Portrait · Studio Harcourt Paris / CC BY 3.0 Amitabh Bachchan Actor and television host
Born 1942
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian actor and television host born in Allahabad, now Prayagraj, to poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. His education at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College in Delhi preceded work in Calcutta, where he also acted with the amateur theatre group CATS. He moved into cinema as a narrator in Bhuvan Shome and an actor in Saat Hindustani. Anand gave him an early breakthrough opposite Rajesh Khanna; Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay established the forceful screen persona associated with the angry young man. His range also included the musical comedy Amar Akbar Anthony, the double role in Don, the romantic ensemble Kabhi Kabhie, and the father–son conflict of Shakti. Agneepath, Hum and Khuda Gawah carried his leading work into the next decade. He briefly served as an elected member of Parliament before returning his attention to entertainment. Financial difficulties around his company ABCL and an uneven film comeback preceded a renewed career. In a Rediff interview, he described bankruptcy and the need to keep trying; Kaun Banega Crorepati brought him into viewers' homes, while Mohabbatein introduced a prominent authoritarian patriarch role. In a 2019 IANS interview, he explained that he followed writers and directors rather than an acting-school method; preparing for Black included learning sign language. His later work moved between the teacher in Black, the child Auro in Paa, the demanding father in Piku and the lawyer in Pink. Sarkar, Cheeni Kum, Badla, Gulabo Sitabo, Jhund and Uunchai further widened that character-led period. He played Meyer Wolfshiem in The Great Gatsby and appeared in the Tamil film Vettaiyan alongside Rajinikanth. Awards include national recognition for Agneepath, Black, Paa and Piku, the Padma honours and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. UNICEF appointed him a Goodwill Ambassador in 2005, building on earlier work for children. He maintains a personal blog and verified social accounts. His recent work includes hosting KBC and playing Ashwatthama in Kalki 2898 AD. Director Nag Ashwin's September 2026 update described further Kalki filming planned for October, with no confirmed release date.
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Scope Only attributable updates about Amitabh Bachchan's work and public record.
Project
Nag Ashwin sets out further Kalki filming plans The director described regular filming planned for mid-October after earlier work with Bachchan and Kamal Haasan. His target to finish shooting during the following year remains a plan; no release date was confirmed.
26 Sept 2026 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
Broadcast
A KBC recollection of marrying Jaya Bachchan described the simplicity of his marriage and acknowledged Jaya as his wife in a recent quiz-show conversation.
24 Sept 2026 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
News
A trainer’s account of adapted exercise NDTV revisited Shivohaam Bhatt’s earlier podcast discussion of bench presses, back work and low training intensity. The story’s publication date does not date the original interview.
22 Jul 2026 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
News
Remembering Asha Bhosle through favourite songs Subhash K Jha’s interview records Bachchan naming Dum Maro Dum and Do Lafzon Ki among favourite Asha Bhosle songs.
14 Apr 2026 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
Broadcast
KBC separates a food preference from eating habits His answer about jalebi expressed fondness while saying he could not eat it; the observation does not establish a current diet.
17 Oct 2025 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
Broadcast
A personal skincare answer on KBC Aaj Tak reported his mustard-oil answer from a Sony promo. It identifies generic oil rather than a branded beauty product.
4 Feb 2025 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
Broadcast
Naming a favourite Mumbai snack NDTV Food reported Bachchan’s vada-pav answer on KBC, preserving it as a dated food preference.
23 Oct 2024 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
Award
Dadasaheb Phalke Award presented at Rashtrapati Bhavan The President presented the cinema honour to Bachchan in December 2019.
29 Dec 2019 Canonical source checked 2026-10-02
