(This story was first published on 11 October 2017, on Amitabh Bachchan’s 75th birthday)
Change is the only constant – after Amitabh Bachchan, of course. On 11 October 2017, as he celebrates his 75th birthday, we take a look at how have things changed in India, while Big B remains evergreen.
Bachchan Ka Bachpan
The boy who would go on to strike gold in Bollywood was born in 1942. The price of 10 grams of gold was just Rs 44.05 that year. It’s shot up by 31,314 rupees in the 75 years since!
Lights, Camera Ka Silsila
Amitabh Bachchan debuted as an actor in the 1969 movie Saat Hindustani. While the actor was working his way up the Bollywood ladder with his fair share of ups and downs, India’s economic growth reflected a similar graph, with strong and sluggish growth alternating every few years.
The Bliss of Suhaag
Amitabh Bachchan got hitched with Jaya Bahaduri in 1973. He was lucky perhaps, because many wouldn’t have found a partner because of the disappointing sex ratio in the country then. However, 44 years later India’s sex ratio stands slightly improved.
Shaan ki Shine
Bachchan senior got his first Filmfare award for Best Actor in 1977, for Amar Akbar Anthony. Films continue to be a great source of entertainment, because they cut across the population’s class divides. You could enjoy a masala movie even if you were illiterate, and India suffered from illiteracy back then. Only 34.45% population was literate in 1977.
Stroke of Naseeb
1984 was a major milestone for Amitabh Bachchan. Buoyed by the rise in TV viewers, Bachchan’s popularity too continued to rise. He was awarded a Padma Shri, and made a successful (though short-lived) foray into politics too.
Shahenshah Showstopper
In 1969, while the nation was awarding the highest recognition to Amitabh Bachchan for his pathbreaking performance in Agneepath, the country also collected a cool revenue of Rs 57,576 crore in taxes.
In the Pink of Stardom
Amitabh Bachchan’s career was revived at the turn of the century, turning a new chapter for him. As the generation went mobile and the youth took centrestage, Bachchan took the hot seat of imagination with Kaun Banega Crorepati. We know who became a crorepati afterwards. *Wink wink*
Abhimaan of Hindustan
Hollywood has charmed a lot of Bollywood stars. Though Amitabh Bachchan got only a cameo in Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer The Great Gatsby, the news brought great cheer to the Indian film industry. Sadly though, unlike Big B’s career trajectory, the Indian currency since then has weakened.
This story made me – a millennial – feel old. How have things changed in the past few years! But I’m sure Mr Amitabh Bachchan has a long, long way to go. Wishing him a very happy birthday!
The more things change, the more Big B remains the same.
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