I was merely an actor who got lucky: Amitabh Bachchan

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 08 2014 | 5:10 PM IST
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan credited his success to the script writers for helping him rule the industry for more than four decades.
Bachchan, 71, who got the 'Angry Young Man' image in the industry after his brave portrayal of inspector Vijay in 'Zanjeer', said he is thankful to Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar for moulding his image as an actor.
"The credit goes to ('Zanjeer') writers Salim- Javed for capturing the prevailing mood of the society. I was just the voice. It was Salim-Javed who thought of it and put in cinematic emotion. I was merely an actor who got lucky," Bachchan said on the sidelines of India Today conclave 2014 while discussing on the issue 'Cinema as the mirror of society'.
"The discontent and anger during the Emergency brought about Zanjeer and the ' Angry Young Man'," he added.
While Bachchan reflected the image of men in the society of that era but he described filmmaking during that time as "haphazard".
"It was an individual profession and more of a mom-and- pop organisation, where people would borrow money and make a film. The song and fight sequences would be shot over a week and shown to a financer. Till then, we would sit twiddling our thumbs. Thus, in between, we worked in several films," he said.
The 'Sholay' star also has a successful stint in small screen as a quizmaster. He confessed that he took up 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' (KBC) to clear his debts by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd, an entertainment company.
"We were the first to start corporation of Bollywood in 1995. We did not know how to operate the business and we ran into losses. KBC helped me earn money to pay off the debt.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 08 2014 | 5:10 PM IST

Next Story