Amitabh Bachchan Siblings: All About Ajitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan PHOTO/NDTV
Amitabh Bachchan, born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on 11 October 1942 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh, India, is one of the most iconic and influential figures in Indian cinema.
He is celebrated for his deep baritone voice, commanding screen presence, and transformative roles that redefined the Hindi film hero.
The son of renowned Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and social activist Teji Bachchan, he was originally nearly named Inquilab in the spirit of India’s independence struggle before the name Amitabh, meaning “the light that never dies,” was chosen.
Bachchan studied at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College at the University of Delhi, worked briefly as a freight broker in Calcutta, and later entered films.
Siblings
Amitabh has one younger brother, Ajitabh Bachchan, born in 1947.
Unlike his famous sibling, Ajitabh chose a path outside the film industry and has built a successful career in business.
He serves as a director of several companies and has lived primarily in London for many years with his wife, Ramola Bachchan, and their four children.
Career
Bachchan began his film journey in 1969 with a voice narration role in Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome and his acting debut in Saat Hindustani.
After a series of early struggles and flops, his breakthrough came with Zanjeer in 1973, where he portrayed Inspector Vijay Khanna and earned the enduring image of the “Angry Young Man,” reflecting the frustrations of a generation.
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This was followed by a string of landmark films in the 1970s that cemented his superstardom, including Deewaar (1975), the epic Sholay (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), and Don (1978).
He dominated Bollywood through the late 1970s and 1980s with hits across action, drama, and comedy, becoming so central to the industry that French director François Truffaut once called him a “one-man industry.”
After a near-fatal accident on the sets of Coolie in 1982, a brief foray into politics in the mid-1980s, and a professional lull in the 1990s, he staged a remarkable comeback.
Notable later works include Agneepath (1990), Black (2005), Paa (2009), Piku (2015), and Pink (2016).
He has appeared in over 200 films, produced several projects, and since 2000 has hosted the immensely popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati, which revived and expanded his public appeal.
He also made a Hollywood appearance in The Great Gatsby (2013).
Accolades
Bachchan’s contributions have been recognized with some of India’s highest civilian and cinematic honors.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
In 2019 he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country’s highest cinematic honor.
He holds a record for multiple National Film Awards for Best Actor, including for Agneepath, Black, Paa, and Piku, along with recognition as Best Newcomer for Saat Hindustani.
He has won around sixteen to seventeen Filmfare Awards across categories such as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and remains one of the most nominated performers in the awards’ history.
Internationally, Bachchan was named the “Greatest Star of Stage or Screen of the Millennium” in a BBC poll, received the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandria International Film Festival, and was honored with France’s Legion of Honour.
