The star of the millennium, Shahenshah of the big screen or simply the Angry Young man; over five decades of his acting career, Amitabh Bachchan has been the recipient of many a title. Those have, however, not been quite enough to encapsulate the stardom and the reverence the actor has commanded in the Hindi film industry. The people’s superstar, he has only garnered love and respect from the industry.
Amitabh, in conversation with Ram Gopal Varma during the shooting of latest instalment of the Sarkar franchise. (Photo: RGVzoomin)
And as the superstar turns 75 today, a milestone birthday for him, tributes have been pouring in from his co-stars.
In the run up to his landmark birthday, Amitabh himself admitted that he wasn’t keen on celebrating his big day. “NO, there is no celebration of any kind for the 75th and there is no possibility of my presence here in the city (sic),” he wrote on his blog.
Still from Sholay
His Cheeni Kum co-star, Tabu has heaped praised on his birthday. “What can I say about him!” she says, still sounding in awe. “Cheeni Kum was one of the most important milestones of my career, and I’m so happy I got to work with him. He is adorable, and I love him. He is a legend; I was fortunate enough to share screen space with this legend.”
Still from Cheeni Kum
Ram Gopal Varma is one of Amitabh’s favourite directors in recent times. The star has worked with the filmmaker in movies like Sarkar, Nishabd and the very forgettable RGV Ki Aag. The director has only one wish for him on his birthday. “I so hate it that he keeps getting older,” Varma sighs. “So, I wish he will live for 200 years, because then I can pretend he’s just some 35 years old now.”
Kalki Koechlin, who is a self-confessed fan of the actor, speaks about how the actor has been an inspiration to everyone. “He’s a wonderful man, and I will always remember as the angry young man. I’ve grown up watching his films, and he’s such an inspiration to the many actors and strugglers out there. I wish him good health on his birthday,” she smiles.
(Photo: SMM Ausaja Pvt Archive)
“I’ve worked with him in Khakhee and Shootout at Lokhandwala,” reminisces Tusshar Kapoor. “We spent quite a good amount of time working together, and I’d just like to say that he’s a benchmark for everybody, and not just for actors his age. He has broken barriers for what senior actors of his age can do. His focus is on another level. When you see him working, you can pick on a lot of things that actors need to do in between shots to make your work look better. I’ve learnt a lot from him.”
Author and film historian S.M.M Ausaja, who is penning a book called The Bachchans currently, says that it’s time the government looked at awarding the thespian a Bharat Ratna. “Amitabh Bachchan is a rare combination of luck and talent. I always say that if you have luck, you can be a Jeetendra, if you have talent, you can become a Naseeruddin Shah. But it only takes a mix of the two to become an Amitabh Bachchan,” he smiles.
