
BOLLYWOOD: EIGHTY THREE WOWS FOR THE BIG B!
by Monojit Lahiri October 10 2025, 12:00 am Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins, 39 secsOn his 83rd birthday, Monojit Lahiri traces Amitabh Bachchan’s extraordinary evolution—from a shy, lanky Calcutta boy with an unmistakable voice to Bollywood’s most enduring Brand Ambassador, redefining stardom, charisma, and creative longevity across six remarkable decades.
Amitabh Bachchan, one of India’s greatest cinematic icons, continues to inspire generations with his unmatched versatility and presence. From his early failures to his meteoric rise as Bollywood’s “Angry Young Man,” and later, his reinvention as television’s most dignified host on Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bachchan’s journey embodies timeless ambition and adaptability. On his 83rd birthday, Monojit Lahiri revisits the milestones that shaped this living legend—his struggles, triumphs, and the grace that defines the man behind the myth.
Early Days in Calcutta: A Gentleman in the Making
Amit, Amit Bachchan. That’s how he was known in the early sixties in Calcutta—not Kolkata—that truly rocked socially, culturally, intellectually, and commercially. Young, tall, and lanky, with limbs that seemed to go on forever and a conspicuous Adam’s apple that bobbed distractingly, he worked as an executive in a multinational company and lived the charmed life of a carefree bachelor in a city brimming with opportunities.
I met him a couple of times through my college buddy Victor Banerjee, who was starring alongside him in a musical titled Desert Song. Shy, well-mannered, and soft-spoken, he appeared the retiring kind—one who, despite his interest in English theatre, preferred to stay away from the limelight. Yet even in those early days, casual Bachchan-watchers noticed his composure, quiet dignity, and the way he conducted himself. He epitomised refinement, reserve, and class.
One fine day came the buzz that the “Bachchan guy”—the lamboo with the great voice—was leaving the city to try his luck in Bollywood. Was he delusional? It was the late sixties, the Rajesh Khanna wave was at its peak—what could this “toothpick” possibly offer? His debut in Saat Hindustani barely made ripples, and Mumbai’s early verdict was harsh. Ridiculed, neglected, and dismissed as a misfit among the Khannas and Kapoors, he struggled to find his footing. Yet, after Anand, though his talent was noticed, superstardom seemed a distant dream.
Zanjeer and the Birth of the Angry Young Man
In Bombay to Goa, he displayed promise, but it remained a Mehmood showcase. Fortunately, scriptwriters Salim-Javed saw what others missed. Javed Akhtar once told me, “We were desperate to cast someone who could embody our unsmiling, intense cop in Zanjeer—a man who spoke with his fists. No one could have done what Amitabh did.”
I met him at his Vile Parle residence a week before Zanjeer’s release in September 1973. He was polite but restless, anxious for the film to work. Industry insiders had written him off as “Mr Unlucky.” Yet, destiny had other plans.
Zanjeer shattered every doubt, unchaining Amitabh Bachchan from ill fortune and launching him into cinematic immortality. With his fusion of smouldering intensity, machismo, and vulnerability, he became India’s ultimate anti-hero. Audiences, weary of injustice and hypocrisy, found their voice in his. Success brought confidence, and soon his versatility spanned comedy, romance, and action with magnetic conviction. Amitabh Bachchan had become the “one-man industry.”
Reinvention and the Eternal Icon
The highs of superstardom were followed by lows—Toofan, Jaadugar, political missteps, and the ABCL debacle. Yet, his phoenix-like rebirth as host of Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000 changed television forever.
Producer Siddharth Basu recalls, “When Sameer Nair suggested Amitabh Bachchan, I was stunned. Could he pull off television? But his bilingual grace, poise, and connection with every contestant made KBC iconic.” His warmth, professionalism, and diligence transformed the small screen into a cinematic experience. Today, with KBC 17, he remains unmatched—a master of reinvention.
Bachchan’s adventurous spirit continues to drive him towards new-age directors and daring scripts. With awards, applause, and endorsements flooding in, his iconic status only deepens. Some actors occupy the stage; few rule it. Some light up a scene; few ignite the entire film. Amitabh Bachchan belongs to that rare, blazing few—those who transform performance into poetry.
Keep going, Big B… we wish you more power and glory.