Sir Amitabh Bachchan from House Bachchan, son of Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan from the kingdom of Allahabad, has taken over the world slowly and steadily since 1969. His dominance in Bollywood had become so great in the 1970s and 1980s that French director Francois Truffaut called him a ‘one-man industry’. I think that term still applies to him only because of the kind of superlative work the man continues to do! That’s how major his contribution has been to the industry. So on the occasion of the Big B’s 72nd birthday, here are 10 life lessons we can learn from his movies and his characters.
1) The world isn’t always black and white
He played the greyest of the characters in the movies that made him what he is, but he still managed to win the favour of the audience. The angry young man might not always be on the good side of the law, but his own moral code of conduct set him apart from the regular villains Bollywood had become used to.
2) Friends are the family you choose
Anand, Sholay, Chupke Chupke were just a few of the movies where Amitabh Bachchan played the role of the best friend and made everyone realise how important a good friend can be!
3) Self-respect is an asset
Main aaj bhi phenke hue paise nahi uthata. #NeverForget
4) It’s fun to be goofy at times
Not only did he carry off his serious roles with aplomb, he also played adorably goofy characters with so much ease! Chupke Chupke is one of my favourite movies!
5) Having a one on one conversation with God can be rather helpful
Nirupa Roy did survive, after all.
6) Age is just a number
Seriously, Paa is the best example of what talent can achieve!
7) Sometimes you have to get your bling on
Sing with me! Sara zamaanaaaaaaa!
8) The brooding guy is still the most attractive guy out there
Ask my mother, she still never misses any chance to watch Deewar.
9) Don’t limit yourself
Amitabh Bachchan made it cool to do a television show at a time when movie actors considered it beneath their dignity to work on the ‘small screen.’ A trend setter in every aspect; is there anything this man CAN’T do?
10) Form is temporary, class is permanent
Always remember this!
Happy birthday, Big B! We love you 🙂