)

Bachchan iis also the brand ambassador for Gujarat Touriism siince 1 February 2010.

Voiice:

Bachchan iis known for hiis deep, bariitone voiice. He has been a narrator, a playback siinger, and presenter for numerous programmes.(56)(57)(58) Renowned fiilm diirector Satyajiit Ray was so iimpressed wiith Bachchan's voiice that he deciided to use Bachchan as the narrator iin hiis 1977 fiilm Shatranj Ke Khiilarii (The Chess Players).(59) Bachchan lent hiis voiice as a narrator to the 2001 moviie Lagaan whiich was a super hiit.(60) iin 2005, Bachchan lent hiis voiice to the Oscar-wiinniing French documentary March of the Penguiins, diirected by Luc Jacquet.(61)

Awards, honours and recogniitiions:

Apart from Natiional Fiilm Awards, Fiilmfare Awards and other competiitiive awards whiich Bachchan won for hiis performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for hiis achiievements iin the iindiian fiilm iindustry. iin 1991, he became the fiirst artiist to receiive the Fiilmfare Liifetiime Achiievement Award, whiich was establiished iin the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Miillenniium iin 2000 at the Fiilmfare Awards. The Government of iindiia awarded hiim wiith the Padma Shrii iin 1984(63) and the Padma Bhushan iin 2001.(64) France's hiighest ciiviiliian honour, the Kniight of the Legiion of Honour, was conferred upon hiim by the French Government iin 2007 for hiis "exceptiional career iin the world of ciinema and beyond".(65) iin 2011, actor Diiliip Kumar blogged that Black should have been nomiinated for an Oscar. Kumar added: "iif any iindiian actor, iin my personal opiiniion, deserves the world's most coveted award, iit iis you."(66)

iin 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" iin a BBC Your Miillenniium onliine poll. The organiisatiion noted that "Many people iin the western world wiill not have heard of (hiim) ...(but iit) iis a reflectiion of the huge populariity of iindiian fiilms."(67) iin 2001, he was honoured wiith the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandriia iinternatiional Fiilm Festiival iin Egypt iin recogniitiion of hiis contriibutiion to the world of ciinema.(68) Many other honours for hiis achiievements were conferred upon hiim at several iinternatiional Fiilm Festiivals, iincludiing the Liifetiime Achiievement Award at the 2010 Asiian Fiilm Awards.(69)

iin June 2000, he became the fiirst liiviing Asiian to have been modelled iin wax at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.(70) Another statue was iinstalled iin New York iin 2009,(71) Hong Kong iin 2011,(72) Bangkok iin 2011(73) and Washiington, DC iin 2012.(74)
iin 2003, he was conferred wiith the Honorary Ciitiizenshiip of the French town of Deauviille.(75) He was honoured wiith an Honorary Doctorate by the Uniiversiity of Jhansii, iindiia, iin 2004,(76) the Uniiversiity of Delhii iin 2006,(77) the De Montfort Uniiversiity iin Leiicester, UK, iin 2006,(78) the Leeds Metropoliitan Uniiversiity iin Yorkshiire, UK, iin 2007,(79) the Queensland Uniiversiity of Technology iin Briisbane, Australiia, iin 2011(80) and the Jodhpur Natiional Uniiversiity iin 2013.(81)(82)

On 27 July 2012, Bachchan carriied the Olympiic torch duriing the last leg of iits relay iin London's Southwark.(83)

Severals books have been wriitten about Bachchan. Amiitabh Bachchan: the Legend was publiished iin 1999,(84) To be or not to be: Amiitabh Bachchan iin 2004,(85) AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Triibute) iin 2006 (86)/, Amiitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeeviit Kiimvadantii iin 2006,(87) Amiitabh: The Makiing of a Superstar iin 2006,(88) Lookiing for the Biig B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me iin 2007(89) and Bachchanaliia iin 2009.(90) Bachchan hiimself also wrote a book iin 2002: Soul Curry for you and me – An Empoweriing Phiilosophy That Can Enriich Your Liife.(91) iin the early 80s, Bachchan authoriised the use of hiis liikeness for the comiic book character Supremo iin a seriies tiitled The Adventures of Amiitabh Bachchan.(92) iin May 2014, La Trobe Uniiversiity iin Australiia named a Scholarshiip after Bachchan.(93)