Amitabh Bachchan @80: Why the ‘Shahenshah’ of Bollywood steers clear of politics today

It’s Big B’s big birthday! Bollywood’s first and only Shahenshah, Amitabh Bachchan , turns 80 today and wishes poured in from all corners. As the clock struck 12, Amitabh Bachchan greeted thousands of fans, who had collected outside his bungalow — Jalsa — situated in Mumbai’s suburb of Juhu to wish the icon on his 80th birthday.

Such is Amitabh’s stardom that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday wishes to the actor, calling him one of “India’s most remarkable film personalities”.

A very happy 80th birthday to Amitabh Bachchan Ji. He is one of India’s most remarkable film personalities who has enthralled and entertained audiences across generations. May he lead a long and healthy life. @SrBachchan

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2022

Big B has worked for over five decades in showbiz and has not only worked in different film industries, but also successfully dabbled in nearly all mediums, including television. His work has earned him national and international accolades and love from people across the globe. However, Big B’s fame doesn’t stop only at showbiz. As we celebrate this iconic birthday, here’s a look back at his brush with politics — from his friendship with Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s to his close ties to Amar Singh until 2010 when they had a bitter falling out. The Bachchans and the Gandhis Amitabh Bachchan and his family has been long known to share close ties with the Gandhi family. This age-old friendship dates back to Amitabh’s father, Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s time in India’s foreign ministry. While Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan was in the foreign ministry, he developed a strong rapport with Jawaharlal Nehru and both families came closer as they were both stationed in Allahabad. Amitabh’s mother Teji Bachchan also became a close friend of Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi. In fact, when Sonia Gandhi came to India in 1968 as Rajiv’s fiancée, it was Amitabh who received her at Palam Airport and Sonia stayed with the Bachchans at their New Delhi house to learn Indian customs and traditions from Teji. AB’s mother worked as mediator between the Italian and Indira, who initially was reluctant about her son’s choice. During an interview to Dharamyug magazine in 1985, Sonia said of the Bachchans: “Mummy (Indira) had asked me to stay with the Bachchans (before her wedding) so that I could learn Indian customs and culture from close up. Slowly I came to learn a lot from that family. Teji aunty is my second… No, my third mother. My first mother is in Italy and the other was my mother-in-law Mrs Indira Gandhi, the third is Teji Aunty. Amit and Bunty (Ajitabh) are my brothers.” Foray into electoral politics After his entry into showbiz in 1969, Amitabh scales new heights of success and in 1973 after Zanjeer, Amitabh becomes the Big B of Bollywood. The following years are kind to him and he scores big at the Box Office. **Also read: Once Upon a Cinema | Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan: When the superstar took a break** In 1984, Amitabh decided to take a break from the movies after being shot at on the sets of Coolie in Bengaluru and being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an illness characterised by muscular weakness. His friend, Rajiv Gandhi persuaded Amitabh to contest the Lok Sabha elections and after much convincing, the actor takes the electoral plunge. In the eighth Lok Sabha elections, Bachchan defeated Hemwati Nandan Bahugana, the stalwart of Uttar Pradesh politics, by a whopping margin of 1,87,895 votes and becomes an MP, representing the Allahabad (now Prayagraj) constituency. [caption id=“attachment_11424231” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Amitabh Bachchan with Rajiv Gandhi. The two were close friends and in 1984, Rajiv convinced Amitabh to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Bofors and a falling apart Amitabh’s stint in politics didn’t last long after he was embroiled in the notorious Bofors scandal and in 1987, he quit as MP and returned to the big screen. In an interview to India Today, he had then said, “No more politics.” It is said that the defence scandal planted seeds of enmity between the Amitabh-Rajiv friendship and the ties between the two families only worsened after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Years later, in 2016, speaking about his time in politics said, “I mostly think of it because there are many promises that one makes during an election campaign when you seek votes from people. My inability to keep those promises hurts. If there is anything that I regret then it is that.” In a discussion with Shekhar Gupta and Barkha Dutt at an event Off The Cuff, the superstar said: “I think my decision was emotional. I wanted to go and help a friend, but when I went there and got into it. I realised that it has nothing to do with emotions. I realised that I am incapable of doing it and so, I left.” [caption id=“attachment_11424311” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardway[/caption] The Amar Singh friendship In the late 1990s when Amitabh Bachchan went through trying times, the superstar developed a close rapport with Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party. It is said that Singh came to Bachchan’s rescue and helped him pay off his debts. Fast forward to 2004 and Amar Singh convinces Jaya Bachchan of joining the Samajwadi Party and the actor gets a ticket to the Upper House of Parliament. It is reported that Big B was not in favour of Jaya joining politics but Amar Singh managed to convince him. [caption id=“attachment_11424271” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] In 2010 while Amitabh was facing tough times, he became close to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh. PTI[/caption] Fallout with Amar Singh In 2010, the SP leader had a very public fallout with Amitabh Bachchan. It was in this year that Amar Singh was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Jaya Bachchan, however, chose to avoid siding with Amar Singh and retained her association with the party. Singh made it clear that he did not quite appreciate Jaya Bachchan, who was brought into politics by him, for siding with SP chief Mulayam Singh and for staying back in a party that “humiliated” him. Amar Singh made several controversial remarks against the Bachchans, which led to the end of friendship on a sour note. However, in 2020, Amar Singh extended an olive branch and apologised to the Bachchan family for his statements. Opposed to politics Amitabh now steers clear of politics and says he’s completely aversed to it. Such is his dislike to politics that in 2020 when a fan asked if he wished to become the prime minister someday, the superstar responded: “Arre yaar subah subah shubh shubh bolo (Please say auspicious things in the morning).” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.