Published 22:22 IST, September 24th 2019
Amitabh Bachchan: A few of the many awards he has won in his career
Amitabh Bachchan has won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year. He has also won other great honours over the years for his great career. Read to know more.
Amitabh Bachchan first made his debut as a voice narrator in the 1969 film Bhuvan Shome. Nearly 50 years later, he is considered a legendary actor in Bollywood and is one of the most renowned Indian actors worldwide. Now at the age of 76, Amitabh Bachchan has been selected to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2019 by the Government of India. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest award one can receive for outstanding work in Indian cinema.
The award was first introduced in 1969, the very year Amitabh made his debut in the film industry, to celebrate the contributions of director and producer Dadasaheb Phalke. While this is the most prestigious award that the Shahenshah of Bollywood can receive, this is not the only honour that he has received. Amitabh has won several national and international awards over the course of his career. Here are a few of the most notable awards and accolades that Amitabh Bachchan has won over the years for his fantastic acting and contribution to society.
Filmfare Award
Amitabh has won several Filmfare Awards as well as National Film Awards. However, he was the first artist to ever receive the greatest honour in Filmfare, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was bestowed upon him for his lifetime of dedication to the Indian film industry and his great achievements as an actor. He received the award in 1991 and was also given the title of the Superstar of the Millennium during the Filmfare Awards (2000).
The Honour from BBC
The British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) named Amitabh the Greatest Star of Stage or Screen in 1999. This was despite the fact that most of the western population did not know about him at that time. He was chosen the first by a large majority of votes. This was probably because of the then rise in the popularity of Indian cinema worldwide.
The Padma Shri
The Padma Shri Award is the fourth-highest civilian award in India. It is awarded on every Republic Day. The Government of India confers the award to that worthy candidate who has contributed to the growth and development of the country. Amitabh Bachchan received the Padma Shri in 1984 for his career achievements.
The Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award granted by the Government of India. This award is also granted on Republic Day to a candidate chosen by the committee. The committee is appointed by the Prime Minister of India himself. Amitabh won the Padma Bhushan Award in 2001.
The Padma Vibhushan
This is the second-highest-ranking civilian award granted by the Government of Indian. It is second only to the Bharat Ratna. Similar to other great civilian honours, the Padma Vibhushan is awarded on Republic Day. Amitabh won this award recently in 2015. The only major civilian honour that he is yet to win is the Bharat Ratna.
French Honours
Amitabh Bachchan was granted the honorary citizenship of the French town Deauville in 2003. Later in 2007, he was bestowed with the greatest civilian honour of France by the French Government, the Knight of the Legion of Honour. He received the award for his exceptional achievements in cinema and beyond. The French Ambassador stated that after getting the highest French honour, Amitabh was now a part of the International Legion of the World’s Best Artists.
There are far too many awards and accolades that Amitabh Bachchan has won to list them all. He has also received several honorary doctorates. He was given another Lifetime Achievement award in 2010 during the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. He has not only won awards and accolades but also has several statues of him built worldwide.
Updated 23:26 IST, September 24th 2019