Amitabh Bachchan Birthday Special: From Zanjeer to Paa, 10 Iconic Films of Big B That Prove He's the ‘Shahenshah’ of Bollywood

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently entertaining viewers with his quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati 11, turned a year older today on October 11, 2019. Birthday wishes have been pouring in for the living legend of Bollywood on social media since early morning. From cricketers, Bollywood celebrities to fans, family and friends from the entertainment industry, everyone took to the micro-blogging site to drop Big B wishes on his special day. In fact, "Happy 77th Birthday AB Sir" has been trending on Twitter since morning. Amitabh Bachchan Birthday Special: These Throwback Pictures of Big B Will Take you on a Trip down the Memory Lane

Amitabh Bachchan is not just a name but a legacy that will keep inspiring people for years and years to come. It is impossible to talk about Bollywood films and not mention Bachchan. After all, he has redefined cinema with each of his roles and outstanding performances. Amitabh definitely deserves every accolade for his innumerable contributions! As the 77-year-old celebrates his birthday today, let's take a look at 10 of his most iconic roles to date. Amitabh Bachchan Turns 77 on October 11; Wants No Fanfare on Birthday

Here’s the List We Made for You:

Zanjeer (1973)

In Zanjeer, Amitabh Bachchan essay the role of a police officer.  With this film, the "angry young man" persona caught on with the masses and set Amitabh on the path to becoming a major star.

Deewar (1975)

In Deewar, Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Shashi Kapoor's younger brother. The film is about two brothers, Vijay and Ravi, who struggle to survive in Mumbai. While Kapoor’s character is an honest police officer, Big B played a criminal in the film. The story of these two brothers fighting each other not only tugged at our hearts strings but also entertained us thoroughly.

Sholay (1975)

Seen as one of Indian cinema's most iconic films, Sholay saw Amitabh Bachchan essay the role of Jai and Dharmendra as Veeru. It was a story of two jailbirds, who help a retired police officer nab a notorious dacoit Gabbar Singh. The film was not only ranked first in the British Film Institute's 2002 poll of "Top 10 Indian Film" but was also named as the Best Film of 50 Years by Filmfare in 2005. Well, it was also a personal milestone for Big B as he married his on-screen (and off-screen) love interest Jaya Bhaduri during the making of the film.

Don (1978)

In this iconic film Don, Amitabh appears in a double role, playing the elusive gangster Don and his lookalike Vijay. Not only was he an absolute delight to watch on the big screen, but Big B also proved his calibre as an actor in Don.

Shahenshah (1988)

Amitabh Bachchan's Shahenshah went on to become a huge blockbuster earning over six crores by its fifth week back in 1988. The actor played Vijay, a corrupt police officer, who leads a dual life as a lawman during the day and a crime-fighting vigilante at night, striking against forces of evil and injustice. Ever since the film, Big B has been acknowledged as ‘The Shahenshah of Bollywood'.

Agneepath (1990)

In Agneepath, Amitabh played the role of an underworld mafia don Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, who is hell-bent on avenging the murder of his father. This is another film, where Big B portrayed his angry persona on the big screen after Zanjeer. Amitabh Bachchan won National Award for his role in Agneepath. Do we need to say more?

Hum (1991)

Mukul Anand’s family drama Hum, starring Amitabh Bachchan, was one of the biggest blockbusters of 1991. In this film, the South superstar and Big B came together on screen after a gap of six years; Their last film together was Geraftaar (1985). In Hum, Amitabh plays Tiger, the son of a dockworker.

Mohabbatein (2000)

In Mohabbatein, Amitabh Bachchan won many hearts through his role as Narayan Shankar, the strict headmaster of Gurukul Boys -- a prestigious all-boys university. Did you know Bachchan was out of work before Mohabbatein? Yes, Big B himself approached Yash Chopra for work and ended up bagging the role of Narayan Shankar. Well, his Indo-western look in the movie, which was designed by Karan Johar, was loved by all back then. Also, Mohabbatein was the first movie, where King Khan had shared screen space with Bachchan and his now daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.

Sarkar (2005)

In Sarkar, Amitabh's character loosely based on the late Shiv Sena leader, Bal Thackeray. The star essayed the character of Subhash Nagre, an influential community leader, living in Mumbai. Helmed by Ram Gopal Varma, Sarkar gives us a glimpse into Marathi politics. It is a story about a powerful gangster who is framed for murdering an upright politician

Paa (2009)

In this film, Big B takes plays Auro, a 12-year-old boy battling with progeria. Amitabh's son Abhishek Bachchan played the former's father in this R Balki directorial. The 77-year-old won his third National Film Award for Best Actor at the 57th National Film Awards for his performance in Paa.

On the professional front, Amitabh Bachchan, whose last Hindi film was Badla, is currently hosting the ongoing season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. The actor will next be seen in Brahmastra with Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Akkineni Nagarjuna. Helmed by Ayan Mukerji, the film is slated for Christmas 2019 release. Amitabh Bachchan Celebrates His Second Birthday! This Throwback Pic Shared By Son Abhishek Reveals Why

Big B was seen last in the recently released film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, where the actor plays Gosaayi Venkanna, the guru of Uyyalwada Narasimha Reddy. Although Amitabh Bachchan had a small role to play in the film, it didn't go unnoticed by fans of the legendary actor. Bachchan's upcoming films are Shoojit Sircar's Gulabo Sitabo and Chehre. Stay tuned!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 11, 2019 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).