Amitabh Bachchan is the only Hindi film actor who has, despite unending struggles in the beginning of his career, managed to overcome all hurdles rise to the top, and remain there, undefeated for years on end.
Despite the fact that he has been associated with the epithet, ‘angry young man’, for his portrayal of the hero fighting the villain in many of his earlier films, he has proved his mettle in socially-conscious as well as family-oriented films too, be it Pink, or Baghban. This is one actor who has constantly raised the bar with his acting genius.
Numerous accolades
In his five-decade-long career, Amitabh has acted in over 200-plus Hindi films, bagging a number of awards, including the second highest civilian honour in India – the Padma Vibhushan, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, four National Film Awards for Best Actor and 15 Filmfare awards, to name just a few .
Immense talent is what has sustained Amitabh, and it has shone through in each of his performances. Be it super-hit mass entertainers like Don, Amar Akbar Anthony, or Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, or sensitive subjects, based more on reality, like a delicate saga of romance between a young girl and an older man in Nishabd, the superbly-performed, gut-wrenching story of a deaf and blind woman and her mentor, who himself develops Alzheimer’s disease, played with unmatched brilliance by Amitabh in Black or the political drama Sarkar; many of Amitabh’s superlative performances have remained with the audiences for decades .
Visuals and anecdotes
Amitabh Bachchan – The Forever Star takes you through the phenomenal actor’s life, from when he was struggling with rejection because of his lanky physique and uncharacteristic baritone, till he was accepted for his sheer talent and genius !t is also about an artist whose personal and cinematic journey has been full of ups and down, but he has played all his roles, be it of a dutiful son, a loving husband, a doting father, a not-so-suave businessman, a reluctant politician, or someone who has faced all kinds of challenges headon, with elan. The stunning visuals, never-before heard stories from friends and co-workers, and intriguing anecdotes make this book one-of-a-kind and perfect read for every Amitabh fan. The book has been published by Amaryllis.
A photographer, writer & painter
Pradeep Chandra is a photographer, writer and a painter in a career stretching over four decades.
As a photojournalist, he has been associated with various publications, like the Illustrated Weekly of India, the Times of India, the Week, Sunday Observer and Bombay Times, etc. He has held many exhibitions that showcase his unique approach to photography.
Some of his memorable shows include, ‘The Alien Insiders’, his documentation of the plight of Kashmiri Pandit refugees; ‘Britain’, a celebration of 50 years of independence; a tribute to Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel after the catastrophic attacks of 26/11, etc.
He has also commemorated Amitabh Bachchan’s 61st and 75th birthdays by curating two multimedia exhibitions in collaboration with other artists.
Chandra has authored books on MF Husain, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. He is currently working on books on Pritish Nandy and JP Singhal, among other projects. He lives in Mumbai.
The way Amitabh has portrayed anger on the screen is unprecedented and unparalleled. I believe that any artist can only offer the emotions and feelings that are part of his personal repertoire. We talk about the talent of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, but I must say that Amitabh Bachchan is no less than them in terms of talent and potential
Javed Akhtar
Screenwriter, lyricist and poet Amitabh is large-hearted and generous by nature. This was amply evident to us in 2008 when we decided to build a dormitory for 50 more girls at Sherwood. He did not make public his financial contribution towards this effort and yet, keenly followed the construction work till it was successfully completed
Inderjit Khanna
Ex-Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan and Amitabh’s classmate at Sherwood. It takes a lot in this business to be a star forever and only one actor has done it with consistency and dignity and his name is Amitabh Bachchan. A real Star Forever
Subhash Ghai
Film director and producer Pradeep has been putting together some interesting books, largely visual, about people and the making of contemporary legends. This one on Amitabh is particularly interesting because he has managed to tell a story that is quite unique about a person who has been more frequently written about and chronicled than anyone else in recent history. So much so that I am sure Amitabh himself must be surprised that there is something more than what can yet be said about him
Pritish Nandy
Poet, painter and journalist His is truly a remarkable story and a very unique one. No other actor in India has undertaken even half the journey he has, nor had the same impact on our collective consciousness. People talk about Dilip Kumar. But he is history, already. Shah Rukh Khan…give him another twenty years, we’ll talk then. Aamir Khan – hugely talented, but also equally hugely overrated. That leaves just one guy – and he is everywhere. On the small screen and big. On billboards and stickers. On radio and websites. In wax and on canvas. Books, films, news clips… gosh – I’m breathless. Poems, songs, essays…there is hardly any space left that is not in some way been impacted by him, directly or indirectly. All this, and a temple in Kolkata too. What does this make Amitabh – a living deity, perhaps?
Shobha De
Novelist and columnist
