AMITABH BACHCHAN

                               

Today, Oct. the eleventh is the birth day of the Big B who is now 71. His fans over the world have been celebrating the day with a big fanfare since the morning. There is a gentleman from Allahabad, the birthplace of Big B, who presented a copy of the Ram Charit Manas and a pot of Ganga water to him. Somebody is flying a flag wishing him a long life. One person was putting on a colourful t-shirt embossed with Amitabh photograph. I join this crowd of Big B fans in extending  very hearty good wishes for ‘pashyed shardam shatam’.

On this auspicious day, let us discuss in brief what is special in this man which has made him larger than the life size. Today all over the world, Bachchan   is a brand name for excellence. Right from Harivanshrai to Amitabh, Ajitabh, Abhishek, Jaya, Aishwrya and Aaradhya, the entire Bachchan family has become legendary. Among them the centuries greatest artist, Amitabh stands talle than othersr not only heightwise but also for artistic excellence. His towering height, echoing manly voice, dialogue delivery and full dedication of almost living the life of a given role make him a special person. Whether a romantic hero, angry young man or in a support role, he continues to be the main attraction of any film. The viewers never get tired of seeing him. Insread they feel bored if he is not in the scene for long. ‘Lakh piye do lakh piye, kabhi nahin thaknewala’.

Doing a challenging role in PAA of  a child suffering from a rare mental disease, at such an advanced age is not everybody’s cup of tea. While in late sixties, he played a unique role of a romantic hero with a heroine of less than his half age. In the backdrop of the successful earlier non-dancing hero  trio of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapur and Devanand, Amitabh not only started dancing but also sang several hit songs. His recitation of his father’s magnum opus, Madhushala, has proved to be  a mile-stone.

At the outset, he had to struggle to settle himself in the tricky tinseltown. He married an established heroine, Jaya. He opened ABC which flopped and broke him financially. The KBC of the Star TV brought him back on rails. He had an unsuccessful stint in politics which compelled him to say goodbye for good to this field. The Rekha episode is yet another unexplained episode of his chequered life. Since the days of his parents, the friendship of Gandhi and Bachchan families is known to everybody. Now the relation is so strained that perhaps they are not on talking terms. Despite these odds, the Big B braved, he continues to grow in name, fame and property. His benevolence for the needy is also very famous. If this man represents a legend, one should not wonder.

May God keep him on the centre stage for good.