Amitabh Bachchan turns 84 on October 11, 2026, but his journey to becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable stars was far from a smooth ride. Long before he became the face of blockbuster films and Who will become a Crorepati? (KBC), Bachchan faced professional setbacks, a life-threatening accident and a financial crisis that threatened everything he had built.
His story has included moments when opportunities dried up, his future appeared uncertain and he had to find a way forward. From the much-discussed account of his All India Radio audition to the collapse of Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), here are five turning points that shaped his career and second innings.
Was Amitabh Bachchan Really Rejected By All India Radio For His Voice?
Before his film career took off, Bachchan had reportedly hoped to work as a radio presenter. In a 2014 interview, he recalled auditioning for All India Radio in both English and Hindi and being rejected. He later reflected that his voice might not have been suitable for what the broadcaster was looking for. The story, however, has another version. Ameen Sayani, the celebrated radio presenter, said he did not meet Bachchan because he had not taken an appointment for a voice audition. Sayani recalled being extremely busy with radio programming at the time.
The two accounts are not identical: Bachchan described an unsuccessful audition, while Sayani spoke about not having met him for one. The episode is therefore best understood through their respective recollections rather than as a settled story about the broadcaster rejecting Bachchan’s voice.
There is an irony to the episode. Bachchan later became known for his distinctive baritone, lending his voice to narration and appearing in projects where it was central to the experience. His career would eventually take him far beyond the kind of broadcasting opportunity he had once pursued.
How Did Amitabh Bachchan Go From Early Flops To Zanjeer?
Bachchan made his film debut with Hindustani times in 1969, but success did not arrive immediately. Several of his early films failed to make a strong impact at the box office, and he struggled to establish himself as a leading man. The exact number of unsuccessful films before his breakthrough varies across accounts. Screenwriter Salim Khan has been quoted recalling that Bachchan had endured around 11 flops before Zanjeer. Rather than relying on a disputed tally, the larger point is clear: the actor was far from an established superstar when the film came his way.
Released in 1973, Zanjeerwritten by Salim-Javed and directed by Prakash Mehra, became a major turning point. Bachchan’s portrayal of Inspector Vijay Khanna helped establish the intense, restrained screen persona that would become associated with Hindi cinema’s “angry young man” era.
The film changed the direction of his career. Roles in films such as Deewaar and Sholay would further cement his standing, transforming a struggling actor into one of the biggest stars of his generation.
What Happened To Amitabh Bachchan During The Coolie Accident?
In July 1982, Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury while filming a fight sequence for Coolie in Bengaluru. During the scene with co-star Puneet Issar, Bachchan struck his abdomen against the edge of a table and sustained a serious internal injury. His condition deteriorated, and he was taken to hospital for emergency treatment. The incident became one of the most widely followed medical crises in Indian cinema, with thousands of fans anxiously awaiting updates about his recovery. Reports from the time described crowds gathering outside the hospital, while people across the country prayed for his survival.
The accident brought his career to an abrupt halt at a time when he was already one of Hindi cinema’s leading stars. His recovery was followed closely by the public, and the episode became inseparable from his life story.
Bachchan eventually returned to work and completed Coolie. The film was released in 1983, with the sequence in which he was injured retained in the movie. The accident remains a defining moment in his life not only because of its severity, but also because of the extraordinary public response to his condition.
How Did Amitabh Bachchan End Up With Rs 90 Crore In Debt?
Years after reaching the heights of stardom, Bachchan faced another crisis, this time away from the film set. His venture, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), ran into severe financial trouble in the 1990s and eventually collapsed.
In an interview with journalist Vir Sanghvi, Bachchan recalled the scale of the crisis. He said he had around Rs 90 crore to repay and faced approximately 55 legal cases. He explained that personal guarantees had made him personally liable for certain obligations, while creditors were regularly turning up at his door.
Bachchan also recalled that his assets and properties had been attached during the financial turmoil. The pressure was not only financial: in his account, people who had once been keen to work with him became hostile, and film offers dried up.
The crisis left him confronting the possibility that his career had reached a dead end. For an actor who had dominated the box office for years, the shift from superstardom to financial uncertainty was stark.
The Rs 90 crore figure and the number of legal cases come from Bachchan’s own recollection of that period. They offer a measure of the liabilities he said he faced as ABCL unravelled, rather than a claim that every detail of the company’s collapse can be reduced to those two figures.
How Did Amitabh Bachchan Make His Comeback With Mohabbatein And KBC?
By 2000, Bachchan has recalled, he was without film offers and unsure of his next move. He approached filmmaker Yash Chopra and asked for work. Chopra offered him a role in Mohabbateingiving him an opportunity to return to the big screen in a prominent part. Released in October 2000, the film marked an important phase in Bachchan’s second innings. He moved away from the conventional leading-man roles that had defined much of his earlier career and embraced a character role as the strict head of a traditional educational institution.
That same year, Bachchan also took on a new challenge: hosting Who will become a Crorepati?. The show began in July 2000, before Mohabbatein reached cinemas. Its format, his measured delivery and his rapport with contestants helped him connect with television audiences in a different way.
The two developments became central to his comeback story. Mohabbatein brought him back into a major film production, while KBC opened a new chapter in his relationship with viewers. Bachchan has said he eventually repaid the liabilities he faced, though the recovery was a process rather than the result of a single film or television season.
Decades later, KBC remains closely associated with his public image, and his voice continues to be one of his most recognisable trademarks.
As Amitabh Bachchan turns 84, these five episodes offer a reminder that his career has not been defined by success alone. The alleged radio rejection remains disputed in its details, Zanjeer followed years of professional setbacks, the Coolie accident nearly cost him his life, and the ABCL crisis forced him to rethink his future. His return through cinema and television became another defining chapter in a career that has repeatedly found new ways forward.
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Sunny Singh is a Journalist and Content Writer with a strong affinity for Bollywood and Hollywood insiders, music and more. Somewhat of a writer and poet himself, he thrives on giving life to words and deliver all you need to know about the entertainment sector.
The post Amitabh Bachchan B’Day SPL: From An Alleged Radio Rejection To Rs 90 Crore Debt, 5 Turning Points In Big B’s Life appeared first on NewsX.