Amitabh Bachchan - 70 Years, 70 Facts!

Okay, after Rekha, its Big B's birthday today. Words fall short off, describing this greatest showman of Hindi film Industry (it seems, he hates calling it Bollywood). 
Here I have put together some 70 interesting facts of Amitabh Bachchan which will help you know more of him. Check them out. Happy Birthday to the Shehensha, the Angry Young Man!
Check out some rare photos of Amitabh Bachchan, Songs sung by him and his Movies List 

1. Amitabh began his career in films in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome. 
2. His first film was 'Saat Hindustani' in 1969
3. Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer for 'Saat Hindustani'
4. He is the son of well known poet late Sri Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. Though the family sirname was Srivastava, his father adopted the pen-name Bachchan
5. His father Harivanshrai Bachchan wanted to name him Inquilab before deciding on Amitabh (unending brilliance).
6. He has acted in over 180 films in 43 years of his career in Hindi film industry 
7. For the past 30 years, every Sunday evening he greets his fans gathered outside his Bungalow Jalsa 
8. Amitabh Bachchan and his family have 3 bungalows - Prateeksha(New Bungalow), Jalsa(Old Bachchan house, Janak(Bachchan office)
9. Amitabh Bachchan is ambidextrous hence, can write with both hands equally well.
10. The Big B  played his first negative role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in 'Parwaana' (1971)
11. Jalsa was gifted to Amitabh Bachchan by film director Raj Sippy, for his outstanding performance in Satte Pe Satta
12. The name of his Piranha Dane Dog is 'Shanouk' 
13. He had a very close association with Indira Gandhi and son Rajiv Gandhi
14. Saat Hindustani was the only Hindi film of Amitabh Bachchan which was in black-and-white
15. He wanted to become an engineer and was keen to join the Indian Air Force at some point of time. 
16. His grand children are Navya Naveli Nanda, Agastya Nanda (Shweta Nanda's kids) and baby Aaradhya Bachchan(Abhishek and Aishwarya's daughter)
17. While filming Coolie (1983/I) he received a near fatal injury. He was hospitalised and the Indian press issued daily bulletins on his health.
18. He was fondly called by his mother as Munna
19. Big B has inherted a passion for collecting pens from his father. He has a huge collection of pens, counting to more than a thousand of them.
20. He has a passion for watches too. It is said that AB senior never repeats a watch that he wears. His favorite brand of watches is Longines
21. Amitabh Bachchan thinks that the most beautiful actress in Hindi cinema is Waheeda Rehman.
22. He did a double major in Science and Arts from the Kirori Mal College in Delhi.
23. He is active on Social Networking too. His official Blog is http://srbachchan.tumblr.com/ and follow him on Twitter @SrBachchan
24. Was a former stage actor, radio announcer and freight company executive in Calcutta, India.
25. He is the most-nominated actor in any acting category at Filmfare, with 37 nominations overall.
26. He is making his Hollywood debut with the film called The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguir
27. On 27th July 2012, he carried the Olympic torch in London's Southwark.
28. He has sang his own songs in 30 films so far.
29.  He is the only actor who achieved atleast one hit every for 15 consecutive years from Bombay to Goa (1972) to Aakhree Raasta (1986).
30. Vijay was his character name for over 20 films!
31. Amitabh has played more double roles than any other actor. In Mahaan, he had a triple role.
32. Mehmood was also a mentor to Bachchan in his days of struggle and offered him place to stay in his own home.
33. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through 'Kandahar', directed by Major Ravi and co-starring Mohanlal.
34. He is the first Asian to have his wax statue at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
35. Before entering the film industry, Bachchan auditioned at the Delhi station of All India Radio to act in plays. He was turned down because of his unusual voice.
36. In a tribute to the star, Techzone has developed a new app called 'BigB'
37. He turned down the Honorary Doctorate conferred by the Queensland University of Technology Australia in 2009, to oppose the racial attacks on Indian students in Australia
38. He received the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001 for his outstanding contribution to cinema.
39. He has won fourteen Filmfare Awards in various categories. 
40. Amitabh Bachchan has a sharp memory. He never forgets the birthdays or special occassions of his close ones and makes it a point to wish them each year.
41. In his short lived political career he contested Lok sabha election from Allahabad and defeatedHemavati Nandan Bahuguna with marginal votes
42. He was one of the judges for the 1995 Miss World beauty pageant.
43. Was named Actor of the Millennium in a BBC News Poll ahead of such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Marlon Brando.
44. It's ironic that Big B who is a teetotaler has performed some of the best drunken scenes in films like Sharaabi, Namak Halal, Satte Pe Satta, Amar Akbar Anthony andDo Anjaaane.
45. "Zanjeer" (1973) is Amitabh's 13th movie and his first major success which gave him the title 'Angry young Man'
46. Sunil Dutt signed him for a mute’s role in “Reshma Aur Shera” because of a letter of introduction from Indira Gandhi, then prime minister, to her friend Nargis 
47. He dubbed for 23 scenes in 5 hours, a record, for “Shootout At Lokhandwala.”
48. Bachchan was paid Rs. 1,000 for his debut film, K.A. Abbas’s “Saat Hindustani,” on the sets of which he struck a lifelong friendship with Tinnu Anand.
49. He says he is never going to write his Autobiography because there is nothing worth writing!
50. Jaya and Amitabh acted together in two little-known movies before "Zanjeer." They got married on June 2, 1973, a month after the release of "Zanjeer."
51. A.R. Rahman has scored music for three films in which he was involved, but has never composed a song for him.
52. Amitabh-Jaya is the only real-life couple to have starred on-screen for 30 years from “Ek Nazar” to “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…”(2001), a film released 28 years after their marriage
53. He will be receiving a mobile Diabetes Testing unit as a gift from the British Deputy High Commissioner. The clinic will be named as 'Amitabh'.
54. He is a passionate advocate of vegetarianism and animal rights
55. Beginning with “Guddi” (1971), he has played himself in over 12 films in cameos.
56. He is the only actor who has played God (“God Tussi Great Ho”), ghost (“Bhoothnath,” “Delhi-6”) and genie (“Aladin”).
57. The face of the Indian comic book character Supremo is based on him.
58. So far the actor has made special appearances in more than 27 films.
59. The song “Rang barse” from “Silsila” and some lyrics from “Alaap” were penned by his father, Dr. Harvanshrai Bachchan.
60. Among his loyal filmmakers, only Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast him in a common man’s role frequently (doctor, professor etc.) and never did an action movie.
61. He also starred in home productions of Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Shah Rukh Khan.
62. Amitabh is known to suffer from asthma. He also has a rare muscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis.
63. The 1994 Film Insaniyat Was Amitabh’s last release before he took a brief sabbatical from acting
64. He has yet to work with Aamir Khan, though he was narrator in his production “Lagaan.” He was also the voice of God in Salman Khan’s home production “Hello Brother.”
65. In non-film albums, Bachchan sang the entire “Aby Baby” and was a part of Adnan Sami’s album “Tera Chehra” (the track “Kabhi nahin” with Adnan).
66. He was to do films that never took off — “Lambuji Thinguji” and “Jaahil” respectively — with Amjad Khan and Kader Khan as directors.
67. Amitabh and son Abhishek Bachchan have played unrelated characters in “Bunty Aur Babli,” “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom” and “Shootout…” — in the last, they never shared a frame — and father and son in “Sarkar,” “Sarkar Raj,” “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.”
68. He will reunite with Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor, with whom he formed the “Amar Akbar Anthony” trio, in Mayur Puri’s forthcoming directorial debut.
69. Starting with “Bhuvn Shome” (1969) even before he turned actor, “Bawarchi” (1972) and “Shatranj Ke Khiladi” (1976), Bachchan has been narrator in over a dozen films, including an international project, “La marche de l'empereur” (2005), a documentary on penguins.
70. Some of his successful movies include Zanzeer, Deewar, Mr.Natwarlal, Silsila, Bawarchi,  Don, Amar Akbar Anthony, Cheeni Kum, Bhagban, Paa, Black,....the list continues here