At 65, Big B still rules the roost
Emerging in the early 70s as the angry young man, he still sways the box office. Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 65 Thursday, has rewritten the rules of superstardom in Hindi film industry. No other actor has enjoyed such iconic status in filmdom.
Currently, he is hogging the limelight for all the wrong reasons. But despite the controversies surrounding him, Amitabh is giving the young actors a run for their money.
Be it television, endorsements, awards or films, he has superseded the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. Even his son Abhishek is not able to match his charismatic persona.
"I am a big fan of Amitabh. I have grown up seeing his films. He is literally 'my hero'. I first met Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. I told him how happy I was to work with him but after that I was so overwhelmed I couldn't express my happiness beyond that. What can I wish for him on his birthday – he is an icon, he has got everything," Kajol said.
Quite true. Of all the top actors, Amitabh had the maximum number of releases this year. While Salman had three, Shah Rukh one and Aamir Khan none, Amitabh had six releases in 2007.
Though most of the films, except Shootout at Lokhandwala, bombed, it has not dissuaded the actor from experimenting with different roles under new directors who are making a beeline to sign him.
"I don't know if the audiences are ready or not for such films. From the box office results, perhaps not. But for me as an artiste it gave me tremendous creative satisfaction, on par with what I experienced in Black," Amitabh said in a recent interview to IANS.
His latest experiment was with Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh. He teamed up with Ghosh in his English film The Last Lear, which is based on veteran Bengali actor Utpal Dutt's play Aajker Shahjahan. It revolves around an aging Shakespearean actor who takes on one of the bard's most challenging roles. The film was well received at the Toronto Film Festival last month.
