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The OG Vijay—Amitabh Bachchan
Bachchan’s story is an epitome of persevering through adversity and reinventing oneself. It is hardly a surprise that he is a role model for many – not only for his talent but for his never-give-up spirit too. Bollywood Insider hails the phoenix for every time that he rose from the ashes.
Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan. / Image - x/SrBachchan
55 years and counting- I cannot think of another actor who has been an active member of this industry for this long. What started with Saat Hindustani, where Amitabh Bachchan played Anwar Ali – a man who found Hindi too complicated for his Urdu tongue, has only built momentum and gained popularity with each passing year. How he transcended the genres, the trends and the superstars to remain relevant 5 decades later is something that needs to be studied part by part.
Let’s first do away with the notion that he had it easy, he was one of the most shunned actors of his time, being shamed for his height, his baritone and even his looks. He was no Rajesh Khanna, who charmed the girls by his charismatic smile. He started off playing second fiddle to the superstar, Anand (1971) being one of the most coveted films the two shared. The film bagged both a Filmfare each, Rajesh Khanna for the lead and Bachchan for supporting. But come 1973 -times changed, Khanna was still in the lead for Bamak Haraam but Bachchan bagged the award in the supporting role and Khanna wasn’t nominated.
1973 changed many things for Amitabh Bachchan, he dropped playing second fiddle, minor roles and donned the angry young man garb with his film Zanjeer, From supporting roles, he was now getting nominated for the lead roles. After two wins, that year an excited and anxious Bachchan awaited his award that wasn’t to be. It was lover boy Rishi Kapoor who stole it quite literally because years down the line the actor admitted he had bought the award for INR. 30,000/- that evening. But there was no time to lick the wounds, there were movies to be made. And what movies they were, Abhimaan, Deewar, Majboor, Amar Akbar Anthony, Trishul, Don and so many more.
Despite or perhaps due to his immense success. Amitabh Bachchan is one person who doesn’t really get into details of his personal life, voluntarily. Seldom speaking of his trials and tribulations however no one can deny that despite his lion’s share of success. We are talking about the year 1964 when he was shooting Mard with Amrita Singh. Just two years after the almost fatal accident on the sets of Coolie. Big B suddenly collapsed on the sets after being rushed to the hospital, it was diagnosed that be suffers from Myasthenia Gravis-an autoimmune disease that destroys neuromuscular connections making voluntary muscle movements next to impossible.
It was only recently when the actor spoke about it on national television, “When someone has had disabilities since birth they are aware that they need support. But someone like me who was normal and faced such a major disability due to an accident, it is not easy to accept it. I was frustrated, this further pushed me into depression. I have to commend my family and wife Jaya who pulled me out of it. Jaya handled me well.”
Bachchan recalled his own experience and said, “I could not drink water button my coat or even close my eyes. The doctor suggested medication but I was tense, how would I work in films? I could not even walk or talk properly. I would never forget that it was Manmohan Desai it who came to my place and said don’t get tense. I will I will make you sit in a wheelchair and give you a silent role, if it’s the only way around.”
Today four decades later, the ailment still ails him but there is no slowing him down. Every time they thought he was going down, he would come back with a bang. The early 1990s were kind to the mega star too, the decade began with a National award for Agneepath and later his third Filmfare award for the lead actor, for Hum and yet, slowly the tide changed.
Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited was launched with noble intentions-launching new faces, giving regional cinema a new lease, making a difference in terms of Bollywood events and more, but the higher the Bachchans were to rise with ABCI, the louder. Filing for bankruptcy was the only way out. The superstar and his stardom, his credibility was all in shambles.
Probably the biggest life lesson that the actor has taught his fans and loved ones is how to rise from ashes like a phoenix. While the debts from ABCI, would have stifled if not killed another, the superstar decided to turn to one thing that he knew he could do-act!
For someone who never spoke about his personal life, the actor shared in an interview, “I can never forget how creditors used to land at our door, be abusive, threatening and demanding, Without a doubt that was one of the darkest moments in my professional career. It made me sit and think, I looked at the options before me and evaluated different scenarios. The answer came pat-I know how to act. I got up and walked to Yashji, who stayed behind my house. I implored him to give me work. That is when hen the tide turned, he gave me Mohabbatein”
The film was basically a Shah Rukh Khan film through and through at the script level. Bringing Bachchan on board changed the dynamics greatly and suddenly the film went onto become a landmark on just for Bachchan but also Indian cinema as a whole. The whole canvas changed. But Big B’s struggles were far from over. His is first course of action was to accept that he is no longer the lead character, the roles coming to him would be different. He did them all. Slowly, steadily paying his debt off.
Speaking about the trials and tribulations, Bachchan revealed that he worked for free simply to do away with the increasing interest money on his shoulders. “I paid back one and all, including Doordarshan. When they asked for the interest component, I did commercials in lieu for them,” he told a daily.
Today, years down the debt is all forgotten, now lies only the superhero who fought fate, who fought ill health and more to come out victorious after all he is the OG Vijay, a winner through and through!
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