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Did you know that he dislikes the epithet Big B? Or that Harivansh Rai Bachchan considered Amitabh his greatest poetry ever? The author lists eight facts that you simply must know about one of the most influential actors of all times.
He needs no introduction. A veteran of 180-plus films and an actor extraordinaire, there is very little that the world doesn't know about Amitabh Bachchan. Every move that he makes is followed by millions of people around the world. People follow him on Twitter and his blog. It is no wonder then that hundreds thronged to the Penguin Annual Lecture at the Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi to hear him extol the virtues of Oscar Wilde and TS Eliot. At an up close and personal encounter with the actor who has become the face of Indian cinema, it was surprising and somewhat refreshing to unearth hitherto unknown facts about him. For instance, did you know that his father, the poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, considered naming him Inquilab inspired by the phrase Inquilab Zindabad made famous during the struggle for independence or that his screen name was Vijay in over 20 films or that he is ambidextrous? Here are a few nuggets about the actor gleaned from his lecture that every fan can relish:
1 Some people call me Big B. It is an epithet that I greatly dislike. The media has so kindly given me this name, but to entertain, I believe, is a rich and complex act.
2 My father Harivansh Rai Bachchan used to say that his greatest poetry was me. I don't know yet if I am a couplet, a shlok or a free verse. I wish I had asked him all these questions.
3 I remember when I was studying at Sherwood College, Nainital, I won the Kendal Award (which was instituted in the memory of Shashi Kapoor's father-in-law) for dramatics. Everyone expected me to win again the following year, but I went down with measles. My father on hearing that I was in the hospital came to be with me and slept next to me. He tried to distract me from the play that was being staged in the main hall and in which I was to play the lead. He used to say, "mann ka ho toh accha hai, na ho to aur bhi zyada accha." It kind of sums up the philosophy of life - that if you get what you want it's great, but if you don't then it's even better as you getting what god wills.
4 Many thought that my father had written Madhushala, his famous book of poems, when he was drunk and that drinking was his favourite past-time. But in reality he never touched a drop of alcohol in his life. People will forget me in a couple of years, but an author and his book are eternal.
5 When I was studying in Delhi, my friends and I who were all broke could only afford a cup of coffee at the Coffee House. It was a big thing to be a graduate in those days, and as we struggled through university, the nagging question remained, "What about our future?" My friend gave me some priceless pearls of wisdom: "Our parents gave birth to us without asking us and that's why we are suffering." I thought it was a great repartee so I summoned up the courage to tell my father the next day, and I did. He never said a word, but just walked away quietly. The following day as usual, he went for a walk at 4 am and when I woke up I found a note next to my bedside. It was a poem. It said that his father also didn't ask him before giving birth to him, nor had his grandfather asked his father. It said: "But you should ask your son before giving birth to him."
6 I have the greatest respect for women. I met so many contestants on Kaun Banega Crorepati who are self-educated because their parents refused to put them through school and college in the belief that they are paraya dhan, who will get married and leave their families. Women who have overcome tough circumstances and emerged victorious are the torchbearers for me.
7 A quote that I like: "Everyone can see a film, but not everyone can read a book."
8 Bollywood is a word I hate using for Hindi cinema, it is not a correct synonym. Hindi cinema cuts across all age, religion and gender as well as geographical boundaries. It unites people from all over the world. Plus, Indian cinema, interestingly, has never suffered from recession like aloo and pyaaz. Hindi cinema embraces everyone and therein lies its beauty.
