Actually by measure of sheer impact as a pop culture icon and the way his old films mirrored conditions of frustrated poor and middle class in India, there is hardly any parallel in modern India who can match how long this man has worked and how much respect he has despite controversies. There are temples for him, comics in his name, loony fans who still install his statues at their homes even abroad. Rare to see such fandom for anyone post independence era. Closest examples perhaps would be Lata ji, Asha ji, Dilip K.
Amitabh is lucky and a once in century phenomenon. Rarely do all factors fall in place for one guy, and he himself also has tenacity and tact to stay relevant, reinvent himself, move with time and is married to his craft, actually skilled at it, getting tailor made scripts, choosing issues that reflect pulse of masses.
He knows India is a suppressed society. He chooses rebel or strong characters and never played helpless victim. That gives hope to his viewers. He knows his socio cultural milieu better than many others. He has great discipline to keep carefully crafted image and enthusiasm for his craft. His high profile connections and elite pedigree background only add to his mystique. It is very rare for all factors to fall in place for one man and ability to get work of own choice and being good at it and having impeccable articulation, language skills, communication skills.
I highly doubt anyone can ever match him. He has set a really tall order. Literally and figuratively.
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