When you say the words ‘cinema’ and ‘icon’ in the same breath, you’re probably thinking of Amitabh Bachchan. One of the most enduring superstars of our time, charting his career is a Herculean task, but also a masterclass in what talent and relentless hard work can do for you.
Today, we only associate Bachchan with success and fortune, but there was a time when he struggled to make a mark in the industry. That is, until he was cast in Zanjeer (1973) as the ‘angry young man’. While he reached superstardom in the ’70s through roles in this mould, he also unknowingly created a template for coming generations. With films such as Deewar (1975), Sholay (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), among others, he ruled the box office. He reign continued in the ’80s being cast in films such as Shaan (1980), Kaalia (1981), Silsila (1981) and Shakti (1982). In 1983, Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury on the sets of Coolie (1983), and the entire country prayed for his recovery. He was absent from the big screen for almost five years, after which he returned with a huge bang with Shahenshah (1988). One of his most-loved and most-remembered roles was that of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan in Agneepath (1990). From action to romance, from singing to dancing, he did it all and did it brilliantly.
Even though the subsequent years saw a bit of a lull, it wasn’t long before Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and films such as Mohabbatein (2000) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) leveraged his immense screen presence and reinstated his superstar status. It would have been easy for him to slow down in the years after, almost retiring and doing a few roles here and there, but it’s a testament to how much he loves cinema that he continued to work at a pace that is unfathomable to most of us.
Millennials and Gen Z don’t know him just for his earlier work but also because he stars in some of their more recent favourites. His enthusiastic Twitter presence and one-liners from KBC are bread and butter for meme makers. His legacy goes beyond his work. It’s in the way his family talks fondly of him, it’s in the way every Bollywood actor reveres him, it’s in the way we can recognise his voice in an instant, and it’s in the way his was the first name that came to us when we decided to honour cinematic icons in this issue.
Today, we only associate Bachchan with success and fortune, but there was a time when he struggled to make a mark in the industry. That is, until he was cast in Zanjeer (1973) as the ‘angry young man’. While he reached superstardom in the ’70s through roles in this mould, he also unknowingly created a template for coming generations. With films such as Deewar (1975), Sholay (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), among others, he ruled the box office. He reign continued in the ’80s being cast in films such as Shaan (1980), Kaalia (1981), Silsila (1981) and Shakti (1982). In 1983, Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury on the sets of Coolie (1983), and the entire country prayed for his recovery. He was absent from the big screen for almost five years, after which he returned with a huge bang with Shahenshah (1988). One of his most-loved and most-remembered roles was that of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan in Agneepath (1990). From action to romance, from singing to dancing, he did it all and did it brilliantly.
Even though the subsequent years saw a bit of a lull, it wasn’t long before Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and films such as Mohabbatein (2000) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) leveraged his immense screen presence and reinstated his superstar status. It would have been easy for him to slow down in the years after, almost retiring and doing a few roles here and there, but it’s a testament to how much he loves cinema that he continued to work at a pace that is unfathomable to most of us.
Millennials and Gen Z don’t know him just for his earlier work but also because he stars in some of their more recent favourites. His enthusiastic Twitter presence and one-liners from KBC are bread and butter for meme makers. His legacy goes beyond his work. It’s in the way his family talks fondly of him, it’s in the way every Bollywood actor reveres him, it’s in the way we can recognise his voice in an instant, and it’s in the way his was the first name that came to us when we decided to honour cinematic icons in this issue.
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