As Amitabh Bachchan turns 80 on Tuesday, aficionados of the Bollywood whiz are commending his life and work the nation over, with some in any event, gathering outside the entertainer’s home in Mumbai, India’s monetary capital, at 12 PM.
State head Narendra Modi joined scores of other conspicuous figures in wishing the veteran entertainer on Twitter. PM Modi said Bachchan “is one of India’s most astounding film characters who has excited and engaged crowds across ages”.
To commemorate the occasion, an exhibition of his early films and rare photographs is being displayed across India.
The non-profit Film Heritage Foundation is hosting a first-of-its-kind festival of Amitabh Bachchan’s seminal early films over the course of four days in 22 theatres in 17 cities throughout India beginning on Saturday, October 8.
The non-profit organisation has been at the vanguard of attempts to preserve 60 of Bachchan’s films in a temperature-controlled archive in the city of Mumbai, under the direction of Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, an award-winning filmmaker, archivist, and restorer.
Director Christopher Nolan claims that the archive has “established an international reputation for excellence”.
The screenings will be accompanied by an exhibition of about 50 images, the majority of which were drawn from the collection of SMM Ausaja, a memorabilia archivist, author, and cinema historian.
In the guest role, Bachchan appeared.
Mehta and Bachchan only ever collaborated once.
