Last week 'The Superstar of the Millennium' as voted by his followers or the BigB as he is fondly called by the media, Amitabh Bachchan, celebrated his birthday in a truly big style! Each newspaper carried his pictures and interviews while news channels had special half hourly shows dedicated for the same- such is his power and charm.
The party was marked by the presence of Bollywood stars, politicians and Corporate world alike. So apart from the usual list of his best friends Anil Ambani and the Devgans, everyone from the legendary Dilip Kumar and the ailing Pran to tele stars like Sakshi Tanwar graced the occasion. Tweets by actors suggest that it was a grand affair. And rightly so- after all it was Amitabh Bachchan's birthday and even Rajnikant, who is conferred the title of the 'Super Human' on social networks came in to wish his dear friend. But what makes Amitabh Bachchan so special?And why did I call him an Institute in my title?
The answer is simple. Because he is one. If one observes his life closely and tries to ape even a fraction of it, he would have achieved a lot. I say that because I have tried it and it has helped a lot. He is and will remain a source of inspiration and a role model for me for the entire life. He is my favourite actor and I have made it a point to watch each of his films except the infamous Aag solely because as a kid I have watched the original Sholay for some 30 odd times and I cannot think of it being remade. Each of his films has a different style and you can feel his energy and passion into the roles he enacts. Be it Inspector Vijay in Zanjeer or Sexy Sam in KANK he has played each role perfectly.
That was about films which all of us have seen. But what truly differentiates him is not his reel avatar but his real avatar. Having a superb baritone voice and a great physique he is the darling of the women- many half his age. But his journey to the top hasn't been smooth. The same voice was rejected by the All India Radio or the AIR. Starting his career in Bollywood too wasn't easy. He got his first hit after a string of 13 odd flop films. Most actors today would have quit acting had this been their state. But Amitabh Bachchan stayed on and went on to become the 'Angry Young Man' of Indian Cinema. But as the dictum goes 'kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai' he met with a near fatal accident on the sets of Coolie which has permanently damaged his internals. Yet again he came back stronger and won the hearts of the people.
By his own admission, politics is not his cup of tea and thus he failed miserably in politics. So much so that his best friends family turned into fiercest of enemies. But Amitabh Bachchan remained unmoved. Around the same time his films flopped and his ambitious ,first-of-a-kind in Bollywood, company ABCL became bankrupt on some very unsuccessful films and a disastrous fashion show. This made him a defaulter of loans and his friends had to bail him out. To overcome the financial mess, he worked in films with the smallest of stars, asked for work from Yash Chopra and even took KBC against his doctor's advice. He worked day in and day out to repay the debts and once again rise to glory. Today we hear of farmers and brokers committing suicide when they cannot repay. But Amitji chose to fight and win the battle. Such is his will power and determination.Remarkable!
He is an excellent son and a great father. Both his parents and children got the best from him and if Anil Ambani is true then Amitabh Bachchan took care of his parents like none other. He sat for hours by their bedside patiently during their last moments. We don't hear of many such incidents these days. Another example of a pure human being.
Receiving awards is a normal thing for him now. Be it France's highest award or an honorary doctorate, he does not become haughty. Instead his humility increases by each passing day. And that brings me to another quality of his- humility. And sometimes he is annoyingly humble. If you quiz him about how much would he give himself as an actor, you would never get more than half. Getting a 5 on 10 is also rare. Even though he is voted 'Star of the Millennium ' he has never had an attitude. Rajesh Khanna once said in an interview that his super stardom made him feel like God but Amitabh Bachchan said that he never felt anything like that. It is this humility that rules the hearts of millions of fans who wait tirelessly each Sunday outside his residence in Mumbai to get a glimpse of the Shahenshah of Bollywood. And he does not disappoint them. After all these fans pray in numbers at the smallest hint of him being unwell.
He believes in helping the needy as well and will never go ga-ga over it. Be it repaying the debts of farmers or helping Rohit Shetty's family in times of distress or the recent A.K.Hangal illness he helps in whatever way he can. Real life stories of people having financial problems or unacceptance in society due to love marriages outside their caste touch him on KBC and he makes a genuine appeal to accept the couple to their relatives. Besides self donations, he has helped in lightning villages through solar energy and also helps in saving the tigers not to forget his self donation for the same. A magnanimous star yet such a down to earth person. People may hurl abuses but he will always be calm and never hit back in their way.
Inspite of old age and a busy schedule he never goes back on his schedule or is laid back. He exercises regualarly to remain fit and I feel ashamed as I am not able to do so. Once he has made a commitment he never goes back on it. Immediately after recovering from his ill health a couple of years ago, he resumed KANK because it was on hold because of him. He is the most punctual start Bollywood has had. Besides he does not throw tantrums and does not have an air about being such a huge star. Contemporaries and junors both consider him fun to work with due to this attitude. He is also known to have a great rapport with people who have been with him through thick and thin. His make up man, Sawant decided to make a film and Amitabh readily agreed to work for free. He strives to achieve more each day. He knows many languages, at least the basics to converse and yet he is ready to learn more. Technology evolved in the form of mobiles and PCs when he entered his 50s. Still he has mastered them all and be it early in the evening or late in the night he never sleeps without a tweet. No Bollywood star has been able to do this. Such a combination of qualities is rare.
A blog is insufficient to describe him but I've tried to list down a part of him here. And I dedicate this to him on his 70th birthday. He was, is and will always remain one of my idols and a source of inspiration. And I know that he will be upset at the timing of this blog being posted. He is a disciplined guy and swears by punctuality. A clock can stop its tick-tock but Amitabh Bachchan can never be late. So an apology beforehand. Amitabh Bachchan is truly Amitabha- or the name given to Gautam Buddha- as described by Anil Ambani in his speech. His qualities clearly suggest he is not an ordinary human but a reincarnation of some great soul. I bow down in respect!
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