Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed the story behind his name in Monday’s episode of the most famous TV quiz show, Kaun Banega Crorepati 12. The show started with Komal Tukadia and she was the only contestant to get the Fastest Finger First answer right. She made to the hotseat and during the course of game, she spoke about women empowerment and said that she wants to fulfill her dreams before getting married. Komal said that she loves movies a lot but her father doesn’t allow her to watch films in theatres. She quit the game after winning Rs 12,50,000.
One of the questions asked during the game was, “Which novel by Dharamvir Bharati is about a young student, Chander, who falls in love with Sudha, the daughter of his college professor?” Amitabh Bachchan revealed that he and his wife Jaya Bachchan were to act in the movie based on the novel but it was later shelved.
The legendary actor told that he was almost named ‘Inquilab’, inspired by the phrase, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ which was very famous during the Indian Independence struggle. However, poet Sumitranandan Pant named him Amitabh.
Amitabh Bachchan once said how he got Bachchan as the surname. In one of his blog posts, Big B said that,”The caste system in the land has been prevalent for centuries, followed diligently by many and now defied by many too, (it is) an ailment that has plagued our society or not by some.”
He further added that, “Babuji was born in a Kayasth home and a Srivastav. But his temperament was always against the ailment of caste, his nome de plume, his ‘takhallus’ his pen name he designed as ‘BACHCHAN’. Poets writers of great eminence often designed their names with a nom de plume. So ‘Bachchan’ became my Father’s pen name, his poetic nom de plume but it lent credence to its concept later when I was born, on being admitted to my first school, and being asked by the teachers what surname of this boy was to be filled in the admission form my Mother and father had a quick discussion and it was decided that ‘Bachchan’ would be the family surname.”
