India's legendary actor and iconic personality Mr. Amitabh Bachchan turns 70 on 11th and the veteran continues to awe, awe and awe! TheBig B (as he's fondly called), needs no introduction but this is a fan's humble attempt to talk about the man's greatness. The countdown for his 70th Birthday has begun and we list the first 25 out of 70 reasons as to why we love Amitabh Bachchan.
1. Baritone voice- Amitabh Bachchan is known for his baritone voice and although he was rejected by All India Radio as an RJ (Radio Jockey), this turned out to be a blessing for Bollywood. He's been a narrator (for Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari and the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins) and a playback singer (Sharaabi, Khuda Gawah, Paa. Kahaani, Bol Bachchan and Silsila to name a few).
2. Angry Young Man of Hindi Cinema-The term that was famously coined by English playwright John Osborne, went on to become a catchphrase for Amitabh Bachchan. He portrayed the rebellious and disillusioned man in films like Deewaar, Zanjeer, Trishul, Agneepath and Shakti).
3. Legendary actor- With a career spanning four decades, Amitabh Bachchan has worked with the best directors and co actors in the Indian film fraternity. He has award winningperformances to his credit and his films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Namak Haraam, Deewar, Anand, Abhimaan, Sharaabi and Sholay watched till date. His hits like Agneepath and Don have been remade but none match the originals! He was the 'Superstar' of Indian cinema for a quarter century before his down fall.
4. Iconic public figure- Wherever Amitabh Bachchan goes, "Line wahi se shuru hoti hain".
5. Family man- He is a doting father to both Shweta Nanda and Abhishek (AB Junior). His camaraderie and rapport with his children is evident at public events and in movies, where Big B and AB Junior have worked together. He recently made it to the success bash of Bol Bachchan to support Abhishek in spite of a hectic schedule.
6. Fighter- During the shooting of Coolie in 1982, he had a near fatal accident while shooting a fight sequence with co-star Puneet Issar. He condition was termed critical and he spent many months in hospital. He was even close to death but chose to fight and with the well wishes of family and close friends, he bounced back to life. This was christened as his re-birth.
7. Professional- Come hail or storm, Amitabh Bachchan lives up to his commitments. Out of the many incidents, the particular one that comes to mind is during the shooting of the filmSharaabi where Amitabh Bachchan burnt his hands. But being the professional he is, he continued to shoot by putting his hand in his coat pocket which went on to become a fashion statement in itself!
8. Good diction- No one has a better command over English and Hindi the way Big B has. He's articulate, well read and pronounces words to the tee. His fluency in both languages is impressive!
9. Dance- Amitabh Bachchan has his own unique style when it comes to dancing. He re interpreted Bhagwan dada's dance style to give it the Amitabh stamp. This is evident in songs like (Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai, Khaike Paan Banaras Wala, Shava Shava and the list is endless).
10. Dialogue delivery- Amitabh's dialogue delivery renders audiences speechless. From"Rishtey mein to hum tumhare Baap lagte hain, Naam hai Shahenshah" to "Don ka intezaar to 11 mulko ki police kar rahi hai, par don ko pakadna muskil hi nahi namumkin hai" dialogues form the USPs of his films.
11. Versatility- He has experimented with all genres of cinema from playing comic roles (Namak Halal) to the intensely romantic hero (Silsila) to the Angry Young Man (Deewar) to playing a child suffering from progeria (Paa) and a villain (Aankhen). Amitabh truly embodies the spirit of cinema!
12. Lineage- He is the son of the famous poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, whose original surname was Shrivastava, adopted the pen name Bachchan that signified a childlike spirit and it was this surname that Amitabh chose to use to make his debut in Hindi Cinema.
13. Superstar- After Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan was the second superstar of the country. But with the sad demise of Kaka (Rajesh Khanna), Big B recently Tweeted, "The word 'superstar' was invented for him, and for me it shall ever remain his and no others". We appreciate the humility.
14. Connect with people- Amitabh Bachchan is a people's person without having to make an effort. His connect with audiences, fans, celebrities, politicians and world leaders is effortless and come to him naturally and spontaneously.
15. Active blogger & Twitterati- He has his own official blog and is extremely active on the social networking site Twitter where he has 3, 646, 523 followers. Big B is conscientious and writes on many topical issues.
16. Moves with the Times- Whether it's his dressing style or the roles he chooses (Cheeni Kum, Boom, Buddha Hoga Terra Baap) or it's his approach to new age directors and actors, Big B knows how to keep up with gen next.
17. Real & reel life persona- Amitabh Bachchan has great poise, excellent diction, is a great orator, well read and spoken personality, an altruist and an actor unparalleled by any in the history of Indian cinema.
18. For giving trademark characters- From Vijay Dinanath Chauhan in Agneepath (which was his character name for 20 films) to Jay in Sholay and Subhash 'Sarkar' Nagare in Sarkar, no one can beat Amitabh when it comes to acting!
19. His chemistry with Rekha-His onscreen chemistry with co-actor Rekha sparked of many rumours that went on to link the two together. Big B was married to Jaya Bachchan then and the iconic film 'Silsila' is said to be inspired by this love triangle. Rekha and Amitabh were seen together in films like Do Anjaane, Silsila, Suhaag, Muqaddar ka Sikandar and Mr. Natwarlal. Till date, the camera pans on Amitabh and Rekha at all award functions.
20. Doting Grandfather- He's known to be crazy about his grand children Navya Naveli Nanda, Agastya Nanda (Shweta Nanda's kids) and baby Aaradhya Bachchan. The entire family is often seen at functions with Shweta Nanda's children. And with the recent birth of Aishwarya and Abhishek's daughter, baby Aaradhya, Big B can't seem to get enough of her. At a recent press conference, Big B said he was eager to rush back home to play with Aaradhya. These kids are truly lucky to have him as their grandpa!
21. Doting father in law- Big B does not differentiate between his children Abhishek & Shweta and his daughter in law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Big B is very fond of his bahu and recently even went to the airport to receive her. The two are often seen at events together, to represent the Bachchan parivar. Ash said in an interview a while back that Amitabh Bachchan is the bestest.
22. Face of Supremo- Amitabh Bachchan is the facial caricature of the Indian comic book character 'Supremo' which is based on him.
23. For being vegetarian- At a time when celebrities across the world are now being conscious of their food choices and are even turning vegan, Amitabh Bachchan has always been a vegetarian by choice and has stuck to a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet.
24. Teetotaler-He abstains from alcohol and does not believe in social drinking. Though he's given the best drunken performances in his movies, Big B's a teetotaler! He's not one to be embroiled in any drinking controversies and has always stayed clean from them!
25. Religious- Amitabh Bachchan is religious by nature (sometimes superstitious also) and follows Indian traditions, whether it involves Abhishek and Aishwarya's wedding or it's the naming ceremony of Aaradhya to wearing different rings for religious purposes, he sure follows what the ancient Indian sutras say!
To find out the next 25 reasons, keep reading this space for more!
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