AMITABH CHARISMA!On tax code, India Inc bats for masses!Direct tax law effective from 2011: FM.Advani says he dreams of 'grand' Ram temple!
Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, Chapter 400
Palash Biswas
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Vajpayee appeals for votes in advt; Cong objects
Hindustan Times - 49 minutes ago
PTI Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has appealed to people of Maharashtra to vote for the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance candidates and oust the Congress-NCP government, which he said, has failed on all fronts.
Bookies make Cong-NCP overwhelming favourites Times of India
In BJP borough, rival's drum beats louder Calcutta Telegraph
Email this story Big hunt for 700 Maoists on the loose
Times Now.tv - 3 hours ago With Maharashtra Assembly polls just three days away, security personnel on Saturday (October 10) continued to comb the dense forests in Gadchiroli district in the hunt for reportedly 700 Maoists hiding.
With Maharashtra Assembly polls just three days away, security personnel on Saturday (October 10) continued to comb the dense forests in Gadchiroli district in the hunt for reportedly 700 Maoists hiding.
Ramakrishnan, co-winners had all visited Madras university
Times of India - Oct 8, 2009
CHENNAI: When the Swedish Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel prize for Chemistry to three scientists including Indian-born Venkatraman Ramakrishnan on Wednesday, it was time for the faculty members of the department of Crystallography and Biophysics at ...
Video: 2 Americans Share Nobel Chemistry Prize
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The Associated Press Nobel Prize: ten most important winners Telegraph.co.uk
Apple iPhone Update Fixes Bugs
InformationWeek - - 20 hours ago
Apple has pushed out a software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and the 3.1.2 version fixes multiple nagging bugs that may have come from the last firmware update.
Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1.2 CNET News
Apple Solves Bugs With New iPhone OS 3.1.2 ITProPortal
50000 airline employees plan all-India trade union
Economic Times - 13 hours ago
MUMBAI: Fresh from the success of two strikes by pilots of Jet Airways and Air India, the country's 50000 airline employees plans to form a nation-wide trade union that will represent pilots, engineers, maintenance staff, cabin crew and ground handling ...
AI to begin direct flights to Washington next month Business Standard
Infosys revises FY10 revenue estimates, Q2 net up 7.5%
Economic Times - 14 hours ago
BANGALORE: In a sign of things to come for India's $60-billion outsourcing sector, the country's second biggest software services exporter, Infosys Technologies, revised its full-year revenue guidance upwards and also managed to maintain its profit ...
Infosys suggests better times ahead; Q2 net up 7.5% YoY Business Standard
Infosys beats estimates, returns to sequential growth in Q2 Hindu Business Line
Tata Motors raises $750 million
Economic Times - 15 hours ago
MUMBAI: India's largest commercial vehicle maker Tata Motors has raised $750 million (about Rs 3600 crore) through global depository issues (GDRs) and convertible bonds to pay off rest of the debt it incurred for acquiring UK's iconic brands Jaguar and ...
Tata Motors raises $750 million Business Standard
Tata Motors raises $750 m to clear Jaguar bridge loan Hindu Business Line
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- Amitabh Bachchan (Hindi: अमिताभ बच्चन, pronounced [əmɪˈtaːbʱ ˈbətːʃən], born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on October 11, 1942), is an Indian film ...
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- Category: Indian film actor
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- Date of birth: October 11, 1942
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- Profession: Politician, Presenter, Film producer, Actor
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- Films produced: Virrudh... Family Comes First, Aks, Ullasam
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- Albums: Aby Baby, Hum
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- Nationality: Indian
Clone tribute for Amitabh's b'dayTimes of India - - 9 hours ago Hours before Amitabh Bachchan brings in his 67th birthday tomorrow, producers of forthcoming film Rann, Sheetal Talwar and Madhu Mantena, have invited ... Amitabh Bachchan's journey to the top India Today Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan! Merinews I don't know if I wept for my mother as an actor or son: Big BTimes of India - Oct 3, 2009 Exactly one week before actor Amitabh Bachchan turns 69, he plays arguably his biggest and most controversial role. It's that of a pop psychologist to the ... Bigg Boss 3 begins with Amitabh Bachchan as Pop Philosopher BreakingNewsOnline. Plenty of drama on Big Boss 3, episode one News Line 365 Twice-born girl yearns to meet saviour DaduTimes of India - - 13 hours ago KOLKATA: This Sunday, when Amitabh Bachchan turns 69, he might have nine-year-old Kolkata girl Mita Mondol among his guests at Prateeksha. ... Rakhi's mom out of Bigg BossTimes of India - 9 hours ago Jaya had shocked all and sundry when she was welcomed by host, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, as one of the 13 contestants of the show Sunday. ... Rakhi Sawant's mother out of Bigg Boss Bollywood Mantra Amitabh Bachchan with Juhi Chawla againOneindia - Oct 8, 2009 Amitabh Bachchan and Juhi Chawla is back together again in the upcoming flick, Aladin. Last time, the duo was seen together in Bhoothnath, which could be ... Dhoni pips Amitabh to emerge most persuasive celebEconomic Times - Oct 7, 2009 In the celebrity category, cricketer MS Dhoni holds first rank followed by Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar. ... Dhoni numero uno in pursuading people! SamayLive Big B speaks about his role as genie in AladinIBNLive.com - Oct 6, 2009 Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has a new role. He is the genie of Aladin. Bachchan is playing the vanishing act in Sujoy Ghosh's next film Aladin. ... Big B makes silver jubilee in singing Hindustan Times Bachchan lends his voice for playback in 'Aladin' Press Trust of India Amitabh Bachchan writes script for Bigg BossOneindia - Oct 1, 2009 The one and only Big B, Amitabh Bachchan is not only a host of Bigg Boss 3, but is also writing script for his show. In a recent interaction during the ... Waiting for Bachchan... Times of India Of course I wear a mask: Amitabh Bachchan Daily News & Analysis Bollywood glamour will add to India Couture Week (Preview)Thaindian.com - - 11 hours ago The second edition of the HDIL India Couture Week will see top notch Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, ... SRK wins Round 1 of battle Gaea Times (blog) The Actor's StudioOutlook - 6 hours ago The late prime minister VP Singh's memoir Manzilon se Zyaada Safar has an interesting episode pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan's political baptism in ... |
10/10/2009
Tweets kick up a storm over Nobel to Obama
By Anu Kurian
The decision to award one of the world's top accolades to a president less than nine months into his first term, who has yet to score a major foreign policy success, came as a major surprise, with some even questioning if the Nobel Committee lowered their standard.
People across the world are expressing their outrage and surprise at the decision, with tweets comparing Obama to Mahatma Gandhi saying the latter deserved the prize more than the US President. One user, bangitslauren: RT @OLIVIAfresh, writes: So obama gets the nobel peace prize and ghandi doesn't? Wtf is the world coming to?
InThaTayer tweets: Uhm okay so Ghandi and Obama can't win the same award. Truth? Obama = eliminated because Ghandi does real stuff. One user, LeoAugustine: @i_p_t, even commented that all the followers of Gandhi, from Martin Luther King Junior to Obama, have won the peace prize but "Gandhi was never awarded".
Another questioned whether it would be constitutional for Obama to receive the Nobel Prize. "...The potential issue comes from the Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 which reads; "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State..."
Referring to the growing disenchantment among the American people of the state of their country's economy, Kovalb tweets: Maybe next year Obama will win the Nobel prize for economics; after he destroys what's left of the US economy.
Most twetters wanted to know what Obama had done to deserve the nobel prize, especially since the US was thinking of increasing US presence in Afghanistan.
Southparkfl: OBAMA WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE YET HE WANTS TO GO 2 WAR ITH IRAN AND INCREASING TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN HOW IS THAT PEACEFUL?
One tweet from dsdesigns said, "will give obama a much deserved nobel peace prize after he ends both wars. WHAT! 2009 gave him one already."
Some were outraged that Obama got the peace prize for "doing nothing". Bradenwh says: If Obama receives a Nobel Peace Prize for accomplishing nothing, what will he get when (if) he actually accomplishes something? while BuckOhFive tweets, "Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace prize. I thought you had to do something to win one. I'm entering Gabe, my cat, next year."
Marklawrence said,"will we always be asking of Obama, 'is he living up to the Peace Prize?'
gharbutts: @teeuh I'm not angry at him, I'm pissed at the idiots who worship obama enough to award him a prize for talking about stuff.
Twitter had its share of Obama's supporters also, who were saying that at least he is trying to change the world. In her blog, Joan Walsh explained why she thought Obama deserved the prize. "I loved what French President Nicholas Sarkozy (not always an Obama fan) said about why the U.S. president really got the Nobel Peace Prize: "The award marks America's return to the heart of the people of the world." That deserves a prize," she wrote.
JennyGennyPooh says, "Prez obama is tryn 2 change tha world..baby steps is all he can take...wat tha fuk have u done 2 change tha world..STOP HATIN", while Rearnakedclub tweets: If the world wishes to celebrate the US/Pres. Obama, it should support an effort against a common enemy. Iraq was not an enemy. Taliban is.
Some tweets pointed out that Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize the same day "we bombed the moon". Others likened his win to not being George Bush with ECOisKEITH saying After President Bush, any president would look like a Noble Peace Prize candidate! Some others liken his win to strange things happening in the week like Marge Simpson appearing on Playboy magazine.
Source: India Syndicate
On tax code, India Inc bats for masses
10 Oct 2009, 0021 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the government will undertake a comprehensive review of the draft Direct Taxes Code
before taking next step towards its implementation.
The government will examine all critical proposals of the new code such as taxation of savings schemes, imposition of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on gross assets, capital gains tax on non-residents, double taxation avoidance agreements, taxation of foreign firms and charitable organisations before finalising the draft, he said. "Every effort would be made to meet the aspirations and expectations of our taxpayers and our vibrant corporate sector," Mr Mukherjee said at an industry meeting.
Members of industry bodies such as CII, Ficci and Assocham also expressed concerns that the proposed direct tax code (DTC) could make life difficult for the common man. Industry representatives wanted to know the impact of the new tax proposals on common man; the individual tax payer.
Commenting on the taxation issue of individual taxpayers, Assocham tax committee member Amitabh Singh said; There is a general impression that individual taxpayer will gain in the new DTC due to widening of income tax slabs but reality is different. The category of taxpayers whose annual income is Rs 3 lakh or less do not gain anything from the proposed code but they stand to lose several deductions and allowances such as medical allowance.
The new code has proposed to increase the income tax slabs drastically – the 10% rate would apply to income up to Rs 10 lakh, though there is no change in the overall exemption limit of upto Rs 1,60,000 a year. Removal of deduction available against interest outgo on homeloans was also highlighted at the meeting.
Experts also criticised the proposed exempt-exempt-tax (EET) scheme of taxing of savings and taxation of retirement benefits. The code proposes to exempt gratuity, amount received on commutation of pension, or those received from a superannuation fund if deposited in an approved retirement benefits account.
However, a withdrawal from this account will be included in the income and taxed no matter what the circumstances. This means a senior citizen paying for his treatment or wedding of his children from retirement savings would have to pay tax on the amount withdrawn.
Industry representatives particularly raised the issue of withdrawal of tax benefit from insurance policies while highlighting the need for encouraging long-term savings in the country. The finance ministry official present at the interaction assured that they would look into the issue of tax on bonus in insurance schemes given before 2011, the date when the new code is expected to come into force.
Though, the direct taxes code has proposed to slash the corporate tax rate to 25% from the current effective rate of 34%, including the surcharge and education cess, there are various proposals in the code that industry would ideally like to see dropped or tweaked. The minimum alternate tax (MAT) on gross assets is one such proposal that has invited all round criticism from the industry.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/On-tax-code-India-Inc-bats-for-masses/articleshow/5107714.cms
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday a proposed direct tax law would be implemented in 2011. And the Prime Minister, more DESERVING the alluding Nobel tahn the reciepant Barack OBAMA, has Clarified that STIMULUS does continue to bail out the manipulated ECONOMY in false Recession with INFLATED SATYAM fundamental!
The new direct tax law is expected to cut the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, phase out exemptions and simplify rules on mergers.
Advani says he dreams of 'grand' Ram temple!
Despite the Hindutva issue failing to cut much ice during the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) elections, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani has renewed his commitment to build a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya in north India.
"It is my cherished dream to have a 'bhavya' (grand) Ram Mandir at Ayodhya," the former Deputy Prime Minister said, addressing an election rally in this west Indian city on Friday night.
Advani's statement was greeted with applause by the gathering which came to hear him campaign for Shiv Sena- BJP alliance candidates Suresh Haware (Belapur) and Vijay Chougule (Airoli) for the October 13 Assembly polls.
During his visit to the Somnath temple last month, Advani had said he would keep visiting the temple till the Ram Mandir is built in Ayodhya.
I hope all the ANGRY Youngmen of the Past may understand the Realty TRISHUL world where EVICTION is the Fashion in Vogue and Displacement, exodus, deportation, capture, monopolistic aggression, rivalary, jobloss, starvation and calamities are more REAL than life and Reigning LPG Mafia!Though Unrestricted FIIs and FDI, foreign capital inflow may stumble some blocks as Growing concerns over national security are forcing the government to tighten the foreign direct investment (FDI) regime, starting with pruning of the automatic route available to foreign investors pumping funds into various sectors. To start with, explosives and chemicals will be taken out of the automatic route, which is handled by the Reserve Bank of India. In the next stage, the government is also likely to introduce a more comprehensive security screening for sectors like refineries, civil aviation, defence production, power and real estate.
We grew up Younger as well as Older with the Angry Young Man in Indian Big Screen changing roles with reincarnated Global Avtars so often! We had seen the Thundering Spring wasted in Military repression and Ideological disaster. We also experienced a TOTAL Revolution strnethening farther the Manusmriti Hegemony in AMERICANISED FreesenSEX Shining Urban Semiurban India in Neoliberal age of Mass Destruction and Ethnic cleansing acomplishing the Bloodiest Economic Reforms and wiping out Rural India which AMITABH did voice since SAAT Hindustani and continued till the Dawn of Ninities led by LPG mafia and India Incorporation. Now the Angry Young man has turned a Strategic salseman for MNCS in Rural as well as Urban Marketing, Corporate Brand Ambassador with unprecedented ICON value and POP Philosopher in reality show of Realty India at last. We have lived with the man loving him all the time and living in the Virtual World he created all this year beginning the journey in an atmosphere of Vernacular Poetry!On the back of rising stock prices, India Inc has managed to raise Rs 55,000 crore from the domestic primary market for the quarter ended Top five Sensex cos give over 100% return September 2009. The money raised for the corresponding quarter last year was around Rs 26,000 crore.
The JANJEER and SHOLE villains do find new get up and Make Over in Post Modern manusmriti Age as Keystones of State power is represented by Human Political Masks and in the background the Killer Greedy Money machines works with SURGICAL Precision. Our Protagonist is however indulged in Dillema best expressed inSolilquies Shakespearan! The Open Market and the Plastic Money have killed the SENSIVITY and Sensuousness as well as Stram Of Consciousness which he represented during our youth Time. The Black or KANTE or BHUTNATH or NIHSHABD fail to help us in the Wild times of troubled galaxy and Destroyed times!
But the CHARISHMA is Sustained as Human Character and the Magic Wand works so fine! The middle class young man in ANAND, CHUPKE Chupke and Namak Haram exists not in Munnabhai and Money Honey DHOOM age of Kaun Banega karorepayti. The NOSTALGIA of beutiful Fleshi Bollywood Heroines seem to be fantacies Never Real but the Music continues!
I just those winter daysin Nainital in Snowfall time while we would never miss Amitabh and opting for QUILT or Blanket Action as that was never a cable times or VCD Vedio Era Computerised!
Nevertheless, Time is GREATER than Destiny as You cannot say the same about the team he leads, but it's raining accolades for Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni. After winning the ICC ODI cricketer of the year title for 2009, MSD has another winner. Dhoni is now India's most powerful celebrity, ahead of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan or even cricketing demi-god, Sachin Tendulkar.
In fact, Tendulkar, with his mixed fortunes on the cricket field and endorsement front, stepped down from the numero uno status to number five, as CelebTrack, a bi-annual survey of 12,000 consumers conducted by Hansa Research and Percept Talent Management (PTM), unveiled findings in Mumbai on Wednesday.
It's not any more an exaggeration to say that Amitabh Bachchan has become part of Hindi vocabulary; the 'word' stands for Endurance and Unmatched Charisma!Amitabh Bachchan has never been busier. The Bollywood megastar, who turns 67 on Sunday, has three films lined up for release, is hosting a popular television reality show, is to walk the ramp for a top fashion event - and has no plans to retire in the near future.
It was on February 15, 1969, that "a tall, lean guy with intense eyes" walked the stairs of KA Abbas's office to sign his first movie, 'Saath Hindustani'.
"Forty years! Been a while. Struggles and uncertainties, successes and disappointments, accusations and controversies, ill health and months in hospital, all such a vivid kaleidoscope of moments, events, images simply unbelievable and unimaginable," blogs Amitabh. How true! Amitabh Bachchan's life has had the quality of being, at once, a biography and a fairytale!
Here are a few snaps and rare facts from the glorious career of the megastar who, at 67, still remains the tallest peak in Bollywood!
He says he'll be happy to follow in the footsteps of legendary actor Ashok Kumar, who played strong roles even at the age of 80.
"I would disagree that actors of my age don't get important roles to play in movies. Look at Dada Muni (Ashok Kumar)...he was an example. He kept doing important roles even till he was 80 years old," Amitabh told us.
"I can't be playing the lover boy anymore. So I do all those roles that suit a 67-year-old," said the film icon who has completed four decades in the Indian film industry."
At his age, Amitabh is one of the busiest actors in tinsel town. The megastar says he had finished shooting for his forthcoming films 'Aladin', 'Teen Patti' and 'Paa' before heading to Singapore for three months.
He is now preparing to sign more projects.
"I was away with a friend of mine (Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh) who had a medical condition and I was out of the country for three months. Since I knew I wanted to be with him and that it would take some period of time for him to heal, I deliberately finished all my pending work by June," Amitabh said.
In all his forthcoming projects, Amitabh will be seen in different avatars.
In 'Aladin', he will sport overgrown locks for the role of a contemporary genie, 'Paa' will see him playing a child suffering from progeria, which causes premature ageing, and 'Teen Patti' features him as a mathematics genius.
While 'Aladin' will hit screens Oct 30, 'Paa' will release Dec 4 and 'Teen Patti', which also stars Hollywood legend Ben Kingsley, will open to audiences Feb 12 next year.
Till then, Amitabh is making his presence felt on the small screen after three years as the host of Colors' reality show 'Bigg Boss', which has celebrities staying inside a specially designed house under constant camera surveillance and no contact with the outside world.
"'Bigg Boss' was the first thing I took up (after returning from Singapore). There are many people who want to make a film with me fortunately, so I will now talk to them," he said.
The actor is also fairing well in the ad world as he emerged among the top five Indian celebrity brand endorsers in a recently conducted survey.
And he is also set to scorch the fashion runway at the HDIL India Couture Week on his birthday. He will display a creation by his favourite designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla.
According to aMap, Amitabh Bachchan's small screen comeback as the pop philosopher on Color's 'Bigg Boss 3' has generated a television rating point (TRP) of 3.0 for the launch episode aired on October 4.
'Bigg Boss 3' beat the first-episode ratings of Shah Rukh Khan's 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' aired last year and 'Kaun Banega Crorepati-3' in 2007.
Amitabh Bachchan has been invited to a promotional event for his upcoming film Rann by producers Sheetal Talwar and Madhu Mantena at 7 pm today.It is actually an event held to celebrate his forty years in the film industry on the eve of his 67th birthday.
Forty of his actor fans have been chosen to play Amitabh's most unforgettable characters and recite his dialogues. The homage will start with Amitabh's Saat Hindustani, which was his debut film. Some of the characters will be from his films Sholay, Zanjeer, Deewaar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Black, etc.
Gathering actors for the homage was pretty easy. The producers just spread out word about the homage and they had innumerable applicants out of which, the most suitable ones were chosen. Now, this event is supposed to be a surprise for Amitabh so we hope it remains one.
Forty of his actor fans have been chosen to play Amitabh's most unforgettable characters and recite his dialogues. The homage will start with Amitabh's Saat Hindustani, which was his debut film. Some of the characters will be from his films Sholay, Zanjeer, Deewaar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Black, etc.
Gathering actors for the homage was pretty easy. The producers just spread out word about the homage and they had innumerable applicants out of which, the most suitable ones were chosen. Now, this event is supposed to be a surprise for Amitabh so we hope it remains one.
| Rakhi Sawant's mom Jaya evicted from Bigg Boss | |||
| IANS | Saturday, 10 October , 2009, 16:12 | |||
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Item girl Rakhi Sawant's mother Jaya Friday became the first to be evicted from the Bigg Boss house. And her exit from the reality show was as dramatic as her entry. When Jaya's name was announced as the evicted participant of this week, she shed silent tears and seemed extremely disappointed. She nevertheless hugged some of the contestants and even blessed comedian Raju Srivastav when he touched her feet. My excitement about birthdays is long gone, says Big B
| Gifts had started pouring in at his landmark residence 'Jalsa' weeks earlier and he has been busy cutting cakes at public ceremonies, but Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan who turns 67 on October 11, says that his enthusiasm about birthdays has long died. | |
 The thespian who will soon complete his 40th year in the film industry, said that he "goes along blowing candles", because he does not want to hurt the sentiments of his well-wishers and fans."It is the time of the year for cakes and their excesses and I shall be blowing candles a plenty. But stopping them would be a sacrilege and so one goes along.... That is the norm and one goes along with it, though the excitement of birthdays and gifts has long since gone by," wrote Big B on his blog. His on-screen 'angry young man' alter-ego may scoff, but the real life Bachchan, who has got upto 4000 birthday wishes from fans across the world, whom he calls his extended family, said that he is immensely touched by the gestures, though giving interviews to the media for the occasion irks him. "There is a line up of media interviews starting off from tomorrow morning. You do one you do a hundred," wrote the star. While most of his contemporaries have long retired, the Big B is enjoying a peak in his career with the best of roles coming his way and he has also consolidated his position as the most bankable star on TV with his role as pop philosopher on the reality TV show 'Big Boss'. The TV crew had arranged for a small celebration and Bachchan will again be cutting a cake today at the launch of his much awaited film 'Rann'. "A cake was in store for me by the end of the evening by the unit and the multitude of people that have been working so hard on this show... Tomorrow the team of Rann wish to bring in the first look launch for the film at a theatre near by and again cut a cake for my birth," wrote Bachchan. The actor has successfully avoided getting stereotyped in the industry as his upcoming films see him in a myriad of avatars, from a modern genie in 'Aladin' to a media tycoon in 'Rann'. But Bachchan who has won three National and 12 Filmfare awards among countless others, is best remembered as the 'angry young man' of filmlore. The actor who started his Bollywood journey with 'Saat Hindustani', interestingly got his dream break after 13 straight flops with 'Zanjeer', which was turned down by then superstars Dev Anand and Rajkumar. The journey that began has not ended till date, though there were plenty of road blocks on the way, including bankruptcy and a near death experience. While filming Coolie in 1982, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. He remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating. More than two decades later, the actor fondly called the 'Shehenshah of Bollywood' is still thriving with no plans of fading away. | |
Big B
The Actor's Studio
Is Amitabh the mould for the modern neta's many masks?
The late prime minister V.P. Singh's memoir Manzilon se Zyaada Safar has an interesting episode pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan's political baptism in Allahabad in 1984. The episode is not so much an event as it is an image. An image, which by its very opacity, by its presentation of a mask where we would normally expect to meet a face, continues to exercise a certain strange power.
V.P. Singh, who was at that time the president of the UP state Congress party, recalls seeing Bachchan (whom he did not know of, he says, as he did not watch films) for the first time with his face "...covered in a towel". Ever since I have read this, I can no longer see Amitabh Bachchan, not even retrospectively, without his face-towel on.
Rajiv Gandhi and his close advisors had decided that fielding Bachchan in the Lok Sabha elections for the Allahabad seat was a winning proposition. Bachchan was a friend, an Allahabad lad who had a cathartic place on the national stage and a decisive influence on the hairstyles and angst of millions.
Bachchan came to see V.P. Singh to discuss the impending election, together with Arun Nehru, and covered his face with a towel, so as not to be recognised. The superstar's incognito entry into political life, shielded by a towel, was the muted beginning of a new phase in the relationship between politics and images, which would see more masks, less faces. After all, the year was 1984. The peace that stunned us all in the aftermath of the November pogrom of Sikhs in Delhi and the industrial accident at Bhopal was a war. Truth was a lie. And what could a well-known face be if it were not to be a mask.
Whether disguised, or in the spotlight, political actors (not all of whom are 'actor-politicians') from that moment on in 1984, have been masked men and women. The greater their claims to our attention, the more crafty the fashioning of their enigmas. Some have masks made of electronic gauze that flicker to life on prime-time television when they are invoked by the babble of the charlatans also known as anchors. Others have statuesque masks of stone and bronze. Some are a grimace, others are a smile. Some masks are made up of seemingly rash words, others of carefully weighed silences.
So, what exactly did Amitabh Bachchan, Big B, Big Boss, the erstwhile angry young man, a sometime corporation, now a poet of banal blogging and a robustly ageing piece of handsomely upholstered furniture in every television owner's living space, contribute to the political life of our greasy republic?
What Bachchan brought to Indian politics was not necessarily charisma alone (and it isn't only filmstars that generate charisma in any case). He did of course have a headstart in terms of a flawless performance of sincerity. A quality that has stood by him at his murkiest moments. As a politician, he never quite exhausted the finely tuned 'sincerity quotient' in his self-presentation, even as he orchestrated the careful mix between a performative 'son of the soil' modesty and a grandiose Bollywood baritone. It was the same alloy of intimate ease with the common man or woman and a simultaneously aloof hauteur that later marked Bachchan's avuncular presence on television quiz shows. Seeing Bachchan the patriarch pump, cajole and console contestants with a teflon smoothness that makes even his hairpiece look ragged is to witness what might have made Bachchan the political meteor that he once was. Seeing Bachchan 'do' Thackeray in films like Sarkar Raj is to watch him give even the darkest of political forces the gossamer shine of his careful blend of sincerity and cynicism.
In a recent blog post Bachchan writes, "Politics is a complicated world—a world where if you are unable to play the game, you remain a novice and a stranger eternally. I admire those who've remained in it for long years. I admire the guile with which they steer their boats...those who pursue this line do so with utmost dedication, passion."
One could of course read this statement as it is, and take it at face value, as an expression of genuine admiration on the part of a man who tried, failed and so applauds the successes of others, even while he makes a case for his own naive inability to play the game.
Or, one could read it against the grain, and consider it to be a report card given by a proud teacher to good students. Acharya Amitabh applauding the graduation of the masked princes who now rule us, who perform better on TV than they do on the streets, or in their offices, or even in the assembly. Bachchan was probably the pioneer who bridged the shadows of backroom cronyism with the spotlight of increasingly televised public life. Perhaps, like pioneers often are, he was occasionally clumsy and awkward while trying out the moves. But the deftness and dexterity of his true successors—and they now shine in every political party—suggests that what began in Allahabad in 1984 is today a full-blown revolution in the highly public performance of sincerity. The masks that these new pretenders wear empower them to give the right-sounding answers even to the wrong questions. They will rake in the billions. Inhein lock kiya jaye?
(The author is an artist and writer with the Raqs Media Collective.)
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262208
V.P. Singh, who was at that time the president of the UP state Congress party, recalls seeing Bachchan (whom he did not know of, he says, as he did not watch films) for the first time with his face "...covered in a towel". Ever since I have read this, I can no longer see Amitabh Bachchan, not even retrospectively, without his face-towel on.
Rajiv Gandhi and his close advisors had decided that fielding Bachchan in the Lok Sabha elections for the Allahabad seat was a winning proposition. Bachchan was a friend, an Allahabad lad who had a cathartic place on the national stage and a decisive influence on the hairstyles and angst of millions.
Bachchan came to see V.P. Singh to discuss the impending election, together with Arun Nehru, and covered his face with a towel, so as not to be recognised. The superstar's incognito entry into political life, shielded by a towel, was the muted beginning of a new phase in the relationship between politics and images, which would see more masks, less faces. After all, the year was 1984. The peace that stunned us all in the aftermath of the November pogrom of Sikhs in Delhi and the industrial accident at Bhopal was a war. Truth was a lie. And what could a well-known face be if it were not to be a mask.
Whether disguised, or in the spotlight, political actors (not all of whom are 'actor-politicians') from that moment on in 1984, have been masked men and women. The greater their claims to our attention, the more crafty the fashioning of their enigmas. Some have masks made of electronic gauze that flicker to life on prime-time television when they are invoked by the babble of the charlatans also known as anchors. Others have statuesque masks of stone and bronze. Some are a grimace, others are a smile. Some masks are made up of seemingly rash words, others of carefully weighed silences.
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Hoard it Amitabh's ad campaign for Uttar Pradesh
So, what exactly did Amitabh Bachchan, Big B, Big Boss, the erstwhile angry young man, a sometime corporation, now a poet of banal blogging and a robustly ageing piece of handsomely upholstered furniture in every television owner's living space, contribute to the political life of our greasy republic?
What Bachchan brought to Indian politics was not necessarily charisma alone (and it isn't only filmstars that generate charisma in any case). He did of course have a headstart in terms of a flawless performance of sincerity. A quality that has stood by him at his murkiest moments. As a politician, he never quite exhausted the finely tuned 'sincerity quotient' in his self-presentation, even as he orchestrated the careful mix between a performative 'son of the soil' modesty and a grandiose Bollywood baritone. It was the same alloy of intimate ease with the common man or woman and a simultaneously aloof hauteur that later marked Bachchan's avuncular presence on television quiz shows. Seeing Bachchan the patriarch pump, cajole and console contestants with a teflon smoothness that makes even his hairpiece look ragged is to witness what might have made Bachchan the political meteor that he once was. Seeing Bachchan 'do' Thackeray in films like Sarkar Raj is to watch him give even the darkest of political forces the gossamer shine of his careful blend of sincerity and cynicism.
In a recent blog post Bachchan writes, "Politics is a complicated world—a world where if you are unable to play the game, you remain a novice and a stranger eternally. I admire those who've remained in it for long years. I admire the guile with which they steer their boats...those who pursue this line do so with utmost dedication, passion."
One could of course read this statement as it is, and take it at face value, as an expression of genuine admiration on the part of a man who tried, failed and so applauds the successes of others, even while he makes a case for his own naive inability to play the game.
Or, one could read it against the grain, and consider it to be a report card given by a proud teacher to good students. Acharya Amitabh applauding the graduation of the masked princes who now rule us, who perform better on TV than they do on the streets, or in their offices, or even in the assembly. Bachchan was probably the pioneer who bridged the shadows of backroom cronyism with the spotlight of increasingly televised public life. Perhaps, like pioneers often are, he was occasionally clumsy and awkward while trying out the moves. But the deftness and dexterity of his true successors—and they now shine in every political party—suggests that what began in Allahabad in 1984 is today a full-blown revolution in the highly public performance of sincerity. The masks that these new pretenders wear empower them to give the right-sounding answers even to the wrong questions. They will rake in the billions. Inhein lock kiya jaye?
(The author is an artist and writer with the Raqs Media Collective.)
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262208
| Amitabh Bachchan's journey to the top | ||
| Headlines Today | ||
| October 10, 2009 |
From being an angry young man to the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Amitabh Harivansh Srivastava has travelled a long way.
Over the years he has not only grown bigger and more iconic with each passing year but he has become an institution that is inseparable from the lore of Indian cinema.
Filmmakers aspire to cast him in their creations and screenplay writers dream of weaving celluloid magic based on his onscreen histrionics.
Because beyond the aura of an Amitabh Bachchan, beyond the facade of the Big B, there beats the soul of a consummate performer - an artiste for whom celluloid is a dimension of existence and expression.
The year 1942
Across the globe there raged a war between brute Fascist might and those who represented the free world. In India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's call for civil disobedience resonated to the cries of the Quit India movement.
On October 11, in that heady atmosphere of germinating freedom was born Inquilab in Allahabad.
The first born of poet Harivansh Rai and his wife Teji Bachchan of Allahabad, Inquilab represented a poet family's deep-rooted conviction that revolution would lead to Freedom.
Inquilab Rai Bachchan had a short-lived existence because at the insistence of friends, Blinding Light replaced Revolution and Inquilab became Amitabh.
Amitabh Rai Bachchan and younger brother Ajitabh grew up in a household where free expression was their artistic legacy. Father Harivansh Rai had already established himself as poet in the Hindi language, yet he was a doctorate in English literature from Cambridge University. Mother Teji Bachchan had a keen interest in theatre and provided Amitabh with his first spark of interest in the performing arts but films were something that was never really an option.
Dreams as a child
Amitabh says, "I never thought as a child that I'll enter films. When we went to see films in Allahabad, I never imagined that one day I'll be on the big screen."
Amitabh began his studies in Allahabad and then went to Sherwood College, a boarding school in the hills of Nainital and it was at Sherwood that the young Amitabh found his passion for acting.
Amitabh completed his formal education from Kirori Mal College of Delhi with double Master of Arts degrees from Delhi University.
After completing his education in the national capital, Bachchan headed eastward to Calcutta to earn his livelihood. His first job was with Shaw Wallace and he later worked as a freight broker for the shipping firm Bird and Co. But considerations of livelihood and a regular pay at the end of the month was no compensation for what the heart desired. By 1968, young Amit had decided to give it all up, because Amitabh Bachchan wanted to spend his life doing what he wanted to do and he wanted to act.
In the city of dream and opportunities
The tall and lanky young man boarded a train that took him to the city of opportunity and heartbreak. Bombay did not embrace its biggest creation to be with open arms. It was a ruthless place where dreams were bought and sold and where deification of a silver screen god masked the plaintive call of a thousand broken hopes lying crushed on an unfeeling studio floor.
For some time it seemed that Amitabh's unconventional looks and great height would see him make his way back to a life of dejection. Every filmmaker that he approached thought he was too tall at 6 feet 3 inches. They thought him a bit too dark to be exposed on film.
In desperation Amitabh tried to use the one other unique characteristic that he had, his deep baritone. But here too, Bachchan failed. He was rejected by the All India Radio after an audition test.
Then in 1969, when Amitabh was on the verge of giving it all up, came his break as Khwaja Ahmed Abbas cast Amitabh in Saat Hindustani and Bachchan was one of the seven.
The film wasn't a financial success, but Amitabh Bachchan won his first National Award as the best newcomer and so took wings the amazing acting career of one who would be the Big B in Bollywood.
A National Award in his kitty did not smooth the path to glory for Amitabh. He still had to struggle. Producers lining up to sign him were still a thing for the future. Bachchan did voice overs and smaller roles that took his career nowhere. But then came Anand.
Hrishkesh Mukherjee's heart wrenching film had Hindi cinema's biggest star of those times Rajesh Khanna playing the lead, but Amitabh Bachchan did not go unnoticed. He got the Film Fare Award that year for the Best Supporting Actor and this time the award was for a movie that was both critically acclaimed and successful commercially.
But Amitabh was still the nice tall young man who could act. It was only with his 13th film that anger entered the scene and it was Zanjeer that catapulted Amitabh to fame.
A new dawn
"Zanjeer changed things. That's when success came to me. It was a great film. Anybody in that film would have done well. It gave me a powerful role," Bachchan said later.
Prakash Mehra directed the movie and Amitabh's role was probably the first portrayal of a middle class anti-hero in Hindi cinema. An honest police officer fights the corrupt violent system from within. But failing in the attempt he revolts and takes on the fight as an outsider using crooked means.
This marked a new beginning. Hindi cinema now had its angry young man. And riding the waves of the popularity of this particular typecast began a remarkable journey of fame and success.
After Zanjeer offers started pouring in and Amitabh had regular work and it was on the film set that he met his would be wife actress Jaya Bhaduri.
"First I saw her pictures, she looked small, cute and impish. Then Hrishikesh approached me for Guddi, and I came to know that Jaya was the actress. I first met her on the sets. We liked each other's company, went out together and had a good group on the sets," says Amitabh.
Love had blossomed and it turned to commitment during the making of Abhimaan film that released a month after their wedding.
When asked what attracted Jaya to Amitabh physically, Jaya coyly says, "His eyes. But it's impossible to explain...so many personal things."
Not only with Jaya, Amitabh's magic, his trademark deep baritone voice, his tall persona, and intense eyes did their trick on the audience as well.
By the mid seventies, Amitabh Bachchan had established himself as a force to contend with in Bollywood but superstardom was yet to come.
The year 1975 saw the release of Amitabh's two biggest blockbusters till date.
First came Ramesh Sippy's Sholay and when Jai died on screen, the audiences' horrified gasp betrayed the birth sound of a new phenomenon - the birth of Amitabh the superstar.
And then there was Yash Chopra's Deewar. Amitabh is the anti-hero, one who plays a lowly dockyard coolie who has to become rich by any means. Thus the superstar Amitabh was truly on his way to becoming a one-man film industry.
Every film producer knew that if he cast Amitabh Bachchan in his film, he had a hit. From being a sidelight on the scene, Amitabh Bachchan had transformed to become the undisputed king of the celluloid world. His screen persona reflected the angst of the 1970. In him was embodied the pent up resentment of unemployment, of social deprivation and individual degradation but in him the audiences found a champion too, who lashed out at a system that kept them in penury. On screen, Amitabh fought his way against tremendous odds and off screen a mesmerised audience fought for a ticket to his movie.
And then there was melodrama. Manmohan Desai started the cult of brothers getting separated at the fair of families that destiny had torn apart and only the filmmakers' skill could join them for one big happy ending but for Amitabh it was another beginning when Manmohan Desai's Amar Akbar Anthony won him his first Best Actor Award in 1977.
With DON, Amitabh made it two best Actor Awards in a row.
It was under film directors Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra that Amitabh gave some of his biggest hits of this period.
Yash Chopra brought out the actor in him.
He was at his romantic best in Kabhi Kabhi and Silsila.
In Silsila, his alleged romance with Rekha set the screen on fire but the box office didn't approve.
Yash Chopra's Trishul and Kala Pathar again fell back on Amitabh's Angry Young Man persona and it still worked.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee was another director who realised his huge acting potential. Anand had only marked the beginning. Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast Amitabh in 10 of his films.
With his brilliant acting skills and his ability to deliver blockbusters after blockbuster, Bachchan was set for long haul.
But then when he was at the height of his popularity, there came a hiccup in his career and his life. On the sets of Coolie, Amitabh was seriously injured while filming a fight sequence. He was rushed to the hospital and initial reports said that the injury was serious, even life-threatening. His fans were devastated. They feared for him and all across the country people prayed that the almighty would return their icon to them.
Amitabh made a stable recovery and after some initial questions about his continuance in Bollywood, the superstar returned to reign at the top.
Over the years he has not only grown bigger and more iconic with each passing year but he has become an institution that is inseparable from the lore of Indian cinema.
Filmmakers aspire to cast him in their creations and screenplay writers dream of weaving celluloid magic based on his onscreen histrionics.
Because beyond the aura of an Amitabh Bachchan, beyond the facade of the Big B, there beats the soul of a consummate performer - an artiste for whom celluloid is a dimension of existence and expression.
The year 1942
Across the globe there raged a war between brute Fascist might and those who represented the free world. In India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's call for civil disobedience resonated to the cries of the Quit India movement.
On October 11, in that heady atmosphere of germinating freedom was born Inquilab in Allahabad.
The first born of poet Harivansh Rai and his wife Teji Bachchan of Allahabad, Inquilab represented a poet family's deep-rooted conviction that revolution would lead to Freedom.
Inquilab Rai Bachchan had a short-lived existence because at the insistence of friends, Blinding Light replaced Revolution and Inquilab became Amitabh.
Amitabh Rai Bachchan and younger brother Ajitabh grew up in a household where free expression was their artistic legacy. Father Harivansh Rai had already established himself as poet in the Hindi language, yet he was a doctorate in English literature from Cambridge University. Mother Teji Bachchan had a keen interest in theatre and provided Amitabh with his first spark of interest in the performing arts but films were something that was never really an option.
Dreams as a child
Amitabh says, "I never thought as a child that I'll enter films. When we went to see films in Allahabad, I never imagined that one day I'll be on the big screen."
Amitabh began his studies in Allahabad and then went to Sherwood College, a boarding school in the hills of Nainital and it was at Sherwood that the young Amitabh found his passion for acting.
Amitabh completed his formal education from Kirori Mal College of Delhi with double Master of Arts degrees from Delhi University.
After completing his education in the national capital, Bachchan headed eastward to Calcutta to earn his livelihood. His first job was with Shaw Wallace and he later worked as a freight broker for the shipping firm Bird and Co. But considerations of livelihood and a regular pay at the end of the month was no compensation for what the heart desired. By 1968, young Amit had decided to give it all up, because Amitabh Bachchan wanted to spend his life doing what he wanted to do and he wanted to act.
In the city of dream and opportunities
The tall and lanky young man boarded a train that took him to the city of opportunity and heartbreak. Bombay did not embrace its biggest creation to be with open arms. It was a ruthless place where dreams were bought and sold and where deification of a silver screen god masked the plaintive call of a thousand broken hopes lying crushed on an unfeeling studio floor.
For some time it seemed that Amitabh's unconventional looks and great height would see him make his way back to a life of dejection. Every filmmaker that he approached thought he was too tall at 6 feet 3 inches. They thought him a bit too dark to be exposed on film.
In desperation Amitabh tried to use the one other unique characteristic that he had, his deep baritone. But here too, Bachchan failed. He was rejected by the All India Radio after an audition test.
Then in 1969, when Amitabh was on the verge of giving it all up, came his break as Khwaja Ahmed Abbas cast Amitabh in Saat Hindustani and Bachchan was one of the seven.
The film wasn't a financial success, but Amitabh Bachchan won his first National Award as the best newcomer and so took wings the amazing acting career of one who would be the Big B in Bollywood.
A National Award in his kitty did not smooth the path to glory for Amitabh. He still had to struggle. Producers lining up to sign him were still a thing for the future. Bachchan did voice overs and smaller roles that took his career nowhere. But then came Anand.
Hrishkesh Mukherjee's heart wrenching film had Hindi cinema's biggest star of those times Rajesh Khanna playing the lead, but Amitabh Bachchan did not go unnoticed. He got the Film Fare Award that year for the Best Supporting Actor and this time the award was for a movie that was both critically acclaimed and successful commercially.
But Amitabh was still the nice tall young man who could act. It was only with his 13th film that anger entered the scene and it was Zanjeer that catapulted Amitabh to fame.
A new dawn
"Zanjeer changed things. That's when success came to me. It was a great film. Anybody in that film would have done well. It gave me a powerful role," Bachchan said later.
Prakash Mehra directed the movie and Amitabh's role was probably the first portrayal of a middle class anti-hero in Hindi cinema. An honest police officer fights the corrupt violent system from within. But failing in the attempt he revolts and takes on the fight as an outsider using crooked means.
This marked a new beginning. Hindi cinema now had its angry young man. And riding the waves of the popularity of this particular typecast began a remarkable journey of fame and success.
After Zanjeer offers started pouring in and Amitabh had regular work and it was on the film set that he met his would be wife actress Jaya Bhaduri.
"First I saw her pictures, she looked small, cute and impish. Then Hrishikesh approached me for Guddi, and I came to know that Jaya was the actress. I first met her on the sets. We liked each other's company, went out together and had a good group on the sets," says Amitabh.
Love had blossomed and it turned to commitment during the making of Abhimaan film that released a month after their wedding.
When asked what attracted Jaya to Amitabh physically, Jaya coyly says, "His eyes. But it's impossible to explain...so many personal things."
Not only with Jaya, Amitabh's magic, his trademark deep baritone voice, his tall persona, and intense eyes did their trick on the audience as well.
By the mid seventies, Amitabh Bachchan had established himself as a force to contend with in Bollywood but superstardom was yet to come.
The year 1975 saw the release of Amitabh's two biggest blockbusters till date.
First came Ramesh Sippy's Sholay and when Jai died on screen, the audiences' horrified gasp betrayed the birth sound of a new phenomenon - the birth of Amitabh the superstar.
And then there was Yash Chopra's Deewar. Amitabh is the anti-hero, one who plays a lowly dockyard coolie who has to become rich by any means. Thus the superstar Amitabh was truly on his way to becoming a one-man film industry.
Every film producer knew that if he cast Amitabh Bachchan in his film, he had a hit. From being a sidelight on the scene, Amitabh Bachchan had transformed to become the undisputed king of the celluloid world. His screen persona reflected the angst of the 1970. In him was embodied the pent up resentment of unemployment, of social deprivation and individual degradation but in him the audiences found a champion too, who lashed out at a system that kept them in penury. On screen, Amitabh fought his way against tremendous odds and off screen a mesmerised audience fought for a ticket to his movie.
And then there was melodrama. Manmohan Desai started the cult of brothers getting separated at the fair of families that destiny had torn apart and only the filmmakers' skill could join them for one big happy ending but for Amitabh it was another beginning when Manmohan Desai's Amar Akbar Anthony won him his first Best Actor Award in 1977.
With DON, Amitabh made it two best Actor Awards in a row.
It was under film directors Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra that Amitabh gave some of his biggest hits of this period.
Yash Chopra brought out the actor in him.
He was at his romantic best in Kabhi Kabhi and Silsila.
In Silsila, his alleged romance with Rekha set the screen on fire but the box office didn't approve.
Yash Chopra's Trishul and Kala Pathar again fell back on Amitabh's Angry Young Man persona and it still worked.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee was another director who realised his huge acting potential. Anand had only marked the beginning. Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast Amitabh in 10 of his films.
With his brilliant acting skills and his ability to deliver blockbusters after blockbuster, Bachchan was set for long haul.
But then when he was at the height of his popularity, there came a hiccup in his career and his life. On the sets of Coolie, Amitabh was seriously injured while filming a fight sequence. He was rushed to the hospital and initial reports said that the injury was serious, even life-threatening. His fans were devastated. They feared for him and all across the country people prayed that the almighty would return their icon to them.
Amitabh made a stable recovery and after some initial questions about his continuance in Bollywood, the superstar returned to reign at the top.
Manmohan's team subjected to American profiling
Siddharth Varadarajan
New Delhi: A potential crisis in bilateral relations with Washington was averted at the eleventh hour last month when the United States reversed a decision to deny visas to all Muslim journalists who were part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official media delegation to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
The visas, which were denied pending "additional administrative processing," were only granted one day before the Prime Minister's departure following a demarche – or diplomatic request — from the highest levels of government.
None of the Indian officials involved in the process wished to speak on record about the incident, which they said was a clear case of religious "profiling" by the U.S. embassy in Delhi.
As always happens during Prime Ministerial visits, the passports of the accompanying official media delegation were sent a few days in advance to the U.S. embassy for the necessary visas to be stamped. But when the passports were returned, three journalists – all of them Muslim – were handed yellow visa denial slips stating that they had been found "ineligible to receive a visa under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act."
The yellow slips said their application required "additional administrative processing before a final decision can be made." But there was no indication of how long this could take. The embassy note tersely stated that applicants would be contacted "once this administrative processing has been completed." U.S. diplomats informally said this process could take anywhere from four to eight weeks or longer.
With the Prime Minister set to fly out in less than two days, this 'don't call us, we'll call you' message sent alarm bells ringing in South Block. Officials were quick to realise the political consequences of the American side essentially disallowing the only Muslims in the Prime Minister's delegation from travelling with him to Pittsburgh.
The three individuals concerned were senior and respected journalists who, like other members of the delegation, had been security cleared. One was an editor of a popular regional daily and two of them had travelled abroad with the Prime Minister before.
"No discrimination"
U.S. officials informally told this reporter that the names of three men had triggered a computerised alert for additional verification. But when The Hindu formally asked the U.S. embassy in Delhi whether it was a coincidence that all the Muslims in the delegation were so selected for additional visa screening and that none of the non-Muslims were, embassy officials said "the U.S. Government does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion."
They added: "Since many applicants are subject to additional administrative processing, the U.S. Government urges all visa applicants to apply for visas as far in advance of the trip as possible. We also routinely expedite cases in which individuals require to travel urgently."
Asked whether it was U.S. policy to subject visa requests by Indian Muslims to a lengthier process of background checking, they said consular officers "review each application and make a determination regarding whether an applicant … needs additional processing. These decisions are based on the review of each individual's case."
With Dr. Singh set to travel again to Washington on an official visit this November, The Hindu asked whether Muslim members of his official delegation could again experience delays in their visa applications. The embassy officials replied: "This question should be directed to the Government of India. They know the dates of the visit and who will be travelling with the Prime Minister. Have they already applied for visas?"
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/10/stories/2009101054711000.htm
Siddharth Varadarajan
| U.S. rejection of visas for Muslim journalists nearly derailed Manmohan's visit to G20 |
New Delhi: A potential crisis in bilateral relations with Washington was averted at the eleventh hour last month when the United States reversed a decision to deny visas to all Muslim journalists who were part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official media delegation to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
The visas, which were denied pending "additional administrative processing," were only granted one day before the Prime Minister's departure following a demarche – or diplomatic request — from the highest levels of government.
None of the Indian officials involved in the process wished to speak on record about the incident, which they said was a clear case of religious "profiling" by the U.S. embassy in Delhi.
As always happens during Prime Ministerial visits, the passports of the accompanying official media delegation were sent a few days in advance to the U.S. embassy for the necessary visas to be stamped. But when the passports were returned, three journalists – all of them Muslim – were handed yellow visa denial slips stating that they had been found "ineligible to receive a visa under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act."
The yellow slips said their application required "additional administrative processing before a final decision can be made." But there was no indication of how long this could take. The embassy note tersely stated that applicants would be contacted "once this administrative processing has been completed." U.S. diplomats informally said this process could take anywhere from four to eight weeks or longer.
With the Prime Minister set to fly out in less than two days, this 'don't call us, we'll call you' message sent alarm bells ringing in South Block. Officials were quick to realise the political consequences of the American side essentially disallowing the only Muslims in the Prime Minister's delegation from travelling with him to Pittsburgh.
The three individuals concerned were senior and respected journalists who, like other members of the delegation, had been security cleared. One was an editor of a popular regional daily and two of them had travelled abroad with the Prime Minister before.
"No discrimination"
U.S. officials informally told this reporter that the names of three men had triggered a computerised alert for additional verification. But when The Hindu formally asked the U.S. embassy in Delhi whether it was a coincidence that all the Muslims in the delegation were so selected for additional visa screening and that none of the non-Muslims were, embassy officials said "the U.S. Government does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion."
They added: "Since many applicants are subject to additional administrative processing, the U.S. Government urges all visa applicants to apply for visas as far in advance of the trip as possible. We also routinely expedite cases in which individuals require to travel urgently."
Asked whether it was U.S. policy to subject visa requests by Indian Muslims to a lengthier process of background checking, they said consular officers "review each application and make a determination regarding whether an applicant … needs additional processing. These decisions are based on the review of each individual's case."
With Dr. Singh set to travel again to Washington on an official visit this November, The Hindu asked whether Muslim members of his official delegation could again experience delays in their visa applications. The embassy officials replied: "This question should be directed to the Government of India. They know the dates of the visit and who will be travelling with the Prime Minister. Have they already applied for visas?"
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/10/stories/2009101054711000.htm
Chhattisgarh plans assault to 'finish off' Maoists
Thousands of policemen in Chhattisgarh are getting ready for the biggest assault on Maoist rebels in the mineral-rich state, where insurgents have commanded vast forested areas for years, senior officials said Friday.
Police officers say the operation, which will be launched by early November, will focus on dismantling the terror infrastructure of the Maoists in the state's southern tip known as the Bastar region spread out over a 40,000 sq km area. Police describe this region as India's "nerve-centre of Maoist militancy" that first erupted in 1967 in West Bengal.
"Maoists have crossed all limits, now the time has come to finish them off," Girdhari Nayak, state's additional director general of police, told IANS.
Police officials say about 40,000 policemen drawn from the state police and paramilitary troopers are presently posted in Bastar. Police added they were waiting for some more elite forces to join them by the end of this month to launch the assault in forested areas.
In mid-September, over 500 policemen led by Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra), an elite force raised by the Indian government purely for anti-Maoist operations, stormed into rebel hideouts in Chhattisgarh and killed at least two dozen insurgents but also lost six of their men.
Police say top leaders of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) are hiding in Chhattisgarh jungles from where they are commanding Maoist militancy in several states.
"We estimate 10,000 highly militarised Maoist fighters are in Chhattisgarh who have access to rocket launchers and mortars. We plan to hit them in their decades-old areas, with a quick plan to address livelihood problems of the local population and erase sympathy among them for Maoist ultras," a counter-terrorism expert, on the condition of anonymity, told IANS.
Chhattisgarh's plans come amid a spate of Maoist attacks in the country. On Thursday, Maoist guerrillas ambushed a police patrol and gunned down at least 17 policemen in a jungle stretch of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. On Tuesday, the decapitated body of Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar was found on the highway, six days after he had been abducted by Maoists.
"Maoists have crossed all limits, now the time has come to finish them off," Girdhari Nayak, state's additional director general of police, told IANS.
Police officials say about 40,000 policemen drawn from the state police and paramilitary troopers are presently posted in Bastar. Police added they were waiting for some more elite forces to join them by the end of this month to launch the assault in forested areas.
In mid-September, over 500 policemen led by Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra), an elite force raised by the Indian government purely for anti-Maoist operations, stormed into rebel hideouts in Chhattisgarh and killed at least two dozen insurgents but also lost six of their men.
Police say top leaders of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) are hiding in Chhattisgarh jungles from where they are commanding Maoist militancy in several states.
"We estimate 10,000 highly militarised Maoist fighters are in Chhattisgarh who have access to rocket launchers and mortars. We plan to hit them in their decades-old areas, with a quick plan to address livelihood problems of the local population and erase sympathy among them for Maoist ultras," a counter-terrorism expert, on the condition of anonymity, told IANS.
Chhattisgarh's plans come amid a spate of Maoist attacks in the country. On Thursday, Maoist guerrillas ambushed a police patrol and gunned down at least 17 policemen in a jungle stretch of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. On Tuesday, the decapitated body of Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar was found on the highway, six days after he had been abducted by Maoists.
Problem of Rupee
The rupee rose to its highest against the dollar in more than a year this week on strong and sustained capital inflows, arbitrage plays and an Where Re comes from & goesHow to identify fake notes
Forex Converter
improving economic outlook.
At Thursday's high of 46.22, the partially convertible rupee was up nearly 13 per cent from its record low of 52.2 in early March. It was trading at 46.58 per dollar on Friday.
WHAT IS DRIVING THE RALLY?
A surging stock market -- it is up about 75 percent in 2009 -- has seen companies raise more than $15 billion in share sales, most of it in recent months, and more sales are scheduled.
Foreigners have bought a net $12.7 billion of stocks so far this year, including about $4 billion in September, almost reversing net outflows of more than $13 billion in 2008.
With markets looking for interest rates to rise in India from the first quarter of 2010, inflows from traders looking to profit on interest rate differentials are expected to pick up.
Banks have also unwound long dollar/rupee bets after Bharti Airtel ended talks with South Africa's MTN over a cross-holding deal last week.
The dollar's broad weakness has also played a part, including fuelling an arbitrage play with offshore non-deliverable forward (NDF) rupee contracts. The dollar has fallen further against the rupee in NDFs than in the local market, where its harder for speculators to trade.
As a results, banks have been buying dollars in the NDF market and selling them in the Indian spot market, where they fetched a higher price.
One-month NDFs showed the rupee quoted at 46.51 per dollar, which shows the rupee about 0.15 rupees stronger offshore than onshore for than tenor.
CAN IT GO ON?
Analysts think so. The factors that have driven the gains so far are not expected to change in the near term. One upside risk is that fund managers might lock in profits towards the end of the year.
HDFC Bank expects the rupee to rise to as much as 45-46 per dollar by end-December compared with Friday's level of 46.58.
A Reuters poll of 31 analysts expects it to rise more than 2 percent to 45.5 per dollar by September 2010.
Foreign investors chasing the growth story of India and China may find India offers slightly better value. The benchmark Indian stock index is valued at 18.33 times March 2010 earnings, while the Shanghai Composite index is valued at 20.7 times.
Analysts expect flows via external sources like offshore borrowings, debt inflows along with portfolio investments to continue in 2009 and into early 2010, helping the rupee rise.
One-year non-deliverable forwards are pricing in a 1.3 percent slide in the rupee from current levels, compared to a 2 percent decline at end-July, reflecting the changing sentiment.
Technically, the rupee has finally broken above a 38.2 percent retracement point after struggling against resistance at that level in May, June and August. The retracement level was based on its fall from a decade high of 39.2 per dollar in late 2007 to a record low of 52.2 in March.
40% of Sensex cos give over 100% returns
10 Oct 2009, 0730 hrs IST, Shikha Sharma, ET Bureau
40% of Sensex cos give over 100% returns
10 Oct 2009, 0730 hrs IST, Shikha Sharma, ET Bureau
Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text:
Stock prices of close to half of the companies that are part of the Sensex more than doubled in the first half of the financial year (April What moves the stock markets?
1-September 30, 2009). All these companies outperformed the Sensex which gained 78% during the same period.
As per an ETIG study, 40% of the Sensex companies generated returns of 100% or more in the first half of the current fiscal. The top five performers among the Sensex pack include automotive giant Tata Motors (228%), diversified infrastructure firm Jaiprakash Associates (182%), country's largest private sector bank ICICI Bank (172%), India's largest real estate firm DLF (162%) and engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (150%).
Share price of other companies such as Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries, Wipro, Reliance Infrastructure, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Sterlite Industries (India) also doubled during the same period.
Expectations of better corporate performance led to sharp uptick in stock market valuations since March. This triggered huge money inflow from foreign institutional investors (FII), besides domestic investors returning to the stock market.
Says Amitabh Chakraborty, president (equity) at Religare Capital, "The market is likely to remain volatile in the coming months due to events like announcement of credit policy and corporate results. Further, for the next year, consumption pattern in the US, which is going to become clear in December , is likely to define market trend for the next year."
Amongst sectors, infrastructure, steel and automobiles have outperformed the Sensex. Although ICICI Bank was among the major gainers, overall banking and FMCG scrips underperformed in the market rally over the last six months.
Says Sarabjit Kour Nangra, VP-research, Angel Commodities, "The outperformance of the automobiles sector is due to better numbers posted by these companies in terms of sales. Moreover, increasing thrust on infrastructure, led to reasonable rally in the infrastructure space as well." She added the stock market is unlikely to witness correction in the near term, but can see consolidation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Forex/40-of-Sensex-cos-give-over-100-returns/articleshow/5108226.cms
A surging stock market -- it is up about 75 percent in 2009 -- has seen companies raise more than $15 billion in share sales, most of it in recent months, and more sales are scheduled.
Foreigners have bought a net $12.7 billion of stocks so far this year, including about $4 billion in September, almost reversing net outflows of more than $13 billion in 2008.
With markets looking for interest rates to rise in India from the first quarter of 2010, inflows from traders looking to profit on interest rate differentials are expected to pick up.
Banks have also unwound long dollar/rupee bets after Bharti Airtel ended talks with South Africa's MTN over a cross-holding deal last week.
The dollar's broad weakness has also played a part, including fuelling an arbitrage play with offshore non-deliverable forward (NDF) rupee contracts. The dollar has fallen further against the rupee in NDFs than in the local market, where its harder for speculators to trade.
As a results, banks have been buying dollars in the NDF market and selling them in the Indian spot market, where they fetched a higher price.
One-month NDFs showed the rupee quoted at 46.51 per dollar, which shows the rupee about 0.15 rupees stronger offshore than onshore for than tenor.
CAN IT GO ON?
Analysts think so. The factors that have driven the gains so far are not expected to change in the near term. One upside risk is that fund managers might lock in profits towards the end of the year.
HDFC Bank expects the rupee to rise to as much as 45-46 per dollar by end-December compared with Friday's level of 46.58.
A Reuters poll of 31 analysts expects it to rise more than 2 percent to 45.5 per dollar by September 2010.
Foreign investors chasing the growth story of India and China may find India offers slightly better value. The benchmark Indian stock index is valued at 18.33 times March 2010 earnings, while the Shanghai Composite index is valued at 20.7 times.
Analysts expect flows via external sources like offshore borrowings, debt inflows along with portfolio investments to continue in 2009 and into early 2010, helping the rupee rise.
One-year non-deliverable forwards are pricing in a 1.3 percent slide in the rupee from current levels, compared to a 2 percent decline at end-July, reflecting the changing sentiment.
Technically, the rupee has finally broken above a 38.2 percent retracement point after struggling against resistance at that level in May, June and August. The retracement level was based on its fall from a decade high of 39.2 per dollar in late 2007 to a record low of 52.2 in March.
40% of Sensex cos give over 100% returns
10 Oct 2009, 0730 hrs IST, Shikha Sharma, ET Bureau
40% of Sensex cos give over 100% returns
10 Oct 2009, 0730 hrs IST, Shikha Sharma, ET Bureau
Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text:
Stock prices of close to half of the companies that are part of the Sensex more than doubled in the first half of the financial year (April What moves the stock markets?
1-September 30, 2009). All these companies outperformed the Sensex which gained 78% during the same period.
As per an ETIG study, 40% of the Sensex companies generated returns of 100% or more in the first half of the current fiscal. The top five performers among the Sensex pack include automotive giant Tata Motors (228%), diversified infrastructure firm Jaiprakash Associates (182%), country's largest private sector bank ICICI Bank (172%), India's largest real estate firm DLF (162%) and engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (150%).
Share price of other companies such as Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries, Wipro, Reliance Infrastructure, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Sterlite Industries (India) also doubled during the same period.
Expectations of better corporate performance led to sharp uptick in stock market valuations since March. This triggered huge money inflow from foreign institutional investors (FII), besides domestic investors returning to the stock market.
Says Amitabh Chakraborty, president (equity) at Religare Capital, "The market is likely to remain volatile in the coming months due to events like announcement of credit policy and corporate results. Further, for the next year, consumption pattern in the US, which is going to become clear in December , is likely to define market trend for the next year."
Amongst sectors, infrastructure, steel and automobiles have outperformed the Sensex. Although ICICI Bank was among the major gainers, overall banking and FMCG scrips underperformed in the market rally over the last six months.
Says Sarabjit Kour Nangra, VP-research, Angel Commodities, "The outperformance of the automobiles sector is due to better numbers posted by these companies in terms of sales. Moreover, increasing thrust on infrastructure, led to reasonable rally in the infrastructure space as well." She added the stock market is unlikely to witness correction in the near term, but can see consolidation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Forex/40-of-Sensex-cos-give-over-100-returns/articleshow/5108226.cms
Amitabh Bachchan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Bachchan" redirects here. For other uses, see Bachchan (disambiguation).
| Amitabh Bachchan | |
|---|---|
 Amitabh Bachchan at the IIFA Awards press conference in Mumbai, 2006. | |
| Born | Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan October 11, 1942 (1942-10-11) Allahabad, United Provinces of British India |
| Other name(s) | Big B |
| Occupation | Film actor, producer, playback singer, television presenter |
| Years active | 1969 – present |
| Spouse(s) | Jaya Bhaduri (1973 - present) |
Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.
Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. They have two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Early life
Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu-Sikh family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a well-known Hindi poet, while his mother, Teji Bachchan was a Sikh-Punjabi from Faisalabad (now in Pakistan).[3] Bachchan was initially named Inquilab, inspired from the famous phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle, but was re-christened Amitabh which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was Shrivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan, under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his current family.Amitabh is the elder of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage.[4] He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree. In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta now known as Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.
[edit] Career
[edit] Early work 1969-1972
Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani, a film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Madhu and Jalal Agha. Though the film was not a financial success, Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer.[5]The critically acclaimed and commercially successful Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Bachchan's role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Amitabh then played the role of an infatuated lover in Parwaana (1971) opposite Navin Nischol, Yogeeta Bali and Om Prakash and was a rare instance of him portraying the villain. This was followed by several films which were not particularly successful at the box office including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri opposite Dharmendra. Noted for his deep baritone voice early on in his career, he narrated part of the film Bawarchi. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy Bombay to Goa, directed by S. Ramanathan. He starred alongside actors such as Aruna Irani, Mehmood, Anwar Ali and Nasir Hussain.
[edit] Rise to Stardom 1973-1983
1973 saw significant development in Bachchan's career when director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film Zanjeer (1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona — the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema,[2] a reputation he was to acquire in pictures that followed it. It was his first film as the leading protagonist to achieve box office success and earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. 1973 was also the year he married Jaya and around this time they appeared in several films together, not only in Zanjeer but in films such as Abhimaan which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film Namak Haraam, a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role opposite Rajesh Khanna and Rekha was praised and won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playing a supporting role in the highest grossing film of that year, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship was a critical and commercial success, placing Amitabh opposite Kumar himself, Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman. Bachchan then played the leading role in film Majboor, released on December 6, 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zigzag starring George Kennedy. The film was only a moderate success at the box office[6] In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy Chupke Chupke, the crime drama Faraar to the romantic drama Mili. However 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film Deewar, opposite Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4.[7] Indiatimes Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[8] Released on August 15, 1975 was Sholay (meaning flames), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning Rs. 2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for inflation.[9] Bachchan played the role of Jaidev opposite a cast which included some of the top names in the industry including Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like Deewar, has been cited by Indiatimes movies as amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[8] In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.
After the success of films such as Sholay at the box office, Bachchan had now consolidated his position in the industry and from 1976 through to 1984 would receive an unprecedented number of Filmfare Best Actor Award Awards and nominations. Although films such as Sholay cemented his status as Bollywood's pre-eminent action hero, Bachchan illustrated that he was flexible in other roles, successfully playing the romantic lead, in films such as Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and comic timing in comedies such as Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and earlier, in Chupke Chupke (1975). In 1976, he was once again cast by director Yash Chopra in his second film, Kabhi Kabhie, a romantic tale in which Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actress Rakhee Gulzar. The emotional eclectic of the dialogue and softness of the subject matter proved a direct contrast to some of Amitabh's earlier grittier action pictures and those he would later go on to play. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award and was a box office success. In 1977, he won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. 1978 was possibly the most accoladed year of his career and he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year.[10] He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade as Amit and Shankar and Don playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award and considerable critical acclaim as with his performances in Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikander which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. On account of this unprecedented run and success he encountered at this stage in his career, he was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director François Truffaut.[11]
In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film Mr. Natwarlal in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar (1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film Dostana, in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. Dostana proved to be the top grossing film of 1980.[12] In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include Ram Balram (1980), Shaan (1980), Lawaaris (1981), and Shakti (1982) which pitted him against legendary actor Dilip Kumar.[13]he is the greatest actor of his time and most valuable actor
[edit] 1982 injury during filming Coolie
While filming Coolie in 1982, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar.[14] Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating.[15] Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.[16]The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.[15]
Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received. Before every release he would negatively state, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").[17]
[edit] Politics: 1984-1987
In 1984, Amitabh took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's Lok Sabha seat against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by the one of the highest victory margins in general election history (68.2% of the vote).[18] His political career, however, was short-lived: He resigned after three years, calling politics a cesspool. The resignation followed the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court.[19] Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.His old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member.[20] Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.[21]
A 15 year press ban against Bachchan was imposed during his peak acting years by Stardust and some of the other film magazines. In his own defense, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets almost till the end of 1989.[22]
[edit] Slump and retirement: 1988-1992
In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback.[23] After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film, Hum, looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his second National Film Award, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film Agneepath. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of Khuda Gawah in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films Insaniyat was released but was also a box office failure.[24][edit] Producer and acting comeback 1996-1999
Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company. Tere Mere Sapne failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film Mrityudaata, produced by ABCL. Though Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the The 1996 Miss World beauty pageant, Bangalore but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.[25]
Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998),[24] and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999)[26] but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.
[edit] Television career
In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? entitled, Kaun Banega Crorepati. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. The Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005, and its success set the stage for his return to film popularity. In 2009 Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire in the first question of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? contest "Amitabh Bachchan" was the correct answer to the question "Who was the star of Zanjeer? Feroz Abbas Khan performed as Amitabh Bachchan in a scene in the movie while Anil Kapoor performed as the host of the contest. Amitabh Bachchan is hosting Bigg Boss 3. [27][edit] Return to prominence: 2000-present
In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Baghban (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in Aks (2001), Aankhen (2002), Khakee (2004), Dev (2004) and Black (2005). Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the Godfather tribute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office.[28][29] His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006),[30] Eklavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.[31] He also made a guest-appearance as himself in the Kannada movie Amruthadaare, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar.In May 2007, two of his films Cheeni Kum and the multi-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala were released. Shootout at Lokhandwala did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while Cheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and was declared an overall average hit.[32]
In August 2007, a remake of his biggest hit, Sholay (1975), entitled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, proved to be a disaster at the box office[32] and was also poorly received by critics.
His first English language film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear, premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since Black.[33] Bachchan is slated to play a supporting role in his first international film, Shantaram, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008[34]
Bhoothnath, in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on May 9, 2008. Sarkar Raj, released in June 2008, received positive response at the box-office and was a box office success.
[edit] Health
[edit] 2005 Hospitalisation
In November 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine.[35] This occurred after Bachchan complained of pains in his abdomen some days prior. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including the television show he was in the process of hosting, Kaun Banega Crorepati. Amitabh returned to work in March 2006.[36][edit] Voice
Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in Shatranj Ke Khiladi since he could not find a suitable role for him.[37] Before entering the film industry, Bachchan applied for an announcer's job with All India Radio, although he was rejected.[edit] Controversies and criticism
[edit] Barabanki land case
In the runup to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007, Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His Samajwadi Party was routed, and Mayawati came to power.On June 2, 2007 a Faizabad court ruled that he had illegally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers.[38] It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer.[39] On July 19, 2007, after the scandal broke out, Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Pune. He wrote to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune.[40] However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.
On October 12, 2007, Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district.[41] On December 11, 2007, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court gave a clean chit to Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".[42][43]
After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.[44]
[edit] Raj Thackeray's criticism
Main article: 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra
Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land to build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here."[48] However, Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue.
Bal Thackeray refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."[49]
On March 23, 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give."[50] Later, on March 28, at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so.[51] He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.[52]
[edit] Awards, honours and recognitions
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Latest films
Main article: Amitabh Bachchan filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Family | Viren Sahi | |
| Darna Zaroori Hai | Professor | ||
| Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna | Samarjit Singh Talwar (aka. Sexy Sam) | Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award | |
| Baabul | Balraj Kapoor | ||
| 2007 | Eklavya: The Royal Guard | Eklavya | |
| Nishabd | Vijay | ||
| Cheeni Kum | Buddhadev Gupta | ||
| Shootout at Lokhandwala | Dingra | Special appearance | |
| Jhoom Barabar Jhoom | Sutradhar | Special appearance | |
| Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag | Babban Singh | ||
| Om Shanti Om | Himself | Special appearance | |
| 2008 | Jodhaa Akbar | Narrator | |
| Bhoothnath | Bhoothnath (Kailash Nath) | ||
| Sarkar Raj | Subhash Nagre/"Sarkar" | ||
| God Tussi Great Ho | God Almighty | ||
| The Last Lear | Harish 'Harry' Mishra | ||
| 2009 | Delhi-6 | Dadaji | Special appearance |
| Aladin | Jin | Releasing on October 23, 2009 | |
| Pa | Releasing on November 20, 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Rann | Vijay Harshvardhan Malik | Releasing on January 22, 2010 |
| Zamaanat | Shiv Shankar | Delayed | |
| Shoebite | John Periera | Post-production | |
| Talismaan | Filming | ||
| Teen Patti | Venkat | Filming |
[edit] Producer
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Tere Mere Sapne |
| 1997 | Ullasam |
| Mrityudaata | |
| 1998 | Major Saab |
| 2001 | Aks |
| 2005 | Viruddh |
| 2006 | Family - Ties of Blood |
[edit] Playback singer
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1979 | The Great Gambler |
| Mr. Natwarlal | |
| 1981 | Lawaaris |
| Naseeb | |
| Silsila | |
| 1983 | Mahaan |
| Pukar | |
| 1984 | Sharaabi |
| 1989 | Toofan |
| Jaadugar | |
| 1992 | Khuda Gawah |
| 1998 | Major Saab |
| 1999 | Sooryavansham |
| 2001 | Aks |
| Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham | |
| 2002 | Aankhen |
| 2003 | Armaan |
| Baghban | |
| 2004 | Dev |
| Aetbaar | |
| 2006 | Baabul |
| 2007 | Nishabd |
| Cheeni Kum | |
| 2008 | Bhoothnath |
| 2009 | Aladin |
[edit] Further reading
- Dwyer, Rachel. "Amitabh Bachchan: the Angry Young Man." British Academy of Film and Television Arts, November 16, 2007.
- Mazumdar, Ranjani. Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ Amitabh Bachchan: the Angry Young Man
- ^ a b Film legend promotes Bollywood
- ^ Mishra, Vijay (2001). Bollywood cinema: temples of desire. Routledge. pp. 131. ISBN 0415930154.
- ^ "Reviews on: To Be or Not To Be Amitabh Bachchan - Khalid Mohamed". http://www.mouthshut.com/review/To_Be_or_Not_To_Be_Amitabh_Bachchan_-_Khalid_Mohamed-72513-1.haster_of_Arts.
- ^ "Bachchan wins his first national award". India Times. http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1905623.cms. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ Box Office India.
- ^ "Box Office 1975". BoxOffice India.com. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=181&catName=MTk3NQ==.
- ^ a b Kanwar, Rachna (October 3, 2005). "25 Must See Bollywood Movies". Indiatimes movies. http://movies.indiatimes.com/Special_Features/25_Must_See_Bollywood_Movies/articleshow/msid-1250837,curpg-10.cms. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Sholay". International Business Overview Standard. http://www.ibosnetwork.com/asp/filmbodetails.asp?id=Sholay. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Bachchan's historic 1978 year at the box office". ibosnetwork.com. http://www.ibosnetwork.com/asp/topgrossersbyyear.asp?year=1978. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ "Truffaut labeled Bachchan a one-man industry". China Daily. http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/history/00-07-07/l03-film.html. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ BoxOffice India.com
- ^ "Bachchan's box office success". boxofficeindia.com. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actors&PHPSESSID=cfa06e3b5a051913d58987e99cd292ae. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- ^ "Bachchan injured whilst shooting scene". rediff.com. http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/oct/11amit.htm. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ a b "Footage of fight scene in Coolie released to the public". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085361/trivia. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Coolie a success". boxofficeindia.com. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=125&catName=MTk4MC0xOTg5. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ Mohamed, Khalid. "Reviews on: To Be or Not To Be Amitabh Bachchan". mouthshut.com. http://www.mouthshut.com/review/To_Be_or_Not_To_Be_Amitabh_Bachchan_-_Khalid_Mohamed-72513-1.html. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan: Stint in Politics". HindustanTimes.com. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/amitabh/politics.htm. Retrieved 2005-12-05.
- ^ "Interview with Amitabh Bachchan". sathnam.com. http://www.sathnam.com/Features/17/interview-with-amitabh-bachchan.
- ^ "Bachchan has no plans for election." hindu.com.
- ^ "Bollywood's Bachchan in trouble over crime claim". AFP. October 4, 2007. http://www.webcitation.org/5bPT62ngo.
- ^ "The 15-year ban on Bachchan!" IndiaFM News Bureau. January 27, 2007.
- ^ "Top Actor". www.boxofficeindia.com/topactors.htm. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actors&PHPSESSID=cfa06e3b5a051913d58987e99cd292ae.
- ^ a b "Box Office 1994". Box Office India. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=200&catName=MTk5NA==.
- ^ Patil, Vimla (March 4, 2001). "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar". http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/spectrum/main1.htm.
- ^ Taliculam, Sharmila. "He's back!". http://in.rediff.com/movies/1999/may/22soo.htm.
- ^ http://biggboss.ning.com Amitabh Bachchan is now Anchor of Bigg Boss 3
- ^ "Amitabh and Abhishek rule the box office". Box Office India. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=211&catName=MjAwNQ==. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Box Office 2006". Box Office India. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=212&catName=MjAwNg==. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Films fail at the BO". Box Office India. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=212&catName=MjAwNg==.
- ^ Adarsh, Taran. "Top 5: 'Nishabd', 'N.P.D.' are disasters". Bollywood Hungma. http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/top5/326.html. Retrieved 26 March 2007.
- ^ a b "Box Office India". http://www.boxofficeindia.com.
- ^ "This is Amitabh's best performance after Black". http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2007/09/11/3020.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan to star with Johnny Depp". ourbollywood.com. http://www.ourbollywood.com/2007/02/amitabh_bachchan_will_star_opp.html. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Amitabh better today". Rediff. December 1, 2005. http://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/dec/01ab1.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Us Salam, Ziya (December 9, 2005). "Waiting for Mr. Bachchan". The Hindu. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/12/09/stories/2005120903020100.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ hindustantimes.in "Amitabh voice for Shatranj Ke Khiladi." Hindustan Times.
- ^ Sanket Upadhyay (2007-06-01 (Faizabad)). "Land row: Setback for Bachchan". NDTV. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070014139. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ "Amitabh's land records look forged". Times of India. 2 Jun, 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Pune/Amitabhs_land_records_look_forged/articleshow/2093299.cms.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan is not a farmer: UP court". Rediff.com. June 1, 2007. http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/01farm.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ "Big B abandons claim on farmland". Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Big_B_abandons_claim_on_farmland/articleshow/2453216.cms.
- ^ "HC gives clean chit to Amitabh Bachchan in land dispute case." Happenings News : ApunKaChoice.Com. December 12, 2007.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan gets clean chit in UP land scam." AllBollywood.com. December 11, 2007.
- ^ "No question of proceeding further on Amitabh's land: Rane". hindu.com. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200803251965.htm.
- ^ "Big B draws Raj Thakeray's ire over 'UP interests'". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Big_B_draws_Raj_Thackerays_ire_over_his_UP_interests/articleshow/2750611.cms. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ "Rift between Raj and Big B over a wedding invite". Daily News & Analysis. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1149212. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Rift between Raj and Big B over a wedding invite". MSN. 2008-02-05. http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1226808. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "I don't know who Raj Thackeray is: Jaya Bachchan". The Indian Express. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/I-dont-know-who-Raj-Thackeray-is-Jaya-Bachchan/268548/. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ "Bal Thackeray: Amitabh loves Maharashtra". The Hindu. 2008-02-07. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/07/stories/2008020759011200.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Amitabh breaks silence, dismisses Raj's charges against him". Daily News & Analysis. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1157267. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "The Indian Constitution allows me to live anywhere: Amitabh Bachchan". The Indian. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/indian-constitution-allows-me-to-live-anywhere-in-the-country-amitabh-bachchan_10032279.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression: Bachchan". The Hindu. 2008-03-28. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200803281441.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
[edit] External links
Media related to Amitabh Bachchan at Wikimedia Commons - Amitabh Bachchan in Bigg Boss 3
 | This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text. |
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bachchan, Amitabh |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Big B |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Film actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 11, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| DATE OF DEATH | 11-10-1942 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: 1942 births | Living people | Indian film actors | Hindi film actors | Indian actors | Indian film producers | Indian television presenters | Kirori Mal College alumni | Recipients of the Padma Bhushan | Recipients of the Padma Shri | Lok Sabha members | Légion d'honneur recipients | People from Uttar Pradesh | People from Allahabad | Filmfare Awards winners | Indian Hindus | Indian playback singers | Indian hip hop singers | Indian pop singers | Indian male singers | Indian amateur radio operators | Indian actor-politicians | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Indian vegetarians | National Film Award winners
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