Amitabh Bachchan, even at the age of 74, is one of the most prominent names in Bollywood. The megastar, who entered the showbiz at the age of 27 with an image of an angry young man, intimidated even the biggest superstars in late 60s. The tall, handsome son of renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan soon became a name to reckon with and in the subsequent years the patriarch of Bollywood.
Big B started his career in 1969 with Saat Hindustani and went on to become the most influential actors in the history of Indian Cinema. Even after a successful career spanning over 4 decades, the actor continues to stun the audience with formidable performances year after year. While most of the actors either retire or settle for supporting roles at the age of 74, Big B is rediscovering himself with fresh roles and innovative scripts every year.
Be it winning the hearts of the audience or National Awards for Best Actor, Big B is doing it all. The charisma and class apart act of the actor is commendable. Not only are his choices giving a new model of acting to younger actors, but are also paving way for more quality-driven cinema.
While actors at his age have settled to play fathers and grandfathers on screen, he is bending the rule book and carving his own definition of timeless acting. Let's take a look at the roles that Big B brilliantly pulled off in recent years.
Black
Debraj Sahai, an alcoholic teacher for a blind, deaf and mute girl suffering from Alzheimer's, can easily be regarded as the best character portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black laid the foundation for choosing challenging roles for the actor. The brilliance with which he played the character made Debraj Sahni one of the most memorable characters in Big B's career. He also won much-deserved National Award for the film, second in his career.
Paa
Who would've thought that a 67-year-old seasoned actor could pull off child-like innocence of a 12 year so effortlessly? Playing a child suffering from rare genetic disorder, Progeria, Big B gave an award winning performance as Auro in R Balki's Paa. He was the star of the film and nailed the emotions of a lively 12-year-old boy winning accords from the audience as well as critics. The film also got him his third National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance and his fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award.
Piku
Another refreshing performance by Big B where he played a possessive, progressive father of a young, responsible woman. He played a father in a dysfunctional family with utmost reality. The slice of life family drama suited the larger than life image of Big B perfectly. Choosing a small budget film like Piku, with an unconventional storyline, proved that the actor was never afraid of taking any risks. The film also got him his fourth National Award for Best Actor.
Te3n
Experimenting with thriller genre, Big B as John Biswas, gave an impactful performance alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The grieving grandfather seeking justice for his eight-year-old grandchild brought a different shade of Amitabh on screen. The never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit matched the real life persona of the actor. While the industry expects actors of his age to take up family drama and maybe a comedy at most, he opted for a thriller and aced it.
Pink
This year's one of the most talked about film, Pink, discussed patriarchy and woman empowerment in a very realistic, hard hitting way. While the film revolved around three girls getting prosecuted by the society, Big B as their lawyer, shed light on society's hypocrisy and slut shaming. Who better than the patriarch of Bollywood to give a message about woman empowerment? The film started the much-needed debate on society's perception of women and Big B was there to lead this new movement. Again it was a small budget, risky role but the actor didn't hesitate to experiment.
Big B is the perfect example of someone ageing gracefully, as a celebrity as well as an actor. Till date, he has films completely banking on him and this has only motivated him to do and take up more challenging roles. He has the energy of a teenager and his hunger to experiment with his roles and films is quite evident. He continues to be an actor rather than an icon; open to everyone and every film and not someone who places himself on a pedestal.
Here's wishing the young at heart superstar a very Happy Birthday.
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