Abhishek Bachchan (Hindi: अभिषेक बच्चन, born 5 February 1976 in Mumbai, Maharashtra) is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai.
Bachchan debuted with J.P. Dutta's Refugee (2000), but it was not until 2004 that he achieved success when he appeared in the commercially successful Dhoom and the critically acclaimed Yuva. His work in Yuva received several awards, including his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category, an award he would win for the two next years as well. In 2010, he won his first National Film Award (as a producer) for Paa which won the award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. He has starred in films such as Bunty aur Babli, Guru, Sarkar and Dostana and has thereafter established himself as one of the leading actors of Bollywood.[1]
Early life
Abhishek Bachchan is the son of Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and actress Jaya Bachchan; his elder sister is Shweta Bachchan-Nanda (b. 1974). His grandfather, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a poet of Hindi literature. The original last name of his parental family is Srivastav, Bachchan being the pen name used by his grandfather. However, when his father Amitabh entered films, he did so under his father's pen name. Bachchan is of Kayastha heritage from his father's side,[2] Bengali Kulin Brahmin from his mother's side[3] and Punjabi Sikh from his grandmother's side.[4]
Bachchan was dyslexic as a child.[5] He attended Jamnabai Narsee School and Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, and Aiglon College in Switzerland. He then attended Boston University.
Career
In the year 2000, Bachchan began his career with J.P. Dutta's Refugee. The film performed moderately well at the box office and was the fifth highest grossing film of that year.[6] Bachchan went on to do other films, including Kuch Naa Kaho and Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai, without much success.[7]
Abhishek went on to give a string of 17 poorly received films[8] but his performances in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003)[7][9] and Mani Ratnam's Yuva (2004) proved his mettle as an actor.[10] The same year, he starred in Dhoom his first commercial hit[7] Earning over Rs. 55 crore ($12 million USD), the film became one of the top-grossing Indian films of 2004.[11]
In 2005, Bachchan shot to fame with four movies that did well commercially. He starred in Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli opposite Rani Mukerji. The film was a critical and commercial success becoming one of the biggest hits of 2005.[12] In July, he appeared in Sarkar was a success at the box office and was greeted very well by critics. His performance earned him another Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. His third film was Dus was a commercial success. He starred in Rohan Sippy's Bluffmaster was a moderate success.[13] He also received his first Filmfare nomination in the Best Actor category.
Bachchan's first 2006 release Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, became one of the biggest box office hits in India, earning Rs 458 million, and grossed over Rs 480 million abroad, the biggest Bollywood success of all-time in the overseas market up until then.[14] He played the role of Rishi Talwar, a young man who lives in New York whose wife cheats on him with a family friend. His performance in the film earned him his third consecutive award for Best Supporting Actor at the Filmfare Awards. Bachchan's second release Umrao Jaan failed to do well at the box office, but his third film that year, Dhoom 2, did very well—although, as in the first Dhoom, critics noted that Hrithik Roshan, as the antagonist, stole the show.[15] The film was generally well-received by both critics and the mass audience. It became the highest-grossing Indian film of 2006,[16] and remains in the top ten on the list of highest-grossing Bollywood films in India.[17]
In 2007, Bachchan starred in Mani Ratnam's Guru. The film was a commercial success and his performance was acclaimed by critics and audiences, earning him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[18] His next release of that year, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, failed to do well in India[19] but did better overseas, especially in the UK.[20][21]
In 2008 he co-starred with wife Aishwarya Rai and father Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar Raj, the sequel of Sarkar. His next film Drona was critically and commercially a failure. Later the same year he starred in Karan Johar's romantic comedy Dostana opposite John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra.[22] Bachchan and Abraham star as two men who pretend to be gay, so that they can rent an apartment from an older lady, and later fall in love with the same girl, who is the woman's niece. The film was a moderate success.[23]
In 2009, Abhishek appeared in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi-6. The film opened to mixed reviews and received a poor financial profit.[24] In the same year, Bachchan produced the Hindi film Paa for AB Corp. Ltd.[25] The film is based on a rare genetic condition known as progeria and places emphasis on a father-son relationship. Abhishek played the father of his real-life father Amitabh, with Vidya Balan playing the mother. The film received positive reviews and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
In January 2010, Bachchan hosted a game show for Colors titled National Bingo Night.[26][27] The debut episode fetched a 3.5 in the TV ratings.[28] In 2010, he starred as the villain in Mani Ratnam's Raavan, alongside his wife Aishwarya. Rediff said the film had "great performances", but the film was generally a critical and commercial failure.[29][30][31] In the same year, he appeared in Ashutosh Gowariker's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.[32]
In April 2011, Abhishek starred in the action film Game directed by Abhinay Deo.[33] Later in that month, he played the lead in Dum Maaro Dum, which opened to mostly positive reviews from critics.[34][35]
Abhishek Bachchan is working on releasing a hip hop album titled "Side B" in late 2011.[36]
Other Work
In 2005, he was a part of Tamil director Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai, an event which sought to raise funds for The Banyan, a voluntary organisation which rehabilitates homeless women with mental illness in Chennai.[37]
In the summer of 2008, Bachchan, his wife, his father, and actors Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, and Madhuri Dixit starred in the "Unforgettable World Tour" stage production. The first leg covered the USA, Canada, Trinidad, and London, England. Bachchan is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of his father's company, originally known as ABCL, and rechristened as AB Corp. Ltd. That company, along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., developed the Unforgettable production.[38]
In 2011, Bachchan has promoted awareness of drug abuse in India as part of a citizen education campaign. The actor launched the Awareness Day race, which celebrated the silver jubilee of the country's Narcotics Control Bureau.[39][40]
Personal life
Abhishek Bachchan with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the IIFA Awards (2007).
In October 2002, at Amitabh Bachchan's 60th birthday celebration, Abhishek Bachchan and actress Karisma Kapoor announced their engagement.[41] The engagement was called off in January 2003.
Bachchan and actress Aishwarya Rai announced their engagement on 14 January 2007.[42] The couple was married on 20 April 2007, according to traditional Hindu rites of the South Indian Bunt community, to which Rai belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, Prateeksha, in Juhu, Mumbai, but was heavily covered by the entertainment media. The couple appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 28 September 2009.[43]
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