Happy birthday Mr Amitabh Bachchan. Today, on his 82nd birthday, here are fifteen nuggets about the greatest Indian now on the planet.
One: His first job was as an executive at Bird and Company in Kolkata for a monthly salary of Rs 500. During his time in the city, he acted in a few English plays performed by amateur theatre groups, including one directed by your columnist’s father, Neil O’Brien. He made his audio (voiceover) debut in Mrinal Sen’s film Bhuvan Shome. He also provided the opening narrative voice for Satyajit Ray’s classic Shatranj Ke Khilari.
Two: Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri were married on June 3, 1973. The ceremony took place on the terrace of Skylark, a building in Malabar Hill belonging to S Pandit of Philips India. The only gifts that were exchanged were the wedding rings. The guest list included Sanjay Gandhi, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, K A Abbas, and Farida Jalal, among others. The first time Mr Bachchan and his spouse acted together was in the film Bansi Birju.
Three: His six favourite actors are Al Pacino, Dilip Kumar, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Sivaji Ganesan, and Uttam Kumar.
Four: Here is what two of the greatest Indian directors had to say about him: “Hindi film directors have used hardly 10 per cent of his potential capacity as an actor” — Hrishikesh Mukherjee. “An actor like Amitabh Bachchan can be exceptionally good” — Satyajit Ray.
Five: There are some numbers which have become as iconic as his films. #786 was the porter’s badge number he wore in Coolie, and was also his identification number cum good luck charm in Deewar. #MYB3047 was his motorcycle nameplate in Sholay. #N23 was the number of his speedboat in The Great Gambler.
Six: Many of his films have been inspired by real-life persons and events. The liberation of Goa from the Portuguese in 1961 served as the backdrop for his films Saat Hindustani and Pukar. The film Kaala Patthar was based on the 1975 Chasnala mining tragedy where 572 miners died when a water tank burst. Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava was India’s most notorious confidence trickster in the 1970s. His exploits inspired the film Mr Natwarlal.
Seven: He has played double roles in numerous films. Don, Kasme Vaade, Satte Pe Satta, Toofan, Sooryavansham, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Bemisal, Desh Premee, Aakhree Raasta, The Great Gambler, among others. Mahaan was one film where he played a triple role (the father and his two sons)!
Eight: The production crew had a novel idea for the song ‘Sara Zamana’ for Yaarana. Instead of hiring extras, get ordinary people to come and be spectators. Over 12,000 people were in attendance at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata during the shoot. Almost three times that number were waiting outside hoping to get a glimpse of the magic. This was not the only time Mr Bachchan filled stadiums. He has also performed at the Wembley Stadium in London, and Giants Stadium in New Jersey, to packed crowds during his world tour in 1990.
Nine: Five actors have also directed Mr Bachchan. Actor Sunil Dutt, who was Sheriff of Bombay, and a Member of Parliament, starred in and directed Reshma Aur Shera. Manoj Kumar acted and directed Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. Shashi Kapoor, Mr Bachchan’s co-star in numerous films, directed the lavish Indo-Russian production Ajooba. Comedian Deven Verma acted and directed Besharam. The prolific film and television actor Tinnu Anand directed three films featuring Mr Bachchan, Kaalia, Shahenshah, and Main Azaad Hoon.
Ten: The French producer Alain Chamas tried to sign him for the film Crossings opposite Jon Voight and Richard Dreyfuss. But when the logistics of the dates were explained to him, the producer was both amazed and exasperated. Alain famously remarked, “This man is not just a star. Amitabh Bachchan is an industry.”
Eleven: He has the distinction of being the first Indian film star to appear in a comic, courtesy Diamond Publishers.
Twelve: Mr Bachchan has also featured many times in Amul’s topical advertising campaign. Here are a few examples. The pun “Roti Kapda Aur Makhan” needs little explaining. “Utterly Butterly De De” was followed by the line “Jumma Se Jumma Le Le”. And the iconic dialogue from Shahenshah inspired “Rich Taste Se Hum Sabke Baap Lagte Hain, Naam Hai Amultabh Makkhan”.
Thirteen: A little-known, heartwarming story. In 1979, Mr Bachchan received a call from a doctor in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital, who told him about a young girl in a coma. She kept mumbling the name “Anthony”. The doctor realised that this was the name of Mr Bachchan’s character from the film Amar Akbar Anthony. When the girl came out of the coma, the doctor contacted Mr Bachchan. He personally came to the hospital and the girl had her first mouthful of food only after he fed her.
Fourteen: Six of Mr Bachchan’s favourite directors are Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor, and Satyajit Ray.
Fifteen: Three of his favourite poets are Rabindranath Tagore, William Shakespeare, and his late father Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
P.S. During my time as a quizmaster and publisher, one of the first books we published was the Amitabh Bachchan Book of Lists. It has been more than three decades since Joy Bhattacharya, Anirudha Bhattacharjee, and Amitava Chatterjee sat around my dining table at home to research this treasure trove of trivia.
The writer is MP and leader, All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party (Rajya Sabha)
